Van Dycks

Japanese Painted Fern Perovskia
'Little Spire' Oriental Lily
'Casa Blanca' Sedum
'Frosty Morn' Gladiolus
'Green Star' Gladiolus 'Laguna' Tango Lily 'Starburst' Oriental Lily
'Star Gazer' Double Asiatic Lily 'Elodie' Double Asiatic
Lily 'Sphinx' Daylily
'Little Business' English Lavender 'Hidcote' Gaillardia
'Fanfare' Gaillardia 'Burgundy' Coneflower
'Jade' Coneflower 'Sundown' PPAF Malva
'Primley Blue'

Lots of gardens are beautiful in spring – cherry, crabapple and magnolia trees decked out in gorgeous flowers; daffodils, hyacinths and tulips popping up; azaleas, lilacs and other shrubs in bloom; columbines, creeping phlox, peonies and other spring-blooming perennials doing their thing. And then, when summer comes, there's nothing left in bloom. The good news is that this scenario doesn't have to happen to you!

In fact, you can have beautiful flowers all summer long and into the fall. You just need a plan. Luckily, your very own plan is easy to design and achieve.

Start by walking around outside with pencil and paper to make notes. If you have an existing garden, what is the overall color theme? What color is the outside of your house? Do you have a fence? What color is it? What about your patio and walkways? What colors are they? What other permanent structures do you have? Do all these elements work together now, color-wise? If yes, you're practically home free, so to speak. If not, you may have to work a little harder to coordinate colors, but not to worry. We've got you covered.

Next, think about your lifestyle. How many hours a week do you want to spend in your garden – both working (planting, weeding, pruning, etc.) and playing (sitting with a book, entertaining friends and family, etc.)? Do you have young children who need play areas and playground equipment? Do you have a pool? How about pets – do you need a dog run? Are you interested in water gardens? Want to attract birds and other wildlife to your property? These are all considerations, and you may have others, but accommodating your needs and preferences is easier than you might imagine. A lot of it is common sense: don't plant flowers next to the kid's play equipment, the dog run, or near enough to be splashed by chlorinated pool water (it'll kill them!).

If your life is hectic – with work outside the home, family, pets, housework, hobbies, entertainment, and continuing education all clamoring for your attention – chances are you won't have time for much in the way of the long borders and garden “rooms” of a classic estate garden. But, you can dress up your property with window boxes and containers set in places that need color and the softening effect of live plants, such as your front entrance, deck, patio, terrace, pool (but only if they will be safe from splashes), etc. You can grow just about anything in containers – including small trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, vines, tropicals, even vegetables. The main thing is to determine where you want to put them and whether the spots you choose are sunny or shady most of the day. And the cardinal rule with containers? Organize yourself so that you are prepared to water them sufficiently in hot, dry weather.

If you're at a point in your life where you have a bit more control over your schedule, it's possible to plan an in-ground garden that is satisfying without overwhelming you. Gardening is a life-long learning process, but it doesn't matter at what age you begin – there's still time to create a garden of delights.

When preparing to plant an in-ground garden, it's best to get your soil tested by your county's Cooperative Extension office (look in the Yellow Pages). Now, examine the soil itself. Unless you are very fortunate indeed, your native soil will be less than ideal. You may have too much clay, making water sit too long before draining away – a condition that will drown many plants. Or, you may have too much sand, which makes water percolate through the soil particles too rapidly. Adding mature compost to your garden beds before planting can help solve both situations. Even if your garden is already planted, you can add organic mulch each season; as it breaks down it not only will nourish the plants but will also gradually improve the soil structure.

Raised beds are ideal in almost any garden. This is because you can control the type of amendments (mature compost, rotted manures, greensand and other nutrients, etc.) to add to the soil in your raised beds when your native soil is too light (sandy) or heavy (clay). In cold climates the beds will warm up earlier in the spring than your in-ground beds, which will allow them to be planted earlier, and because you will add soil amendments, the drainage in the beds is bound to be better than in your native soil. But if raised beds are good idea for almost everyone, they are absolutely perfect for people with disabilities or age-related stiffness. The raised beds can be of any length you wish, but should be placed where they will be accessible from both sides and made no more than four feet wide, so each plant can be reached and tended to as needed.

Now comes the fun part – choosing the plants! Assume it's June. What do you want to see blooming for the rest of the season? Remember those notes you took about the colors outside your house? Now is the time to consider them more closely. Your house is probably the biggest outdoor structure on your property (unless you live on a farm or ranch). If your house is white and your other “hardscape” (fences, walkways, patio, pool surround, gazebo, arbors, etc.) are grayish – as in bluestone, pea gravel, plain concrete, weathered wood fencing, used brick, etc., you might choose from a pastel palette with accents of stronger colors. If your house and hardscape is mostly yellow, tan, or any brownish tones, you might use hot colors – think sunset colors of yellow, orange, orangey-red, peach, etc. with accents of dark brownish-red, soft blue and lavender. If your house is any other color, you just need to decide whether your property would look better with cool colored plants (white, pink, lavender, pale blue, pale yellow) or hot colored ones as above. Consider existing plants as well – I personally don't like the look of flowering trees and shrubs that clash with each other or their surroundings.

By the way, these are not hard and fast rules. Beauty is subjective and definitely in the eye of the beholder – in this case, you, your family and your neighbors. One of the most charming gardens I have ever seen was in the Russian countryside outside of Moscow. The owner of the dacha had painted the outside of the house bright blue with orange shutters and a yellow front gate, and every inch of the garden was planted in a riot of flowers in every color imaginable. There was no attempt to made the colors work together and, perhaps because of that, they did!

It is an amazing phenomenon, but certain colors act as buffers between clashing colors and truly work with everything! Silver is one – witness the ongoing popularity of grey-green leafed plants such the gorgeous Japanese painted fern, a charmer for shady areas. In the sun, the very fragrant Russian sage, Perovskia 'Little Spire' works the same kind of magic. White is another buffer, whether it's a white flowered plant such as the beloved Oriental lily 'Casa Blanca' or one with white-variegated foliage like the recently introduced Sedum 'Frosty Morn', a cousin of S. 'Autumn Joy'.

Surprisingly, yellow-green plants have the same effect. Some excellent choices include Gladiolus 'Green Star', a stately beauty at 36-60 inches tall that blooms in July-August in zones 8-11. Another choice, G. 'Laguna' is slightly shorter at 36-48 inches tall and has greenish-yellow flowers uniquely edged with reddish-purple.

In sunny spots, choose plants that are up to the heat. There are many tropical plants, summer-blooming bulbs and perennials that can take it with aplomb. Some of the best include the many varieties in the lily family. For instance, the new Tango Lily series just introduced this spring will bloom from June-September and includes something special for every garden. With enormous flowers, lavishly speckled in unique patterns, these hybrid lilies will grow to 30-48 inches tall in zones 4-10. 'Cappuccino' is a rich, sparkling white and 'Starburst' is a scintillating red, both with black markings. 'Honey Bee' is a dazzling yellow, 'Dot Com' is prettily pink, and 'Halloween' is a sensuous, dark orange, all with mysterious maroon markings.

There are plenty of other lilies to choose from as well. Tall, stately Oriental lilies have the added bonus of being sweetly fragrant. Think Lilium 'Stargazer', beloved of florists and gardeners alike because of its beautiful, vibrant red petals edged in white and its outstanding fragrance. Almost as popular is 'Casa Blanca', whose large, stunning white blossoms come up to eight on a stem and outlast many others. Together they are magnificent. If you're looking for something a little different in a lily, try the double Asiatic lilies. 'Elodie' (candy pink), 'Fata Morgana' (lemon yellow), and 'Sphinx' (red-orange with white stripes on the inner petals) are absolutely unbeatable.

Daylilies are marvelous too. Not only do they bloom in July and continue through August, the foliage is attractive and free of pests and diseases. Daylilies come in every color except blue and in several different shapes, some even with ruffled edges. There are more than 50,000 named varieties in cultivation, including both standard sizes and miniatures such as 'Little Business' and 'Little Grapette'.

English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' is an old fashioned favorite that never goes out of style. Whether you intend to harvest the flower heads for sachets or dried arrangements or simply love the look of lavender thriving in your summer garden, you can't go wrong. Plant 'Hidcote' in a hot, sunny location –along a brick or stone pathway is ideal -- and don't fuss too much with fertilizer or water the plants too often.

For all summer blossoms (June-September), the “daisy” flowers are perfect. Whether you plant blanket flowers, Gaillardia sp. or coneflowers, get ready to take a bow. G. 'Fanfare' has scarlet trumpet shaped flowers with bright yellow edges, 'Burgundy' has reddish burgundy flowers with a yellow eye and 'Goblin' is a festive mixture of yellow with red eyes and/or red with yellow edges. They bloom from June-September and reach 12-24 inches tall in zones 3-10. Coneflowers, Echinacea sp., with their distinctive cone-shaped centers bloom from July-September. They grow 24-30 inches tall in zones 3-9. Outstanding selections include the 1998 Perennial of the Year: 'Magnus' with rose-red petals and a dark brown center; the newly introduced 'Jade' with green tipped sparkling white petals and green centers; and two varieties introduced last year to great fanfare, 'Sunrise' with citron yellow flowers with green centers that gradually turn to gold; and 'Sundown' with warm russet-orange petals and a brownish center.

Malva 'Primley Blue' is a prolific bloomer that is a great addition to your summer garden. Blooming for weeks from July-frost with violet blue flowers with dark veins and dark green foliage on sturdy stalks, this malva will grow to 24-36 inches tall in zones 3-9.

In shadier parts of your garden, rely on foliage plants to see you through the season. The beauty of hosta, ferns and other groundcovers can be overshadowed somewhat by the bright colors of the sunny borders, but offer texture and help enhance a peaceful place to cool off and rest your senses. Caladiums are ideal for shady spots that need an extra burst of color that will last from July until frost. Growing from 12-18 inches tall in zones 10-11, they must be lifted and stored over the winter in colder zones. High on the texture meter, ferns are available in many different shapes and sizes from 12 to 60 inches tall. Many ferns are easy to grow and are hardy in zones 3-8. Hosta has a reputation for being easy to grow in the shade. It's true, and whether you opt for standard-sizes or the excellent miniatures that are becoming more readily available, you are sure to find several that will give you just the color and texture you need. In shades of green, gold and blue, they have quilted leaves that can be splashed with one or more of cream, white, yellow and gold, in various interesting and attractive patterns.