Want to know an easy way to add a big punch of color to your garden? Grow plants with huge flowers! Watch our slide show to see some of our favorites!

Now learn about perfect partners for these and lots of other plants in Perennial Companions, at right!

midsummer coverup

Many perennials bloom in early or midsummer. If you’re lucky, the foliage that’s left after they finish blooming is attractive. But sadly, sometimes it just doesn’t look all that great.

Let’s consider trumpet lilies (Lilium hybrids). Their big, bright flowers are gorgeous. But when they’re done blooming and you’ve deadheaded them, those stumpy stalks look terrible, and you can’t cut them back because the plants need the leaves to manufacture food for the rest of the season. So plant something in front of them. But choose carefully: The key to a successful pairing is to choose a coverup plant to go in front that has a similar habit and foliage to the spent plant.

Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), with upright stalks and slender leaves, would never be mistaken for a lily, but, as you see at right, the leaf shape and texture are similar enough that the lilies seem to disappear behind it. In this case, because Mexican bush sage is a fast-growing annual, I like to tip it a little bit away from the lilies to give them some breathing room. But if you’re pairing two perennials, watch the spacing. You want them to be close enough for the coverup to work, so it’s OK if they billow into each other. But you don’t want one crowding the other out of the garden!

the secrets to dividing
in summer

If you’re noticing fewer flowers, a dead center or a plant that is shrinking, it may be time to divide. Although there are some plants, such as bearded iris and Oriental poppies, that are better off being split in summer, spring and fall are traditionally the best time to divide. But many plants take summer division just fine as long as you follow a few tips:

WATER FIRST — Summer’s heat and lack of rainfall are hard on plants, so water the plant and its future home the day before you dig.

CUT OFF LEAVES — The next day, before you dig cut the foliage back by half on plants like lamb’s ear or the bearded iris here. This way a smaller root system won’t have to support lots of foliage in the heat later. Shear plants whose leaves go all the way to the base, such as daylilies. But if a plant’s leaves are mostly at the ends of the stems, you’ll need to trim individual leaves. Coral bells is one example. For vigorous perennials, such as catmint or coreopsis, cut the entire plant back by half.

PLANT QUICKLY — Get your new plant in the hole quickly so the roots don’t dry out. Once the plant is in place, fill the hole halfway with soil and water well. That way the water soaks in and doesn’t evaporate or roll off the soil’s surface. Adding an organic liquid fertilizer, such as Neptune’s Harvest, to the water helps get plants off to a good start. Fill the hole the rest of the way with soil, water it again and put down a layer of mulch.

CREATE SHADE — Full-sun plants will benefit from a shade shelter for a week or two. Insert a few bamboo stakes in the soil on the west side of the plant to protect it from the hottest sun of the day. Clothespin some landscape fabric or an old sheet to the stakes to make a screen.

KEEP MOIST — Finally, check your plant each day, and if it looks wilted in the morning or late evening, give it a drink. You may need to water daily for a few days after planting.

Even when summer heat is at its worst, make easy work of watering with the Dual-Flo nozzle!

plant pick

Naked ladies
Lycoris squamigera

This is a plant with a lot of common names. You might also hear it called “magic lily” or “resurrection lily.” But whatever you call it, it’s a late-summer star. In spring, strappy leaves emerge. They stick around for about a month, then wither. And then…nothing happens for a couple of months. Finally, up comes a cluster of bare stalks (that explains those common names), practically overnight. Each stalk has three to eight fragrant flowers that last for a couple of weeks before they fade.

Pick the right spot for your naked ladies because these plants take a couple of years to get established and they don’t like to be moved. An area with full to part sun and rich, well-drained soil is perfect. They don’t need much water after the foliage dies down. A little all-purpose fertilizer around the foliage is fine, but it’s not crucial. When you plant the bulbs, usually in early to midsummer when they’re dormant, tuck them in 5 to 6 in. deep and 6 in. apart. (In USDA zones 8 and 9, where winters are warmer, you can plant them just 2 or 3 in. deep.)

TYPE Bulb BLOOM Pink flowers on bare stalks in late summer LIGHT Full to part sun SOIL Rich, well-drained PESTS None serious SIZE 18 to 24 in. tall, 6 to 18 in. wide HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9, Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

Quick, think about shade. OK, what comes to your mind? Is it cool, lush and green? Maybe you don’t visualize lots of beautiful flowers, but really, you could, because there are plenty of flowering shade plants. Learn some of our favorites in our slide show!

The SunCalc^® sunlight calculator at right will tell you exactly what level of shade your garden is in.

bringing in butterflies

To get butterflies to visit and stay in your garden, you need to provide them with food and warmth. They feed on the nectar they get from flowers, but to attract the most butterflies, don’t stop at just offering nectar plants for the showy adults. You’ll also want to grow plants where they can lay their eggs and the caterpillars that hatch can eat and grow.

FOOD —These three perennials, Virginia bluebells, columbine and common violet, are good larval plants. Easy to grow and pest-resistant, they’ll happily seed themselves around your garden. All are cold-hardy to USDA zone 3. It’s OK if you see a few chewed leaves on your plants, they’ll be fine. So don’t bother spraying — you’re raising future butterflies!

WARMTH —Because they’re cold-blooded, adult butterflies appreciate a sunny driveway or other concrete, stone or brick hardscaping. These surfaces warm up early in the day and stay warm late into the evening. By hanging out near the warmth, the butterflies can stay active (and eat) longer.

To see a beautiful butterfly plan — with both nectar and larval plants — check out Beautiful Butterfly Border from the current issue of Garden Gate magazine at right!

problem solver

Clematis magnesium deficiency

Clematis leaves can turn yellow when they get too much moisture. But if your clematis is growing in well-drained soil, yellow foliage is likely a symptom of magnesium deficiency, which usually affects the oldest leaves first. One cause is using too much fertilizer that’s high in potassium. The illustration shows how the areas between the leaf veins and around the edges turn yellow in early summer. Without enough chlorophyll, the plant becomes stunted and weak and may even die.

To treat your clematis, mix 1⁄4 cup Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) into a gallon of water and spray the leaves in summer. You may need to treat it several times before you see improvement. Or sprinkle the dry Epsom salts right on the soil (1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup per 10 sq. ft.) around the plant. This can be done once, at any time of the year.

problem solver

Tree of heaven
Ailanthus altissima

IDENTIFICATION — Crush the leaves of tree of heaven and you’ll pick up a foul, skunky odor. The leaves are large, sometimes growing to 3 ft. long. Each leaf is made up of many pointed leaflets. New leaves often have a red tint before changing to bright green. This pest quickly grows up to 75 ft. tall with a 3-ft.-diameter trunk. Wind-blown seeds sprout and grow anywhere. Short-lived, averaging only 25 to 30 years, the weak wood breaks easily in storms. And toxin in the bark and leaves can keep seeds of other plants from sprouting.

FAVORITE CONDITIONS — Tree of heaven grows in sun or part shade in any type of soil, including rubble piles or cracks in cement.

CONTROL — When the plant is a seedling, pull or dig it out of the ground. If it’s too large for this, spray the plant with a nonselective herbicide, such as Roundup^® Poison Ivy & Tough Brush Killer Plus in spring or late summer. Or cut down the tree and dribble or brush on a systemic stump killer around the edges where the sap is flowing. It’s absorbed into the wood and kills the roots. Be careful — it can kill any plant it gets on.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Plant Delights
Nursery, Inc.

plant pick

‘John Fanick’ garden phlox
Phlox paniculata

Garden phlox in hot areas are rarely happy plants. But ‘John Fanick’, a 3-ft.-tall cultivar, was discovered growing just fine in San Antonio, Texas, where it can get very hot. However, if you like the light pink flowers with darker pink eyes, it’ll do great in cooler areas, too.

Because of the fragrance, and its popularity with butterflies and hummingbirds, garden phlox has always been a much-loved perennial. You just had to tuck it behind a shorter plant to hide the mildewed foliage. Now this cultivar isn’t totally immune to the disease — poor air circulation and high humidity can still trigger an attack. But it is much more resistant than many other phlox cultivars.

TYPE Perennial BLOOM Mid- to late summer SOIL Well-drained LIGHT Full sun SIZE 24 to 36 in. tall and 18 to 24 in. wide PESTS Powdery mildew is an occasional problem HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 9, Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

PHOTO: Courtesy of Skagit Gardens

plant pick

‘Jethro Tull’ tickseed
Coreopsis hybrid

The classic coreopsis flower is a single yellow daisy shape. But that’s not the only shape you’ll find these days. ‘Jethro Tull’ tickseed puts a little zing into this basic shape with fluted petals on flowers that keep coming from summer to frost. The first flush of blooms is the biggest — the plants are just covered. Cut a few flowers to add to a wildflower bouquet.

Later, remove spent stems below the foliage for a fresh supply of blooms in a few weeks. In the meantime, enjoy the deeply lobed green leaves and full, mounding habit as a ground cover. To keep your coreopsis coming back every year, make sure it has well-drained soil. It doesn’t like “wet feet.”

TYPE Perennial BLOOM Summer SOIL Well-drained LIGHT Full sun SIZE 12 to 15 in. tall and 18 in. wide PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9, Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

PHOTO: John Holtorf

problem solver

Ground ivy
Glechoma hederacea

IDENTIFICATION — Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, is a perennial weed that spreads by seeds and above-ground runners. Each runner can be several feet long, with many leaf nodes along the stem. Wherever these nodes touch the soil they take root quickly to form thick, dense mats.

In midspring to early summer, purple flowers completely cover the plant. The foliage is small with a scalloped edge and if crushed, it gives off a strong minty smell.

FAVORITE CONDITIONS — You’ll find ground ivy’s at home in lawns or areas that are occasionally tilled. Moist, shaded spots are perfect for it, but it’ll tolerate almost anything, from full sun to dry, compacted soil.

CONTROL — In flower and vegetable gardens, pulling and hoeing are effective. Just make sure to pick up all of the pieces. Any part that’s left behind can grow a new plant. Once you get ground ivy under control, you’ll want to keep it from creeping back into gardens from neighboring areas. It’s a good idea to maintain a strip of bare soil around your garden where you can patrol occasionally and remove runners before they spread.

Since ground ivy can’t grow as fast in tall grass, set your lawn mower blade high. You can also use selective herbicides that won’t harm your lawn. Look for products containing dicamba, such as Acme Trimec ^® or Weed-B-Gon Lawn Weed Killer2 ^®. Read the instructions, but in severe infestations you may need to make at least two applications about 10 to 14 days apart to get rid of ground ivy.

What better way to celebrate spring than with lots of vibrant flowers! Here are a few favorite spring showoffs in a range of sizes to fit any garden.

Looking for perennials that’ll produce loads of flowers next summer with very little care? Well, some daylilies flower for 75 to 90 days or longer! Here are some of our favorites.

time to cut the grass

Ornamental grasses add interest to a garden through winter, but in spring they need to be cut back to make way for new growth. That’s a lot of work added to the list of spring cleanup chores.

But Sonia Sugarman of New York has found a simple and tidy way to do this. She wraps a length of duct tape (or two, depending on how tall the grass is) around the clump of grass before cutting. Make sure to overlap the ends of the tape since the adhesive doesn’t actually stick to the grass. With the tape wrapped around the middle, Sonia had an instant bundle that’s easy to carry to the compost pile or stick in a yard waste bag. And since the tape doesn’t stick to the grass, it’s easy to cut it off. Make things even easier on yourself and use electric hedge trimmers to cut the grass down near the base.

plant pick

Moss phlox
Phlox subulata

Moss phlox is one of those tried-and-true perennials that we often neglect in lieu of newer flowers. But wouldn’t you like to have a perennial that insects leave alone? Or one that comes through the coldest winters and the hottest summers without extra care?

You may know this spring bloomer as moss pink, mountain phlox, ground pink, creeping phlox or flowering moss. No matter what you call it, this perennial is easily recognized by the low, dense mounds of bright colors. There are several great named cultivars, but this perennial’s been around so long that often it’s just sold by color. To get the best habits and colors, try to find named cultivars like the ones shown here.

This plant grows best in a bed with good drainage. Click here to see how ‘White Delight’ and ‘Atropurpurea’ are used in a rock garden setting. Along a path where you can enjoy the flowers in spring is another good spot, especially since moss phlox tolerates the heat next to a sidewalk or driveway.

Wherever you grow it, it’ll look best if you plant several in a group. Use all one variety or create a tapestry of color by letting several colors grow together. (You can keep the names straight by using the nifty plant tags at right!)

TYPE Perennial BLOOM Flowers in shades of red, pink, violet, blue and white in early spring LIGHT Full sun to part shade SIZE 4 to 6 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide SOIL Well-drained, slightly alkaline PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 9, Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

Click to see a larger image.

plant pick

‘Six Hills Giant’ catmint
Nepeta hybrid

As you begin to plan for flower color in your summer garden, you’d do well to include some catmint. The blooms of these hardy perennials come in shades of purple, blue, pink or white and are popular with butterflies and hummingbirds. All catmints are heat- and drought-tolerant, as well as extremely pest-resistant. On top of that they’re fragrant, too. Brush the foliage and you’ll get a pleasant herbal scent.

One of the most popular cultivars you’ll find is ‘Six Hills Giant’, with rich purple blooms and gray-green foliage. It’s more tolerant of damp conditions than other catmints and is also one of the longest-blooming members of this family. Leave enough room for this large perennial — it grows nearly 3 ft. tall and up to 4 ft. wide. Remove the faded flowers to encourage even more blooms and cut back the whole plant by one-third after the first flush of blooms has finished for a later rebloom.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 3 ft. tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide BLOOM Purple flowers from early to late summer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well-drained, slightly alkaline PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 9, Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

plant pick

Graham Thomas rose
Rosa ‘Ausmas’

Talk about romantic roses! The richly scented, voluptuous yellow blooms of Graham Thomas are the very definition of romance. Fully double, 3 1/2-in.-diameter flowers form in clusters on arching canes, leaving behind large yellow hips in fall. The effect is mesmerizing!

Graham Thomas has the upright, bushy habit typical of shrub roses. It usually grows to 3 to 6 ft. tall, but in warmer areas where it doesn’t die back in winter, the plant can reach 10 to 12 ft. tall.

Space plants for good air circulation, water deeply near the soil and add mulch to hold in moisture and discourage weeds. Remove faded flowers and fallen leaves to keep the plant tidy and to prevent disease.

TYPE Shrub rose SIZE 3 to 12 ft. tall by 2 to 4 ft. wide BLOOM Yellow flowers from early summer to fall LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS Blackspot and Japanese beetle are occasional problems HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

Want to learn about more great shrub roses? Check out Issue 91 of Garden Gate magazine, on newsstands now!

Click to see the sprouting tuber.

plant pick

Cyclamen
Cyclamen hederifolium

It’s hard to say which is more appealing about cyclamen: The perky fall flowers or the charming round to heart-shaped leaves. Colorful blooms push up through the soil first. They’re followed by foliage that sports zones of silver or patterns of lighter or darker colors on the surface with red or purple undersides.

After a few seasons, a tuber the size that you can easily hold in your hand can grow into a clump in the garden that reaches 12 in. across. So even though they’re small, plant them in early fall with plenty of elbow room — 6 to 8 in. apart — just below the soil’s surface. Cyclamen tubers can sometimes take up to two to three years to start growing. (Both roots and stems sprout from the top side of the tuber.) Buy young plants for a quicker start.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 4 to 6 in. tall and wide BLOOM Pink or white in late summer to late fall LIGHT Filtered shade SOIL Well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1 SOURCE Digging Dog Nursery

If you want to know when this or other perennials flower, see When Perennials Bloom at right.

plant pick

‘Rubra’ astrantia
Astrantia major

Looking for some unusual flowers to spruce up your garden? Try ‘Rubra’ astrantia. The flowers last a long time in the garden and in a vase. And not only that, you can dry them to keep a reminder of summer through the winter.

Astrantia usually does best in part shade with moist, not soggy, well-drained soil. In Northern gardens, you can grow it in full sun if you keep the soil moist. A good way to do this is with a 2- to 3-in. layer of mulch that’s one part well-rotted manure mixed into four parts compost. This type of mulch will feed the soil and keep in much-needed moisture.

Deadheading keeps blooms coming for most of the summer. When flowers fade to brown, follow the stem down to where it branches and snip it off.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 18 to 24 in. tall by 12 to 18 in. wide BLOOM Rose-red in late spring to late summer LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Moist, rich, well-drained PESTS None serious, occasional slugs HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 7; Heat: AHS zones 7 to 1

creative staking

Sooner or later, you’re going to have a floppy plant that needs some help standing tall. Of course, there are all kinds of plant supports available, from inexpensive bamboo stakes to the more high-end vinyl-coated Y-stakes and plant supports. But sometimes it’s fun to use something that’s a little unusual to keep your plants on the up-and-up. Here are a couple of ideas that work well and are simple to do.

LEAN ON ME — How can you throw away a trusty old rake, even if it’s losing its teeth like the one at right? Cut the handle off at an angle so it will poke into the soil easily. If your New England aster starts to lean, the rake provides a simple prop.

CLIMBER CLIPS — Small spring-hinged hair clips hold plants to bamboo stakes. Make sure the “fingers” of the clip can go around the stake, as they do in the bottom photo, without pinching the stem. The clips come in lots of colors, so choose bright ones for tiny accents, or clear or dark ones for more subtle support.

Check out lots of other creative gardening ideas in Easy Weekend Gardening, Vol. 3 at right.