Stunning Summertime Blooms

I am celebrating the return of the monsoons! This special time of the year brings a sense of renewal as the afternoon storms rejuvenate our gardens and wildlands. With the extra water, humidity, and cooler temperatures, it feels like a second spring as many of our garden plants come into bloom. Here are tidbits and growing tips for some of my favorites to look out for this summer.

Blanket flower’s (Gaillardia aristata) dark red and yellow petals with a hint of pink remind me of desert sunsets. Known for its hardiness, ease of growth and lasting color, this beautiful native plant will bring you more joy if you continuously deadhead the seed heads throughout the season. Plants also attract native bees and provide nectar for butterflies, increasing the ecological benefit of your garden.

Grown easily from seed, blanket flower is often included in wildflower mixes. Plants can also be purchased full grown from your favorite plant nursery. Look out for the numerous cultivars (horticultural selections) available offering a variety of color combos. These selections are sometimes short-lived compared to the true species, however, they do well in containers and other seasonal color displays.

‘Moonshine’ yarrow (Achillea x ‘Moonshine’) will bring a ray of sunshine to your garden with its lemon-yellow flowers held on top of silvery fern-like foliage all summer long. Plants are drought tolerant, sun loving and have a compact growth habit that does not require staking. ‘Moonshine’ is happy at home in a rock garden, perennial border, or xeriscape (low water use) yard. Unlike its cousin, native white yarrow (Achillea millefolium), plants are sterile and won’t reseed, becoming a nuisance in your garden. For a real showstopper, try grouping them with purple flowering plants such as ‘Walker’s low’ catmint (Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’) or Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). Oh, and did I mention they are one of my favorite deer resistant plants?

Scarlet gilia or skyrocket (Ipomopsis aggregata) is native to the mountain west, finding its home in open forests at higher elevations. When in bloom the clusters of trumpet shaped red flowers provide much-needed nectar to Rufous, Anna’s and other hummingbird species. In fact, it is held that hummingbirds need to visit up to 2,000 flowers a day to obtain enough nectar to support their incredible energy levels. During their migration north, individual birds can recall which backyard had the best nectar plants so they may return to your yard year after year! Skyrocket’s flowers remain red for the summer; however, as hummingbirds migrate south in early fall, the flowers can fade to pink and/or white in order to attract hawk moths and other night pollinators who remain in the area. Plants are also browsed by deer, pronghorn, and livestock.

To bring these stunning and ecologically beneficial plants to your garden, create masses by growing them from seed or nursery stock. Considered short-lived perennials, plants will grow a rosette of finely divided leaves the first year and then shoot up a flower stock the second.

There are a few plants that give a tropical feel to northern gardens. The hybrid Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Crocosmia x Curtonus) is one of them. In midsummer, when their brilliant red flowers come into bloom you can’t help but want to grab an umbrella and a piña colada and pretend that you’re on the beach. Add to that the swarm of hummingbirds that visit the flowers daily, and you will really feel like you have been transported to paradise! Don’t be afraid to bring the party indoors, as the flower stems make excellent cut flowers. Native to the grasslands of South Africa, the plants enjoy full sun, and since they add a rich scarlet color that is often hard to find, they look great as a focal plant amongst other perennials. New plants can be purchased in containers, or you may buy bulbs (corms) to plant in spring.

OK… back to dreaming of the rain and flowers that it brings to our Colorado Plateau home!