A summer garden can be a pure delight with its bold colors and it’s sweet fragrance drifting in the air.
Your summer garden can be planted in the center of your yard, along the side of your building, or it can be several 3 x 3 squares planted in different areas of your yard.
For the purpose of this article the instruction to follow are how to plant a summer garden along your fence, although they can be adapted to plant your summer garden in any area of your yard.
Step one is to clear a border about two or three feet wide from the fence line. The length is totally up to you. Remove the weeds and other growth and add a 2 inch layer of compost.
Step two is to select the plants and plant them with the taller plants along the fence, medium plants next, and small plants in the front. If you are using seedling plants you can arrange your flower pots in the border that you wish to plant them. If you are using seeds you can poke holes in the soil where you wish the plant to grow and mark it with a plant marker before you proceed to actually plant the seeds. Do not be afraid to planted in an irregular pattern as this will give your garden a more natural look.
Step three is to keep your border moist; watering at least once or twice a week if it does not rain. To keep the weeds down you can sprinkle compost in between the plants weekly.
Step four is to sit back and enjoy it.
Some good summer garden plants that are low-maintenance and drought-resistance:
Perennials
Day lilies-height 2-3 feet high, a wide array of colors and shapes to choose from, come with or without fragrance, blooms year after year.
Queen of the Prairie-height 6 -8 feet high, plumes of peach-pink flowers, vigorous grower.
Purple Coneflower-height 2-5 feet high, purple daisy-like flower with rich brown centers, from excellent cutting flower.
Coral bells-height 1-2 feet high, small white or pink to red bell shaped flowers, evergreen leaves.
Blanket flower-6 inches to three feet high, large daisy-like flowers with contrast color markings on tips and center, (yellow with purple or maroon or red with yellow) remove fading flowers for re-bloom.
Annuals
Foxglove-height 3-5 feet high, tall spikes of close tubular flowers, wide array of colors.
Calendula-height 6-20 inches high, large yellow to orange, single or double flowers good cut flower, self-sows.
Sweet Williams-height 4 inches to 1 1/2 feet high, assorted colors, densely packed single or double ruffle flower, mildly fragrant, self-sows.
Blue Laceflower-height 2 1/2 feet high, tiny blue flowers on long stems, sweet-scented.
Linaria-height 9 inches high, snapdragon type flower, shades of gold, purple, pink, good cut flower.
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