The Summer Blahs

Ready to quit yet? Tired of watering only to have the hot temperatures suck it all up and leave your annuals drooping? Dry grass poking holes in your feet? Ready to just throw in the towel this summer? Yeah, me too.

Might as well do a little planning for next year and keep our fingers crossed. Following is a list of blooming shrubs that promise to keep on keeping on through the summer.  We’ll see.

One of my all time favorites is the weigela. In early summer, the blooms on this bush keep it looking like springtime in your yard. Flowers range from red to lavender and pink to pale pink and pure white, occasionally reblooming as the summer progresses. The arching, irregular shape of this shrub begs to be planted with others of its kind for best effect. They prefer full sun, are pollution-tolerant and the flowers attract humming birds.

My grandma had a “sweet betty bush” in her side yard when I was a child. I have since come to know that it is actually a Carolina allspice, a wonderful shrub for an old-fashioned garden. A friend of mine gave me a cutting from his bush and although I planted it in a good spot, it has been very slow growing. In spite of its diminutive size, it has had lots of those fruity-smelling, unusual dark red flowers. I’m told one must be careful selecting a specimen of the allspice because some of them actually smell like vinegar. Buy one in flower to be sure.

Shrubby St. John’s wort would be a nice change from the spring-blooming forsythia if you must have bright yellow in your yard. The fluffball flowers of this shrub bloom in mid – to – late summer and last four to six weeks. To further recommend it, it has brown seed capsules that last until late winter and add great interest to a dried arrangement.

Finding something that flourishes in the shade and still has fragrant blooms can be a challenge, but summersweet fits the bill. This plant has 2 – 6 –inch-long flowers spikes that last a month or more in mid – to – late summer. They can be white or pink, filling the surrounding area with their aroma. Autumn’s yellow leaves and brown seed capsules make sure you’ll welcome summersweet into your garden even when it’s done flowering.

Give it plenty of room though and keep the bottom pruned; it will root wherever it touches the ground.

One more just ‘cause I like the name: bottlebrush buckeye. This is a stately and impressive plant for shade or woodland gardens, with dark green leaves and huge white flower spikes. Bumblebees love this plant so it would be wise not to plant it too close to the porch or patio. It spreads and suckers so it needs a large yard. It will do well as an understory plant, but likes some sun as well.

Do you remember this line: “First you must find another shrubbery. Then when you find the shrubbery, you must place it here beside this shrubbery, only slightly higher so you get a two layer effect with a little path running down the middle.” No, it’s not from Alice in Wonderland. Close, though. Call Rose at the Messenger and give me a guess.