Designing with Color: Mastering the Summer Garden with Vibrant Perennials

How could your landscaping clients not be impressed by the huge range of summer colors that perennials offer? Picasso himself would be blown away by today’s vibrant options.

Perennials are plants that live for two or more years, so they’re an ideal way to stretch a landscaping budget. Be sure to highlight this fact for your customers so they understand how much long-term value they’re getting from perennials.

Still, there are more layers of benefits and features these plants bring to landscapes. We’ll cover color aspects, texture opportunities, and best use cases for some of MNI Direct’s most popular perennials. 

Echinaacea 'PowWow Wild Berry' and Lantana 'Dallas Red'

The Color Pops: Bright and Bold Perennials

• Echinacea: This drought-tolerant perennial typically blooms from June to July. Their pink, purple, and white blooms make perfect focal points in mixed beds basking in full sun. Taller echinacea plants may require structural support.
  
  

• Rudbeckia: Normally, this plant blooms from July to September, requires consistent moisture, but does not usually need added structural support. Ideal spots to install this perennial are meadows or along borders where sunlight can highlight its golden yellow tones. Both of these perennials prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Removal of dead flower ends (deadheading) can increase chances of new flower growth. You can also count on these two for low-maintenance and pest- and disease-resistance.
  
  

• Lantana: Its adaptability works wonders in borders, containers, hanging baskets, and ground covers, blooming from late spring until the first frost. Warmer climates can see blooms nearly year-round.
  
  

• Coreopsis: This perennial is ideal for meadows and ground cover. Blooms usually arrive in early summer, lasting through fall, but can endure longer in regions with milder temps.

Lantana and coreopsis make things simple for landscapers as they are easily cared for, can handle drought, and have long-lasting blooms. Being highly resilient, both are ideal for high-impact areas, reducing replacement worries.

What about texture options?

Astilbe 'Fanal' and Heuchera 'Twist of Lime'

The Texture Makers: Adding Dimension to Your Garden

• Astilbe: For a delicate look, the best option is this perennial’s lacy foliage, along with flowers brushed in pink, white, red, and purple. Dividing clumps after about three years promotes additional blooms and creates “free” perennials for other landscape sections.
  
  

• Heuchera: Want a creative contrast to ferns or hostas? It’s hard to beat heuchera's purples, greens, and reds, which intensify as temperatures fall. The ruffled foliage and thin stems blend nicely, adding appeal to walkways and shaded patio areas. Both are low-maintenance but do need moist soil to thrive. Their unique textures touch the senses and are great for spicing up shaded areas.  
  
  

• Hosta: Hostas feature a ton of textures along with color combinations, including blue, green, and gold, at their impressive bases. This perennial can start as a six-inch clump and expand to around four feet wide, while producing white or lavender shoots. 
  
  

• Gaura: Go for a lighter look and feel with this greenery often dancing with the gentlest of breezes. These perennial blooms are released more slowly than hostas and can last until the first hard frost (hostas bloom from summer to fall).

Contrasting bloom timing and leaf textures make these perennials perfect landscape “tango partners.” Simply install gauras behind hostas, leaving space for hosta expansion. Gaura's blooms will rise and sway above dense hostas to create tangible depth. 

Many perennials have an often overlooked function too.

Salvia 'May Night'The Ground Covers: Low and Lush

• Leucanthemum: A fit for any budget due to this perennial’s low maintenance, long-lasting blooms, and spreading ability. Perfect for filling in bare spots and smothering weeds, this attractive plant blooms from early summer to late summer, with some varieties blooming into fall.
  
  

• Salvia: A perennial capable of surviving dry climates, it’s also resistant to hungry deer and rabbits. Known for extended bloom times, the colorful cones can last from late spring through summer (even early fall if deadheaded). Various species provide differing plant heights while maximizing ground coverage.

Combining these plants means fewer weeds and reduced need for mulch.

It’s time to divide and complement borders.

Hemerocallis 'Stella D'Oro' and Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns'The Border Beauties: Perfect Perennials for Edges

• Hemerocallis: The beautiful blooms can remain until fall in some species, but typical blooms start in early spring then fade during summer. Hemerocallis are happy in partial shade or full sun, and can handle dry times, needing just an inch of water weekly. Choose from a rainbow of colors and multiple textures to enhance borders and edging. Dividing them promotes growth and can double or triple your perennial count!
  
  

• Agapanthus: No watering worries, as this drought-tolerant perennial can handle hot summer days in full sun. Borders are prime real estate for these sun-lovers to show off their blooms the longest, usually from early spring to summer’s end. Not only do these remarkable plants showcase bold colors, their welcoming textures complement neighboring plants.

Our final suggestions below remove common shade struggles.

Hosta varieties and Astilbe 'Fanal'The Shade Lovers: Cool Companions for Shady Spots

• Hosta: Clearly, hostas are a hit in a variety of green spaces. And when shade limits plant options, hostas are a lifesaver. Dividing them up in the fall provides healthy benefits that can extend their life span as well as extend the separated plants to new areas. Consider installing those additional hostas to enhance areas with bleeding heart plants or our next shade lover.
  
  
• Astilbe: These warm-weather blooms brighten up even the shadiest sections of a lawn. Also, they can be the finishing touch near water features in partially shaded areas, as their breezy flower movements match the water’s flow. 

MNI Direct: Your Partner in Plant Materials

Making the case for clients to enhance their summer landscapes with the above perennials should be pretty easy now.

These plants don’t need any extra hype, as their unbelievable range of colors, textures, and functionality speaks for itself. Don’t forget the longevity benefits and the bonus of multiplying plants by dividing established ones. 

Installing perennials today is an investment that pays off quickly for property owners. It produces consistently attractive dividends as spring blooms arrive year after year.

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