Summer always flies by.  I say it every year and it’s true.  We spend the spring getting ready for the great event of summer and flowers. Then the summer hits and and the early summer is aways such a wonderful boom.  We are in our heights of so many things in June and July, and the excitement and newness to it is always almost enough.  Then it happens, our plants get tired.  All of a sudden everyone is gasping for color.

I’ve worked a lot on getting gardens to preform year round, and it’s difficult, especially when factors like water usage come into account too.  But there are some plants to think about if August is an important time for you, and why wouldn’t it be?  Summer is still amazing.  Don’t throw in the towel yet.

Dahlias, fancy bulbs planted in the spring will take up a lot of space in June ind July with their big leaves, but it’s worth it come August and September when they will bloom like crazy and ask for nothing in return.  Stay tuned for a fall article about harvesting dahlias so that you can use them again, or have the fun of picking new ones out every year.
Angelonia and marigolds, pink and orange blasts of color, mixed in with perennials will keep your eyes popping.  Keep reading for more suggestions on mixing pinks and oranges.

Next, if you love the southwest, don’t forget blanket flower.  It is discouraging that this plant only lives about two to three years, but it is worth replacing.  See the spots of orange and red below.  It is especially pretty with agastache, another fairly short lived perennial, that will give you great late summer color.  Both of these plants are low water users but do best with full sun.

To keep the yellow theme alive, plant Rudbeckia, or Black eyed Susans.  Their timing is impeccable, and will come in just when you are worried about your garden losing color, right at the beginning of August.

Other summer color included phlox, cosmos, echinacea (Purple Cone Flower).

Of course,  to keep your garden blooming, it is good to feed regularly too, with Age Old Bloom, which can be foliar fed, or Gro Power Flower and Bloom.

For more summer color pictures, visit the perennial portfolio page on my website.

Don’t forget daylilies for summer color

Hawthorne Tree in Early August in Santa Fe

Black Eyed Susan