August can feel like a long time to wait for a some plants to finally put forth flowers, all while the rest of the garden might be blooming its head off. On the other hand, by the time we get to August, our gardens can conceivably start to look kind of tired and bedraggled, and having a few plants that are just coming into bloom can be a very good thing. I have often said that in the Pacific Northwest you can find a plant blooming every day of the year. August is certainly no exception. In addition to a plethora of late-blooming perennials, there are quite a few shrubs that will brighten our gardens during these so called “dog days of summer”. Here are a few that caught my eye on my weekly visit to the nursery…
Hydrangeas: While hydrangeas have been blooming since mid-July, and will continue on into the month of August (or later), the sun loving ‘Pee Gee’ Hydrangea paniculata forms really come into their own in August. At the nursery I counted no less than 20 different cultivars to choose from! While traditionally a pure white bloomer, newer varieties can start out white but quickly mature to lovely shades of pink to red. One such variety is ‘Little Lime Punch’ from Proven Winners and they describe it as follows: “Little Lime Punch blooms emerge lime green and age progressively from the bottom up in a gorgeous array of white, light pink, and rich Hawaiian Punch red. As it reblooms throughout the summer you'll see these four colors mix to create a truly memorable show”. All Pee Gee Hydrangeas are extremely easy to grow and very reliable bloomers. Unless you have a total shade garden, you should have at least one Pee Gee in it.
Hibiscus Rose of Sharon or Althea Shrub: These are bone hardy flowering shrubs that are late to leaf out in the spring and even later to bloom in the summer, but once they do it makes it all worth it. I have an old fashion, single blue variety called ‘Blue Bird’, but there are many double forms that almost appear to look like carnations and even several newer forms that have larger blossoms that almost (but not quite) remind me of the tropical hibiscus we find in Hawaii. The First Editions series from Bailey Nurseries has introduced several new exotic colors, including one called ‘Bali’ and another named ‘Tahiti’, which they describe as follows: “Tahiti™ Hibiscus has textured, vibrant, semi-double deep pink-purple flowers that create a massive pop of color in the summer landscape.”
Crape Myrtle: I never thought I would be promoting crape myrtles for the Pacific Northwest. They are a staple in the southern landscapes with their iconic watermelon-pink flowers and are always in full bloom by the 4th of July. In our climate however, they take forever to leaf out in the spring, and if we are lucky to get a hot summer, we might see a few blooms in late September or October, just about the time they turn fall colors and drop their leaves. Times have changed however, and now with all the new compact varieties and incredible dark foliaged varieties, they are worth trying in the sunniest parts of our gardens. Once again, Bailey Nurseries with their First Editions series bring us several new selections. 'Coral Magic’ sports salmon-pink flowers and dark glossy foliage, ‘Sunset Magic’ has red flowers and incredibly dark, almost black, glossy leaves, and ‘Lunar Magic’ has white flowers against rich purple-black foliage. With climate change, we should start seeing more and more of these in our gardens.
Caryopteris: Commonly known as Bluebeard, I like to think of this shrub more like a woody perennial that can be cut back hard every winter. The color is a refreshing contrast to the more prevalent warmer tones of summer, and once in full bloom it will be absolutely smothered in bees. The variety ‘Sapphire Surf’ from Bailey Nurseries has the following description: “Sapphire Surf™ Bluebeard is a compact, low-maintenance shrub that produces a swell of stunning blue flowers from top to bottom in late summer and fall”. There is also a yellow-leafed variety called Sunshine Blue’ that is a fun one to work into the landscape.
There are several other late blooming shrubs, like ‘Ruby Spice’ Summersweet (has nice fragrance), Hypericum ‘Floralberry’ (yellow flowers with colorful berries), Snowberry ‘Candy’ (pink berries) and Beautyberry (incredible purple berries) that can make real standouts in the August garden. Unlike perennials that die back every winter, these shrubs will form permanent bones in the garden and give us many years of enjoyment.
Don’t let your garden fall victim to the “dog days of summer”. Liven it up with some of these late blooming shrubs. They are well worth the wait!
