Summer has arrived and the garden is in high gear. It’s beginning to feel like the time to enjoy the fruits of our labor (literally and figuratively). Our top picks for July are plants that come into their own at the height of summer, offering bright colors, beautiful blooms, a tropical vibe and often, intoxicating aromas. Let the sun shine, the garden grow, and the gardener relax and enjoy!
Hardy Fuchsia
A great choice for the PNW garden, hardy fuchsias are the meal of choice for hummingbirds! Hardy fuchsias are available in a variety of colors and sizes and bloom from early summer through frost. ‘Galadriel’, pictured above, has blooms that emerge from a cream-colored tube and have bright red sepals covering a single red corolla.
Sun to shade, depending on variety
Rich, moist, well-drained soil
12”-4’ tall and wide, depending on variety
Blooms June/July-Frost
Agapanthus
Agapanthus, also called Lily of the Nile, is a showstopper in summer with bright lavender, deep purple, or white blooms over strappy foliage. Plants can be evergreen or deciduous, with the deciduous plants being more hardy. Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms. ‘Baby Pete’, shown above (planted with purple salvia), is a smaller variety with blooms to about 18”-24” tall.
Full sun to part sun for best blooms
Moist, well-drained soil
18”-5’ tall and 18”-36” wide, depending on variety
Blooms mid-summer to early fall
Marigold
Often overlooked, the marigold is a wonderful summer flower that does triple duty: it offers gorgeous, saturated color, attracts pollinators, and even helps protect vegetables from certain nematodes! The African marigolds and French marigolds (seen above) offer larger, domed flowers while the signet marigold has a looser, lacy foliage and smaller, single flowers.
Full sun
Well-drained soil
8”-36” tall and 6”-12” wide, depending on variety
Blooms spring to first frost
Penstemon
Tall, showy spikes of flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds make penstemon a top choice in the garden. This Western US native is tolerant of drought and a great addition to a border or naturalistic garden. A huge variety of sizes and colors are available. Shear in late summer to allow for a new bloom in the fall.
Full sun
Well-drained soil
12”-36” tall and wide, depending on variety
Blooms summer to fall
Lily
There are so many lilies to choose from, each with its own unique style. Of the true lilies (Lilium), Oriental lilies often have a strong fragrance while asiatic lilies do not. This Regal lily (Lilium regale), seen above, has heavily scented white trumpet flowers with light purple markings.
Full sun to part shade
Moist, well-drained soil; keep mulched
3’-6’ tall and 8”-36” wide, depending on variety
Blooms early summer-fall, depending on variety
Windmill Palm
Evoking tropical climes, windmill palms offer an exotic look while being perfectly cold hardy here in the PNW. Our local source grows these beauties from seed, offering single and multi-stem offerings (a rarity!) The Wagner’s Windmill Palm, shown above, is slow growing and has compact, stiff, short leaflets.
Full sun to part shade
Well-drained soil
6’-18’ tall and 4’-8’ wide in 10-20 years, depending on variety
Yellow flowers (with age) in May or June but grown as a foliage plant
Salvia
Salvia is a drought-tolerant stunner with blooms that have all the bees buzzing around. Hot Lips sage (pictured) and its cousin Amethyst Lips sage, are (appropriately) the names on everyone’s lips come July. Hot Lips has flowers that emerge bright red and then become red and white, while Amethyst Lips features lovely bicolor purple and white blooms. There are many other Salvias to choose from as well. All are prolific bloomers that offer dramatic color June-September. Shear back by 1/2 in March to prevent legginess. Then sit back and enjoy the frenzy of pollinators that arrive to feast!
Full sun
Average, well-drained soil
24” tall and wide’ flowers to 36” tall (size depends on variety)
Blooms June-September
Zinnia
Zinnias are hardworking, cheerful annuals available in a wide array of bright colors. These are great hot-weather plants and add continuous color throughout the summer. Choose from tall varieties that can grow 3’-4’ high or smaller, more compact plants. Zinnias like to be watered and fed regularly for the best bloom production, but prefer that you refrain from overhead watering. Best of all, they attract butterflies and other pollinators!
Part sun to part shade
Well-drained, fertile soil
6”-48” tall and wide, depending on variety
Blooms summer to early fall
Rose
Roses are the epitome of the summer garden with their color, their fragrance, and their stately beauty. Beautiful on the bush or as a cut flower, roses require some care but offer ample rewards for those that choose to grow them. This Floribunda rose, ‘Nicole’, has bicolor bright pink and white flowers on glossy green foliage and grows to 4’-5’ tall and wide.
Full sun
Fertile, well-drained soil
12”-8’ tall and 12”-4’ wide, depending upon variety
Blooms June-September
Learn more about Growing Roses in the PNW and Pruning Roses, on our blog.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)
Easy to care for and charming, the black-eyed Susan vine is a summer staple. The vines will twirl themselves around any supporting structure or cascade down from a hanging pot (or even over a fence). Flowers range from deep orange to peach, yellow, and cream. This annual blooms all summer long and into fall.
Full sun to part shade
Fertile, well-drained soil
6’-8’ tall vine
Blooms summer to fall
Great for containers!
We’d love to help you choose something perfect for your individual space, whether in person or on social media using #heyswansons!