An experienced horticulturist who runs classes for gardeners across the Surrey Hills, Tracey Bull's advice was featured in our April magazine. Here's her selection of the top plants for a summer garden
With summer fast approaching, and as we enjoy the longer days and evenings in our gardens, my thoughts turn to plants that are at their best in early summer. I have limited my selection to just five and have chosen plants I wouldn’t want to be without! Plants that are reliable and tried and tested over many years to ensure success. I have selected a small tree, deciduous shrub, herbaceous perennial, bulb and an annual, enabling you to choose at least one that will add interest to your garden.
These plants have to deliver real impact in the garden, adding not just colour but maybe form and structure too. All prefer a sunny site, with any reasonably good garden soil, and have good resistance to pests and diseases. The plants I have chosen have also attained the RHS’s award of garden merit (AGM). So, read on and see which plant you will choose to grow…..
1) Japanese Dogwood
When choosing a tree for your garden, always ensure it has more than one season of interest. Cornus kousa (Japanese dogwood) is one of my favourites for small gardens. It has dramatic blooms, fruits and foliage. It will reach 2.5m in 10 years and continue to develop from a shrub into a broad and bushy but neat specimen tree. In late spring and early summer, the large four petalled creamy white flowers open. In early autumn, after a hot summer, the fruits are at their best. Each is the size and shape of a strawberry. Later in autumn comes spectacular leaf colour, which can last up to a month. Sometimes vivid red, sometimes more purple.
2) Mariesii
Viburnum plicatum (Mariesii) provides interest from May – November. It is a large deciduous shrub with wide-spreading tiered branches (sometimes described as the Wedding Cake tree). The dark green leaves turn a vibrant purple in the autumn. This viburnum has large lace-cap hydrangea-like heads of white flowers in late spring, followed by red fruit which in turn develops a black lustre. It is often used by exhibitors at the Chelsea Flower show as it is in flower and is a show stopper. Grow it as a specimen shrub where its beautifully tiered habit can be admired.
3) Caradonna
Salvia nemerosa (Caradonna) is a vibrant and long-flowering addition to the herbaceous or mixed border. It forms a compact mound of aromatic, grey-green foliage with vivid blue, purple flower spikes in June.
The flower stems are a startling inky-black which adds impact to the front of a border. Planted in contrast to the flat flower heads of Achillea, or the round pin-head flowers of either Scabious or Knautia creates most impact.
It is also a magnet for bees and butterflies.
4) Globemaster
Allium (Globemaster) is undemanding and easy-to-grow, this columnar and upright allium adds ‘punch’ to a sunny border. Strong stems reach 90cm with large showy purple pom-pom flower heads. They are long-lived and come back year after year.
These versatile plants shine in the potager, herb garden or flower packed sunny border. They are best planted en masse for greatest effect.
5) Matucana
Sweet Pea ‘Matucana’ has the strongest and sweetest scent of all of the sweet peas and it is one of my ‘must have’ annuals. It has beautifully bi-coloured magenta and purple flowers superb for cutting as well as for garden beauty.
These very bushy plants are ideal for scrambling over obelisks or small arches. The flowers are daintier than some of the more modern varieties but are produced in abundance and once flowering starts, can be picked daily. One small posy brought into the house will fill a room with delicious scent!
I hope this plant selection has provided some ideas for enhancing your outside space, and I wish you enjoyment in your garden as summer bekons!
You can learn about Tracey's gardening classes on the Surrey Hills Gardening School website
