How to Make Summer Last Longer in the Garden
Azusa, California – Hot summer days can be hard on the garden. As the season winds down, many plants have reached their peak. With a little planning your garden can keep growing strong. Choosing plants that look beautiful longer through the season can help extend the amount of enjoyment you get out of your garden. Here are a few unexpected and exclusive Monrovia varieties that add interest to late-season garden and look great well into fall.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMHPCW’ PP #28,699
The cooler evening temperatures of fall bring out the magic in Strawberry Shake™ Hydrangea. The bright white, cone-shaped blooms begin to take on a delicate pink shade and mature to a deeper strawberry hue. This color transition adds even more interest to the late-season garden. This panicle hydrangea, grown only by Monrovia, stays more compact, reaching only 4- to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, making it a great choice for adding color to small space gardens. It is spectacular in large containers or as a feature plant in the landscape. Recommended for Zones 4-8.
FloralBerry® Rosé St. John’s Wort
Hypericum x inodorum 'KOLROS' PPAF
The bold yellow summer flowers of FloralBerry® Rosé St. John’s Wort are just the start of the show for this shrub. These blooms produce loads of rose-colored berries that grace the plant all fall. The FloralBerry series is exclusive to Monrovia, and features compact, easy-to-grow shrubs that work well in containers, as a feature plant or grouped together for a low hedge. Don’t forget to pick a few stems with berries for fall bouquets. Recommended for Zones 5-9, growing to 3 feet tall and wide.
Caryopteris x ‘SMCIPG' PP #31,867
La Barbe Bleue™ Bluebeard is a plant you can count on to add attention-grabbing color. Its bright yellow foliage seems to glow in the garden, while spiky, deep-blue blooms billow above. “You can’t help but stare at La Barbe Bleue,” says Georgia Clay, new plants manager for Monrovia. “Both the blooms and the foliage are so captivating. It is a very striking plant that holds its beauty all summer and through early fall.” Plant this exclusive variety anywhere you want to draw the eye in the landscape. It is also a stunning container variety. Recommended for Zones 5-9 and will grow to about 36 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
SunBelievable® Brown Eyed Girl Helianthus
Helianthus x annuus 'TMSNBLEV01' PP #31,423
Sunflowers are a staple in the summer garden, but Monrovia’s SunBelievable® Brown Eyed Girl Sunflower delivers more in both summer and fall. SunBelievable brings more than 1,000 blooms on each plant throughout the season, adding beautiful, sunny-yellow color to containers and the landscape. As fall sets in and cooler temperatures arrive, this SunBelievable really shines. The center of the petals takes on a darker autumn color, making this sunflower an excellent alternative to mums for fall décor. Cut a few blooms to add to your summer and fall bouquets. This annual reaches 32 inches tall and up to 40 inches wide.
Cotinus coggygria ‘Lilla’
Lilla Smoke Bush wraps all the wonderful colors of autumn into one shrub. Moody, purple-red leaves highlight pink plumes of flowers in the summer. As fall sets in, the foliage creates a show of orange, coral and red hues. Lilla is a dwarf form of ‘Royal Purple’ Smoke Bush, growing only to 4 feet tall and wide. It adds a compact, color-packed, rounded form to the garden and creates captivating containers. This Monrovia exclusive is recommended for Zones 4-8.
Viburnum dentatum ‘SMVDE' PP #28,092
Viburnum add so much to the landscape. These reliable and hardy shrubs have something for everyone. Sparkler® Arrowwood Viburnum was chosen for its densely branched, upright habit and striking foliage. Available only from Monrovia, this Viburnum features glossy, dark green leaves in the summer that change to yellow and red in the fall. Flat-topped blooms create clusters of large dark blue berries that birds love. Sparkler Arrowwood Viburnum is a great choice for creating a living screen, as a back of the border plant or hedge. Recommended for Zones 4-9, growing from 10 to 15 feet tall and wide.
Visit your local garden center or Monrovia.com for more information, inspiration and to purchase these exclusive Monrovia varieties.
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Need more ideas or images? Contact:
Kathleen Hennessy, [email protected] or 952-224-2939 ext. 120
About Monrovia
Inspired by the beauty of plants, gardens, and landscapes everywhere, Harry E. Rosedale, Sr. founded Monrovia in 1926 to be a premier grower of shrubs and trees. Monrovia collaborates with plant breeders around the world to introduce improved plant varieties to North America. Monrovia plants flourish once planted to beautify gardens and landscapes. Please visit www.monrovia.com to learn more.