Grown Flowers for Midsummer

Grown Flowers for Scent and Color: Midsummer Garden Delights
by: Marie K Fisher

Midsummer is a wonderful, magical time of year when the garden is aglow with sensational blooms and a fantastic array of colors.

These are some of the blooms that will enhance any garden and delight the senses with their combined scents.

Rose eglanteria - This sweet briar rose is valued for the strong apple aroma which comes from the leaves, but there is also much more than a pink flower in summer, it is followed by a deep red in the autumn. It is an extremely handsome bush, and it also makes an impenetrable hedge.

Agastache faoeniculum (anise hyssop) - This is a stately herbaceous perennial, whose silver green leaves release a liquorice aniseed fragrance. The rich violet blue color flowers are particularly loved by bees, butterflies and goldfinches among others. The rich beautiful color is delightful in the garden in the late summer, and it lasts right through to autumn.

Cytisus battandeiri (Moroccan Broom) - When planted around the walls of the house or around the patio, the crushed pineapple aroma which comes from the cones of the yellow blossom will pervade the air. It should be encouraged to flower freely so that you get the most from this absolutely wonderful flower.

Magnolia grandiflora - The large chalices have a wonderful lemon zest aroma. It should be helped to bloom when young by espalier-training the shoots against a warm sunny wall. Train them horizontally, and shorten new shoots to five leaves in August.

Dianthus (Brymton Red) - These lovely old fashioned dianthus have a lingering clove fragrance and the "Brymton red" is a true peacock among them. They yield a brilliant display of single deep red flowers laced with darker markings and are scintillating in June. Be sure to deadhead flowers weekly to channel your plants energy into producing more shoots and blooms.

Eucryphia nymansay - This elegant evergreen is famous for its summer and autumn display of large honey scented white flowers. The flower is coveted by nectar seeking bees. It needs a warm and sunny location.

Ferdinand Pitchard - This is an old fashioned rose with the smell of freshly picked raspberries. The globular pink blooms are striped with crimson and purple. It thrives on humis rich soil in full sunlight, and it will bring color to the summer season most beautifully.

Gladiolus communis - Until recently people looked down their noses at gladiolus, but they do make really good border flowers. They are excellent at cramming the other colors, and they barely take any space at ground level.

Scabiosa "Ace of Spades" - "Ace of Spades" is a mass of velvet and maroon with little white pins that have a pincushion effect. Nestle them among the green foliage of alchemilla for contemporary color scheming. Allow the last grown flowers to self-sow.

Delphinium Belladonna Group - If you are looking for grace and charm, then Belladonna hybrids are for you. They are ideal for summoning a romantic effect, look wonderful around cottages, and bring an English type of charm to your garden. For a full season of color grow with peonies, poppies and dahlias. Cut down the first spikes once they have flowered for a second flush of blooms.

Papaver " Lady Frederick Moore" - A charming peach poppy is much softer on the eye than the traditional pillar box red oriental, and is easier to blend with the pastels of early summer. Grow in the sun and hope for gentle weather to prolong this tissue paper like flower.

Monarda "Capricorn" - With its beautiful aromatic foliage and spidery magenta petals, this flower is totally adored by bees. The stunning color and shapes make it a good contender with spikes of lythrum and veronica. It is best planted in the sun where the soil does not get too dry nor the space too crowded.

LLathyrus latifolius - A delightful sweet pea that is everlasting but without the sweet scent. These pretty grown flowers are much bigger than the annual L.odoratus, with iridescent shells for petals, and twining tendrils that twirl up small trees or wires on sunny fences. Give them the occasional folier feed and cut down last year's foliage in the winter.

Acunthus mallis - Acunthus makes a versatile backdrop for classic herbaceous borders or jungle style foliage. The dark glossy leaves and spikes of dusky hooded flowers will make a show all summer long. Water well in dry summers.

Achillea "Walther Funcke" - Spice things with paprika shades of Walter Funcke! Add a scattering of yellow day lilies and mix in the wispy blonde leaves of ponytail grass (Stipa tenuissima) for good measure. It makes a compact drought tolerant mix for a sunny borders where space is tight.

Thalictrum delavayi - Verbena bonariensis is not the only see-through plant. The tall meadow rue is wonderfully airy for the front of a border, with perenial ferny foliage and clouds of tiny, fluffy flowers on skinny purple stems. Grow on the cool side of the garden where the soil does not get too dry in summer.

These are just a few wonderfully scented grown flowers and plants that will add dramatic color to your garden.

Marie K. Fisher is the author of the article on the "Grown Flowers" Page. She is a regular contributor to Garden Center Showplace www.gardencentershowplace.com