Design for a Late-Summer Show

Extraordinary annuals and tropicals anchor these bold seasonal combinations

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square , Pennsylvania , has a rightfully salient trial garden . For the past several years , this space has served as a design science lab where the garden stave can try out new cultivars and plant combination . The designs on show have a colorful array of annual and tropical plant life , those horticultural wonders that hit their peak from midsummer until frost .

So if your borders tend to look tired by recent summer , take some intake from the Longwood faculty . Add excitement with leisurely annuals , take your invention over the top with tropicals , or screen out an exciting fresh color combination . The test garden designs below will aid get you started , andexpert top from Longwood horticulturist Tim Erdmannwill help you get the most out of your one-year and tropical flora .

A fresh color story

A background of Bourgogne and chartreuse lends a zesty newfangled tone to smart orange zinnia and canna blooms , and a pure white dahlia adds sparkle . The overall effect is warm , inviting , and unexpected .

1 . ‘ Mohawk ’ canna(Canna‘Mohawk ’ , Zones 8–11 )

2 . Zowie ! ™ Yellow Flame zinnia(Zinnia eleganscv . , annual )

3 . Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Lime odorous potato vine(Ipomoea batatas‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM ’ , Zones 11–12 )

4 . ‘ Elena ’ colocasia(Colocasia esculenta*‘Elena ’ , Zones 7–11 )

5 . ‘ Starchild ’ dahlia(Dahlia‘Starchild ’ , Zones 9–11 )

6 . ‘ Prince ’ elephant grass(Pennisetum purpureum*‘Prince ’ , Zones 8–11 )

Bold blooms for shade

Most of the plants in this clause thrive in full sun , but this compounding was produce for a bed shaded by ripe hardwood . It stars a bronze - leaved begonia and matching red geranium , balance by a bush violet that put out plenty of blue - violet blossom from other summer until rime . Alpine wood fern and ‘ Yellow Trumpet ’ ness fuchsia contribute soft , subtle texture to connect this vignette together .

1 . whacker ® Red bronze leafage begonia(Begonia×benariensis‘Red with Bronze Leaf ’ , Zones 10–11 )

2 . ‘ Yellow Trumpet ’ cape fuchsia(Phygelius aequalis‘Yellow Trumpet ’ , Zones 7–9 )

3 . Endless ™ Illumination bush violet(Browallia‘UNHBR12 ’ , Zones 9–11 )

4 . Alpine woodwind instrument fern(Dryopteris wallichiana , Zones 6–9 )

5 . Caliente Fire ® geranium(Pelargonium‘Cante Fir09 ’ , Zones 9–11 )

Sunshine in any weather

This eminent - intensiveness compounding is power by sunny yellows . Zea mays everta cassia , a flashy African legume , grow at least 4 to 5 feet tall with buttery yellow blooms popping from contrasting inky-black buds . A golden - entrust flame nettle carpets the ground , accompanied by a sweet yellow - flowered lantana . Tall vervain add together a touch of reddish blue , the perfect color accompaniment .

1 . Zea mays everta cassia(Senna didymobotrya , Zones 9–11 )

2 . Luscious ™ Lemonade lantana(Lantana camara*‘Robpwcrm ’ , Zones 9–11 )

3 . ‘ Solar Shade ’ coleus(Plectranthus scutellarioides‘Solar Shade ’ , zone 10–11 )

4 . marvelous verbena(Verbena bonariensis , Zones 7–10 )

Three flavors of orange

red bush thrives through summertime heat and produce snappy firecracker - shape bloom on cerise stems from late summer until Robert Frost . Here it is complement by an orange - flower lantana and a sedge that transition from olive greenness to cherry-red - orange as the time of year progresses .

1 . Scarlet bush(Hamelia patens , Zones 9–10 )

2 . Orange New Zealand sedge(Carex testacea , Zones 6–10 )

3 . Bandana ® Orange lantana(Lantana camara*‘LANZ0007 ’ , Zones 9–11 )

Turn up the volume

These large - scale plant would be perfect for test a terrace or deck . ‘ Fireworks ’ outpouring grass offers arch blades strip in pink , deep red , clean , and green . Since its purple - tinged tassel are sterile , you need not vex about undesirable seedlings . A dark - get out cocoyam , a spectacular cactus - flowered dahlia , and a tall single zinnia provide sight of additional vividness .

1 . ‘ Black Magic ’ taro(Colocasia esculenta*‘Black Magic ’ , Zones 8–10 )

2 . ‘ AC Ben ’ dahlia(Dahlia‘AC Ben ’ , Zones 9–11 )

late summer flowers

3 . ‘ Fireworks ’ spring grass(Pennisetum setaceum*‘Fireworks ’ , Zones 9–11 )

4 . Zahara ® XL Yellow zinnia(Zinnia marylandica‘PAS90131 ’ , annual )

A collection of striking specimens

tree diagram dahlias grow at least 8 feet tall , often taller . Since they need a very tenacious season to blossom , they are mainly grown for their luxuriant foliage . That foliage contrast attractively with fernlike spires of dog fennel and the strappy , crimped leave of Malayan variegated palm forage . Madagascar old maid and a arresting red sage add together a little efflorescence power to this foliage - sharpen group .

1 . tree diagram dahlia(Dahlia imperialis , Zones 9–11 )

2 . Malaysian variegate palm grass(Setaria palmifolia‘Rubra Variegata ’ , Zones 8–11 )

3 . Titan Pure White ™ Madagascar periwinkle(Catharanthus roseus‘PAS420774 ’ , Zones 10–11 )

4 . ‘ Paul ’ scarlet sage(Salvia splendens‘Paul ’ , Zones 10–11 )

5 . ‘ refined Feather ’ dog fennel(Eupatorium capillifolium‘Elegant Feather ’ , Zones 6–9 )

Whopper® Red bronze leaf begonia

Smoldering color from flowers and foliage

Both the flower spike of ‘ Ava ’ hummingbird mint and the leafage of Brazilian Red Hots ™ Joseph ’s coat ply a lot of blistering colour over a long season . Put them together with delightfully dark - allow for fatal cotton wool and a sweet pink dahlia , and you have a combination that will wow garden guest from tardy summer until frost .

1 . Brazilian Red Hots ™ Joseph ’s coat(Alternanthera dentata‘Brazilian Red ’ , Zones 10–11 )

2 . ‘ Ava ’ hummingbird mint(Agastache‘Ava ’ , Zones 5–9 )

Popcorn cassia

3 . Black cotton(Gossypium herbaceum‘Nigra ’ , Zones 9–11 )

4 . ‘ Hollyhill Electra ’ dahlia(Dahlia‘Hollyhill Electra ’ , Zones 9–11 )

Bright leaves against soft silver

‘ Red Flash ’ caladium has such a strong presence that it could easily clash with more colorful garden fellow traveller . But rising from a bottom of silvery artemisia and spurflower , its leaves simply radiate . Soft plume of feathertop eatage add another level of irresistible grain .

1 . ‘ Red Flash ’ caladium(Caladium‘Red Flash ’ , Zones 8–11 )

2 . ‘ Powis Castle ’ artemisia(Artemisia‘Powis Castle ’ , zone 6–9 )

Scarlet bush

3 . ‘ Silver Shield ’ silver spurflower(Plectranthus argentatus‘Silver Shield ’ , Zones 10–11 )

4 . Feathertop grass(Pennisetum villosum , zone 9–10 )

— Carol Collins is the associate editor .

‘Fireworks’ fountain grass

Photos : Carol Collins

Fine Gardening advocate Products

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

‘Paul’ scarlet sage

Fine horticulture receives a charge for items purchased through links on this situation , including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertizement programs .

D&X Garden Sprinkler

Buffalo - Style Gardens : Create a Quirky , One - of - a - Kind Private Garden with Eye - Catching designing

‘Hollyhill Electra’ dahlia

Get our latest tips , how - to articles , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .

Signing you up …

3 Gorgeous Planting Plans for a Late-Summer Show

Tough Tropicals Make Great Thrillers in Fall Containers—Planting Plans

Fall Is for Flowers

Expert Tips for a Late-Summer Show

bring together Fine Gardening for a free engaging alive webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant life pathologist as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technical coach …

When I spotted a special sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I know I was in trouble . With a delightful color form …

When we only prioritize plants we want over plants our landscape needs , each season is filled with a never - ending tilt of chores : pruning , cabbage , lachrymation , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

‘Red Flash’ caladium

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be measured when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re probable to spark off on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a pair …