With the beautiful spring-blooming trees and shrubs waking us up from our long, dreary winter, it is now time for the summer blooms to begin. June is the beginning of meteorological summer and the beginning of the three warmest months of the year.
Early June’s Farewell
As the Peonies, Iris, and tall globe Allium are finishing their show in early June, there is so much more to come. There are many plants ready to show off their best.
Container Gardening: Your Canvas for Color
The garden centers are bursting with hanging baskets, made-up containers, flats of bedding annuals, and individual annuals (annuals only last for the season). It’s fun to put together your own containers, too! You can follow the thriller, filler, spiller suggestion, or just fill a container with your favorites.
Perennials Taking the Stage
Many beautiful perennials—plants that return year after year—begin to flourish in June. Early blooming salvias (sage), such as ‘May Night’ and ‘Violet Riot,’ lead the way with upright spikes of deep violet and purple flowers.
The daylilies are starting to bloom, too. They come in so many assorted colors and sizes. Their blooms last only one day as the name suggests. For the best performance, cutting off the ‘spent’ blooms and feed them with fertilizer that promotes flowering. They do best in full sun to partial shade.
Geraniums (not the annual geranium) are starting to show off the massive amounts of saucer shaped flowers. They come in shades of purples and pinks. There are two purple varieties, ‘Rozanne’ and ‘Johnson Blue’ that bloom into the fall months. They enjoy some shade and full sun.
Catmint is a reliable perennial with upright flower spikes in shades of lavender blue, pink and white. The small tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. They are starting to bloom now and will continue into fall. Catmint is not invasive like its cousin catnip. This plant thrives on neglect so it’s a great plant for new gardeners.
Shade Garden Stars
Astilbe are full shade plants. Their plume flowers come in shades of red, purples, white and pinks. They are a nice addition to a shade garden, but they need constant moisture. Their leaves are fern-like and come in green, bronze green and burgundy.
And although their flowers are not their main attraction, hostas with their many leaf color variations are also a wonderful addition to the June garden.
Shrubs that Shine in June
The Knockout Shrub Roses begin to hit their stride with their deep red, hot pink, and coral single and double everblooming flowers. The spent flowers can be removed but it’s not necessary.
Virginia Sweetspire or Itea is a versatile shrub that grows in full sun to full shade. Their arching, upright branches of green leaves turn to reddish purple in the fall. This shrub blooms in June. The flowers are fragrant, white, and have a drooping bottle brush appearance.
There are many Spirea varieties. Bridal Wreath Spirea (Vanhoutte Spirea) is known for its spectacular white blossoms all along their arching branches from May into June. Then there are smaller Japanese varieties like Little Princess, Goldflame and Goldmound with their clusters of pink flowers appearing in June.
June reminds us that gardens are ever-changing. As one plant finishes blooming another takes center stage.
A Spotlight on the Japanese Lilac Tree:
We must point out the Japanese Tree Lilac that are in full bloom right now. This is a small ornamental tree that grows 20–30 feet tall and 15–20 feet wide, with smooth, shiny reddish-brown bark. The flowers are creamy white and fragrant. They appear in large 6–12-inch panicles. There are several varieties: China Snow, Beijing Gold and Ivory Silk to name a few.