Summer Gardens Archives - The Inspired Garden

July 7, 2021February 21, 2022

Inspired Summer Annuals

“Summertime. It was a song. It was a season. I wondered if that season would ever live inside me.”
— Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Annuals bring magic to any garden. They grow quicker, bloom longer, and produce more flowers than perennials do. Available in a wide variety of vibrant colors, annuals can fill in gaps between seasons and add instant pops of color where needed. My five favorite early summer annuals are all deer-resistant and do well in extreme heat. Inspired Garden tip: resist the urge to put them in rows and plant in clusters of 5 instead.

Zinnias come in so many heights and colors, so use them in your taller sections and in borders. They make great cut flowers.

Cosmos can grow up to 6 feet tall, so place them in the middle or back of your garden. I love the airy texture of the foliage.

Angelonia grow super fast and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Also known as summer snapdragons, they have spires of flowers and green, glossy foliage.

Vinca have shiny green leaves and five-petaled blooms in pink, red, white, lavender, or purple. Perfect for borders, these compact plants will grow to about 15 inches tall.

Marigolds are another great border plant, and bring bright bursts of oranges and yellows. They attract butterflies, as well as other insects that eat pests that can damage your plants. Marigolds are edible too!

If you would like to read more information on gardens and indoor plants check out our Get Inspired newsletter.

Happy planting!

Laura

June 22, 2021February 21, 2022

Spectacular Summer Containers

“Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year’s all about.”
— John Mayer

Summer’s intense heat can leave your flowers looking wilted and sad unless you choose plants that actually thrive on hot sunny days. Packing a planter with heat-tolerant flowers will ensure a vibrant, gorgeous pot that can last through October.

To create a bright and cheery summer container, I rely on the tried and true thriller, filler, spiller technique. For anyone needing a refresher on this, thrillers are the eye-catching, taller plants that go in the center of the pot; fillers are midsize and surround and enhance the thriller; spillers are the dreamy, cascading plants that drape over the sides.

For the thriller component of a summer pot, I love using angelonias (Angelonia angustifolia), also known as summer snapdragons. Available in pretty shades of white, pink, purple, or lavender, this spiky stunner can easily withstand summer’s sweltering temps. Add salvia and heliotrope to bring interest to the height, and a stick of dracena for an added wow factor.

Geraniums are perfect fillers. Their bold, round blooms love full sun, and they will last until the first frost. Vinca is a smaller filler that blends beautifully with geraniums.

Finally, everyones loves the spillers of summer! My personal favorite is calibrachoa, also known as million bells. Many people choose petunias, but they tend to get leggy in the July heat and they need to be deadheaded. Calibrachoa come in a rainbow of colors in solids or stripes. Creeping jenny or potato vines are great add-ins for brightness.

Once you’ve chosen your container plants, keep them healthy by adding moisture control soil in the top ⅓ of the container. Moisture control soil has gel pellets (like you find in diapers!) that soak up and release water as needed.

Water your plants in the morning and try to get down to the base of the soil. If it’s really hot, consider moving the plants to the shade or water a second time in the evening. Try to avoid the middle of the day as the water evaporates too quickly.

If you would like to read more information on gardens and indoor plants check out our Get Inspired newsletter.

Happy planting!

Laura