Tricks to keep your summer Sonoma County garden looking great

In midsummer, our gardens likely have lively, interesting areas that are full of bloom. But we also have patches of spent flowers and tatty foliage, which detract from the beautiful, unified floral picture we have in mind.

The difference in appearance between these two areas happens because most plants have a specific period of bloom, not a full season. Peonies, for example, have just a few glorious weeks to shine, while generously blooming cigar plants (cuphea) have a longer period of up to a few months.

Many plants have a peak bloom period, then fewer blooms for a longer period. Rare is the plant that flowers profusely for the entire growing season. After large plants like Shasta daisies have bloomed, the flowering stems become bedraggled and the spent flowers unattractive. The deep green, fern-like fuzzy foliage of Oriental poppies becomes brown and dies back. Salvia nemerosa’s flowering stalks turn brown and ugly.

We can cut these plants back, and many will generate fresh foliage and sometimes a few flowers. But we are still left with a large flowerless area in our garden just as we want it to be glorious. How do we strategically plant a garden to have a uniformly lovely scene for the whole growing season?

Include many varieties

Many people like to plant one flower species in swaths or groups of three to five plants. With this approach, when they are in full bloom, the effect is stunning. When the blooms are spent, it becomes much less attractive. Some people like to use just three to six species of flowering plants in the garden. Again, when they are spent, the whole garden can lack interest.

There are several ways to create a cohesive floral scheme all summer long, with some research and a strategy. Planting a single plant instead of in groups of three to five of the same species makes it less noticeable when one plant is out of bloom versus an entire swath that’s past blooming.

Use a large variety of plant species in your garden so there will always be at least several things in flower. When planning what to include in your garden, chose bloomers for spring, early summer, midsummer, late summer and fall and mix them up so the flowering periods of plants next to one another are not the same. The flowers in bloom will stand out and help camouflage that others are past their peak. If you choose pollinator-friendly plants, this planting style will provide continuous floral resources all season long.

Work in some long-bloomers

Include long-blooming plants like cigar plants; blanket flower; California fuchsia; monkey flower; California buckwheat; salvias like ‘Hot Lips,’ ‘Purple Majesty,’ ‘Mystic Spires’ and others; Helenium ‘Mardi Gras;’ hummingbird mints (Agastache); catmint; Calamint; some lavenders; some penstemon; lion’s mane (Leonotus); flowering maples (abutilon); and fuchsia for months of bloom rather than just a few weeks. If your garden is heavy with these long bloomers, use fewer plant species. These plants can be repeated along the length of a flower bed to create a cohesive scene.

Deadheading or removing spent flowers prolongs the bloom for many plants by allowing the plant to use its energy to produce new blooms rather than maintaining old foliage or maturing seed. Instead of just nipping off the bloom, cut the flowering stem down into the foliage. For instance, with delphiniums, cut spent stems down to about an inch from the ground. This causes the plant to generate new flowering stems.

If you only remove the flower, the plant will not continue to produce more flowering stalks. In plants like penstemon, snapdragon and hummingbird mints, cutting the flowering stem down by about two-thirds into fresh foliage will generate new flowering stems. In others like blanket flower, you may want to shear the whole plant down into the foliage when it is about 75% bloomed.

Fill in with annuals and foliage

Some people put annuals in the “holes” left after perennials are cut back. Fast-blooming zinnias and cosmos are good candidates for this. As many annuals thrive in a highly fertile environment, make sure to dig in a little organic fertilizer and top with compost when planting.

Use plants that have handsome foliage after flowers are finished. Many lavenders can be features even when out of bloom. Shear off spent flowers so the plant becomes a neat ball. These spheres can be an interesting contrast to more informally shaped plants. Spring-blooming sunroses (helianthemum) have handsome foliage, especially the pale yellow variety ‘Wisley Primrose’ that has gray leaves and is attractive for the remainder of the summer.

To begin, make a list of plants you like and which will support the color scheme you want to see. Look for seasonal bloom gaps in your list. Make sure the plants will suit your site’s climate, soil and water resources. This summer is a good time for seeing and visiting gardens, making notes and planning for future projects.

Make this dry summer your planning time and plant in the fall to take advantage of any rain to come.

Kate Frey’s column appears every other week in Sonoma Home. Contact Kate at: katebfrey@gmail.com, on Instagram @americangardenschool.