Looking to add some summer colour to your garden? Well look no further! Paraic has compiled his top 3 plants to add a touch of beauty, colour and vibrancy to your garden. Soil conditions at the moment are ideal for planting. The soil has plenty of moisture and soil temperatures are increasing, creating ideal conditions. Check out Paraic's top 3 summer colour plants and consider adding a splash of colour to your garden!
Top 3 Summer Colour Plants
No. 1: Carpet Rose
One of the best known and reliable ground covering roses are the flower carpet collection. They are easy to grow, low maintenance, disease resistant and have a long flowering period. They flower from June to December and create a fabulous show of colour when planted on mass. Once established, some varieties will produce an amazing display of up to 2,000 flowers. Better still, once established they require very little water. The flower carpet collection has a well-developed root system. Surface roots absorb available surface water while deeper roots access lower level water.
Care of the Carpet Rose
- Plant the same colour varieties together and add some Osmo Pro 6 Fertiliser.
- Fertilise the roses once a month from May to October to encourage new growth and new flowers.
- Prune your carpet roses once a year, in late winter or early spring. Using garden shears, cut them back by 1/3 in any direction.
Horkans stock 7 different varieties/colours of the flower carpet roses (gold, white, scarlet, red velvet, pink, sunset orange and ruby red). We recommend planting the roses in groups (of 5 or 7) to create a carpet effect. Each plant will grow into one another forming a carpet of foliage and flowers. This helps to smother weeds whilst at the same time rewarding you with a profusion of colour. Flower carpet roses have received over twenty-five gold and international rose awards.
No. 2: Campanula Porto
Campanula Porto, also known as the creeping bell-flower, is a low growing perennial. It is one of the most popular perennials and is very easy to grow. The plant covers the soil with dark green foliage, before producing a mass of bell-shaped flowers. Its flowers are deep blue or purple and it flowers from May to early winter. It is an ideal plant for planting in borders, rockeries, dry stone walls or even pots and containers.
Care of Campanula Porto:
- Feed during the summer with Osmo Pro 6 Fertiliser.
- Plant in groups of 3 or 5 to give a strong clumped effect.
- Clip the plants after blooming to keep a tidy, compact appearance.
The campanula porto is a vigorous plant. Hence, it should be kept away from delicate, alpine plants that could be accidentally smothered.
No. 3: Hydrangea Deep Purple Dance
The Hydrangea is known for its large, deep purple blooms that cover the plant from June to early October. Plant this shrub in a large patio pot or plant it directly into your garden soil. It offers a range of colours as the flowers open, from a light green to a light blue changing to a rich purple / blue by mid summer.
Care of the Hydrangea:
- Ensure they get plenty of water.
- Feed the plant once a year with fertiliser.
- Prune in Early spring, removing old growth.
Have you got questions on planting summer colour? Just contact your local store where one of our helpful and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help and answer any questions you may have.