Gardening Advice & Tips for Irish Gardeners

We are all too familiar with the fleeting appearance that the cherry blossom makes in spring; 2 short weeks of blooms, only to be removed by the first sight of a windy day. Such plants can make gardening seem a short lived pleasure, but there are, many hard working plants that continue to churn out colour week after week

Today at the gardenshop.ie we want to help you in your gardening exploits and advise you on the best summer flowering plants to grow, not only shrubs that look good and flower throughout the season, but ones that will grow well in Ireland. The list below is a selection of common, tried and tested shrubs that you can find in most garden centers

Viburnum plicatum

• Commonly known as the wedding cake tree, this is a gem of a plant and would be recommended as a specimen in any garden. In late spring it develops tiers of creamy white summer flowers and hold them through until mid summer. There are many different varieties of Viburnum, and all vary greatly, so if your hoping buy one you’ll need to remember both parts of its name.

Potentilla fruticosa

• This flowering plant is also known as shrubby cinquefoil, these plants come in reds, yellows, pinks and white. With fine delicate, deciduous leaves these plants suit a traditional, or cottage planting scheme. Grow to approx 60 -100cm tall, best situation at the front of your border.

Hydrangea macrophylla

• These familiar flowering plants are so for the reason that they are a reliable bloomer throughout the summer months. Hydrangea macrophylla develop large spherical blooms in early summer and can brighten up any corner of your garden. Hydrangeas like partial shade but are prone for frost damage. If you feed in early spring and you will be treated to a show of summer flowers. Hydrangeas flowers also respond differently to the type of soil their growing in; acidic soils will turn your bloom a bluish colour, while the more common alkaline soils will turn them pink adding at extra surprise to these flowering plants

Shrub rose

• Truly the master of the garden and the reasons are simple! Big, bright blooms that just keep coming back month after month, roses have been known to flower right up to Christmas day in our milder winters, (rare as they might be). If you’re considering a rose, but worry its high maintenance, fear not, they can be maintained with minimum of care. Stay tuned for more tips of how to care for your roses soon

Buddleia davidii

• The butterfly bush was once a pet hate of mine, seeing it looking old and bedraggled at the back out borders, all wood and no foliage. But that was before I learnt how these plants should be pruned, and the answer is; hard! Buddleias are fast growing, profuse flowering shrubs that respond well to a hard pruning. Long purple summer flowers droop down from silvery grey foliage during the summer months.

Hypericum hidcote

• The last flowering plant on my list is what is commonly known as St John’s Worth. This ornamental shrub is related to our native St John’s Worth, so is very hardy and grows great in Irish soil. Flowering is a vibrant yellow that begins in June and continues through to October.