By WillametteValleyMagazine.com Gardening Correspondent Christina Conway, Owner of Eugene Garden Design
After skyrocketing in spring, many summer perennials will now be beginning their summer show.
Don’t forget to deadhead. Not only will this lengthen the display, but you can also control the flowering time of some plants. For example, if you’re going on vacation or leaving home for a few days, do all your deadheading right before you go, and you’ll come home to fresh blooms.
Lupins
Quintessential summer border plants, lupins (lupinus) are ideal summer perennials for June. The should be in flower from May to July, so keep on deadheading them to encourage repeat flowering.
Tall-spired, pink/yellow and purple lupin flowers
Verbascums
Commonly known as mullein, verbascums are tall, architectural plants, mostly available in number of colours. ‘Violetta’ is gorgeous, rich purple cultivar, while the blooms of ‘Cotswold Queen’ are a warm yellow.
Dusky-orange verbascums.
Euphorbias
Despite having a rather Mediterranean feel about them, most euphorbias are thoroughly robust plants. Full sun is ideal, though some, like Euphorbia x martini, will enjoy a degree of shade.
Lime-green euphorbias
Peonies
With their ravishing, fragranced blooms, peonies look just as good in the garden, as they do when you snip a few flowers to fill a vase. ‘Pink Hawaiian Coral’ (pictured) is a lovely cultivar flushed with pink. Here are 10 more peonies to grow.
‘Pink Hawaiian Coral’ peony bloom
Heleniums
Not all heleniums will begin flowering in June, so choose a variety such as ‘Rauchtopas’ or ‘Moerheim Beauty’ that will flower in June. Here are eight dazzling border daisies to grow.
Orange heleniums