With an improvement in the weather, you’re probably already finding yourself spending more time in your garden. When it comes to giving your garden a fresh look and feel for the summer months, there are many different plants you can add. But there is one versatile plant type that is easy to plant and grow in your garden, which can produce leaves alongside decorative flowers: shrubs. Shrubs – especially flowering shrubs – are an essential part of any planted garden, and there are a range that you may want to incorporate into your summer garden.
Azalea
Azaleas, in the Rhododendron genus, are some of the earliest-blooming flowering shrubs, typically blooming in the spring, which is April and May for the Northern Hemisphere.
There are a number of different varieties that can add a range of colours to your shrub garden, flowering for several weeks. One common species include the Azaleas japonica, such as the Azalea japonica Orange Beauty which produces bright and scented salmon or orange coloured flowers, the Azalea japonica Rose Greeley with large white flowers featuring a yellow or chartreuse blotch, and the Azalea japonica Blue Danube with violet blue flowers.
Escallonia
The Escallonia is a flowering shrub which comes in a range of shapes, sizes and colours. The colours can also vary on the leaves as well as the flowers. The Escallonia rubra – also known as redclaws – is one of the many species in the genus, which includes the beautiful Escallonia Crimson Spire, which produces green leaves and scented red flowers in the spring and summer.
Other Escallonia shrubs include the Escallonia Golden Carpet, which is an evergreen shrub featuring yellow leaves and scented red flowers. The colour of the bright golden leaves can add a splash of brightness to your green space, really making them stand out. Another golden variety is the Escallonia Glowing Embers, which has gold leaves and pink flowers that bloom in the summer, ideal for a summer shrub garden.
Buddleja
Also known as the butterfly bush, the Buddleja produces fragrant flowers which are often cone-shaped and bloom in a range of colours. They are also easy to maintain, suitable for any soil type and just require direct sunlight.
This flowering shrub differs from a number of others because it is late flowering, coming into flower in the later summer months, in comparison to those that will bloom either in the late spring or early summer. It means that the variety would be a good addition to your shrub garden alongside other flowering shrubs, as they’ll all be at their peak at different times.
The Buddleja davidii is one of the most popular types at the moment, with the Buddleja davidii Adonis Blue featuring bright blue flowers, the Buddleja davidii Butterfly Tower with purple flowers, and the Buddleja davidii Pink Delight with light pink.
Summer Shrubs at Shrubgarden
We believe that having a garden full of shrubs is one of the most appealing and attractive ways you can spruce up and add new life into your garden. At Shrubgarden, you can find a wide array of shrubs available, including the Azalea, Escallonia and Buddleja. All of our shrubs are lovingly grown in our Northumberland nursery, and delivery is available across the UK.
In addition to shrubs, we also offer a variety of additional plants you can add to your summer garden, including trees, herbaceous plants, ferns and conifers.
