Landscaping and flower gardens are all about colour.
Annuals will produce flowers throughout the summer season and give a colourful touch to the yard but if you are looking for something a little more permanent that will come back year after year, you will want to plant flowering shrubs and perennials.

The nice thing about flowering shrubs and perennials is that they come back every year, but the downside is that they only bloom for a few weeks each year. Having constant bloom in the landscape throughout the season, will take some planning as you will need to plant different types and varieties of flowering shrubs and perennials with different bloom times. Many of the early bloomers are already finished blooming and now the mid-season bloomers are beginning to show off their colourful flowers.

Perennials such Lady’s Mantle, Veronica, Delphinium, Honeysuckle, Goatsbeard, Siberian Iris, Jacob’s Ladder, Dianthus, along with the many different varieties of Daylilies lilies and Sedums can be seen coming into bloom or blooming in many local landscapes and gardens.

There are a few perennials such as Hostas and Heucheras that do double time. Not only do they bloom, but they look good throughout the summer as they have very attractive foliage.

There are a few perennials such as Veronica and Dianthus that if sheared back lightly could come back into bloom again. Do this right after the main first flush of blooms.

Flowering shrubs are a mainstay in many landscapes. Different varieties of Hydrangeas, Spireas, Weigela’s, Potentillas, Viburnums and Roses are beginning to show off their attractive blooms. Roses will bloom for a long time, if you continue to remove the finished flowers before they form a rose hip. Towards the end of summer the finished rose blooms can be left on the plant as they add attractive winter interest to the landscape.

To keep all plants healthy, they should be fertilized regularly. To promote blooms, use a fertilizer with a higher middle number. The middle number refers to the concentration of phosphorous. Phosphorous helps in the production of flowers.

After perennials and flowering shrubs have finished blooming, remove the finished flowers. This will allow the plants energy to go back to the plant as well as keeping the plant looking trim and neat.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road