What To Plant This Summer: A Seasonal Planting Guide

Summer Planting Ideas For A Vibrant Season

Summer is the best time to get outdoors and make use of your garden, with the warmer temperatures and longer days. To encourage you to spend time outdoors, you first need to create a garden you are happy with, and summer provides plenty of opportunities for redesign.

As this is the main blooming season for many plants and flowers, there is no better time to get gardening. In this post, leading landscapers Taming Mother Nature are sharing our favourite summer planting ideas and tips to get you inspired. We will help you create a thriving landscape that can see you through the season and brighten up every event.

No matter the size or shape of your garden, there are plenty of summer planting ideas for you to try to add colour and interest to your outdoor space. From sprawling family estates to compact urban courtyards, add some more vibrancy to the season with these planting ideas.

The Top Summer Blooming Plants: Flowers To Brighten Your Summer Garden

A great place to start with summer planting is focusing on the flowers and plants that come to life during the season. Many plants thrive in the warmer months, and some offer their brightest flowers during this time of the year. If you are looking to instantly lift your garden design this season, plants and flowers that reach their maximum bloom are the best solution, such as:

  • Geraniums: Available in a range of rich colours, these hardy perennials add colour and interest to planting beds or containers, and will return next season for more
  • Petunias: These flowers thrive in high-sunlight areas, making them an ideal summer planting option for hanging baskets, flower beds, and containers
  • Salvia: While the most popular form of these flowers is a stunning violet shade, there are other colours available to add height and interest to flower displays and pots in summer
  • Dahlias: These bushy, dense flowers thrive in the late summer to maintain the vibrancy and appeal of your outdoor space as the seasons progress
  • Cosmos: With their pink, red or white flowers, these summer plants can be grown in most gardens to add colour and interest to flower beds all season long
  • Marigolds: Known for their bright yellow and orange flowers, these summer plants thrive in direct sunlight and can be used as filler plants for flower beds and planters

Using a combination of these summer planting ideas, you can create stunning seasonal displays that add colour, attract pollinators, and produce rich scents. Start the display with tall plants at the back, such as salvia, and descend by height until you have ground cover such as geraniums and marigolds to create a detailed, attractive seasonal planter.

To maintain their appeal long term and encourage flowers to bloom again next season, deadhead as soon as they begin to fade. Ensure that the soil is well-drained and that flowers receive regular watering throughout the season, even if they thrive in direct sunlight and high temperatures.

With these simple garden maintenance tips, you can ensure these summer planting displays will thrive throughout the season and offer weeks of vibrancy.

Summer Planting Ideas For Pots And Containers: Ideal For All Garden Sizes

If you are concerned about space or do not want to commit to a full flower bed, this does not mean you have to miss out this summer. There are many summer planting ideas available that thrive in pots and containers, giving you the flexibility to move your garden around as you desire, whether this is to accommodate seating and summer outdoor events or simply for a change of scenery.

Container planting is also ideal for those who do not have much of a green thumb, as it is easier to care for plants in individual settings. You can better control the soil condition and drainage, so it takes less work to help your garden thrive throughout the season.

From colourful plant pots to traditional terracotta planters and hanging baskets, add some interest, colour and texture to your garden this season with these summer planting ideas:

  • Lobelia: With their bright blue and purple flowers, these summer plants are a great option for hanging baskets to add colour to either front or back gardens this season
  • Verbena: Available in a variety of colours, including white, purple and pink, these plants thrive in pots and are an ideal option for layered displays or ornate planters
  • Begonias: The rich flowers and large foliage make these beautiful summer plants for containers and hanging baskets, and thrive best in this kind of condition
  • Trailing Ivy: Best grown in hanging baskets or high displays across fences or garden structures, the rich green foliage adds a traditional edge to all kinds of outdoor spaces
  • Calibrachoa: These plants remain in heavy flowering throughout the season, so they will constantly provide colour and interest to planters or hanging baskets

Beyond Blooms: Summer Planting Ideas For Foliage And Texture

While summer is the ideal time to plant colourful flowers and blooms, this is not your only option for seasonal displays. If you are looking for something different or have a contemporary garden design, planting for texture and foliage may be your best option.
You can create effective, but simple planting displays this season by focusing on greenery such as:

  • Heuchera: While they do produce small colourful flowers, the primary appeal of these summer planting ideas is their rich, dense green leaves, which continue to thrive throughout the season. These are an ideal addition to borders or flower beds for depth and interest.
  • Coleus: The striking foliage of these summer plants adds colour and warmth to even the smallest outdoor space, with the rich red centre of each leaf. These can be planted in shaded spots and containers, adding depth and interest throughout the season.
  • Festuca: This ornamental grass can provide height and texture to planting displays, flower beds and containers. Available in rich greens and blues, this dense plant can provide a stunning contrast to your main lawn area or other plants in the garden this season

To ensure that your gardening efforts continue to make an impact, combine both evergreen and seasonal foliage in planting displays. Evergreen plants will maintain their foliage throughout the year to keep the structure and design of your garden, even when summer is long gone.

Edible Summer Planting Ideas To Stay On Trend

Edible planting has been a huge trend this year, and it is a great way to add unique features to your summer garden. Instead of focusing solely on the flowers and plants that everyone will have, you can create bespoke displays and make a functional outdoor space with edible additions such as:

  • Strawberries in pots
  • Tomato planters in greenhouses or flower beds
  • Herbs such as basil or mint for borders and containers

Edible planting is a great way to get the whole family involved in landscaping and encourage kids of all ages to get outdoors this season. They can track their progress from seeds to fully developed plants over the summer, and get excited to try new meals or snacks based on what they grow.

While edible planting may require more maintenance than other summer planting ideas, it can be a great opportunity to maximise your garden and spend more time in nature this season.

Conclusion

Summer is the best time to get outdoors, and this is easier to do when you have a garden you’re proud of. With these summer planting ideas, you can create a vibrant and engaging outdoor space that is full of visual beauty, textures, and scents all season long.

Whether you are an avid gardener or more of a garden lounger, there are plenty of options for you to try to maximise your outdoor space this season.

If you would like some help making the best planting choices this season and keeping your garden looking its best, Taming Mother Nature offers seasonal maintenance and ongoing packages. We can help renovate your outdoor space and offer professional maintenance to keep it looking its best throughout the summer and beyond.

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To learn more about our services or to request a quote, please contact the team today.

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