Maintaining a garden can be hard work, especially during the summer – luckily these beautiful flowers will continue to come back year after year with little effort
Don’t give up yet – it’s not too late to start filling your garden with gorgeous low maintenance plants this summer. While July is typically too far into the year to start planting many common flowers, experts recommend turning to drought-resistant perennial plants instead.
These hardy flowers usually have a life span of more than two years and will continue to return every spring and summer: filling your garden with perpetual blooms. Plus, while perennial flowers are best planted in spring or autumn, more drought tolerant varieties are good choices for summer planting as they can withstand hotter and drier temperatures. Though, it is important to water them in their early stages.
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So, which perennial plants should you turn to? Garden experts from Homes and Gardens recommend seven blooms you can start planting.
Salvia
Native to the Mediterranean and North America, salvia is also hardy enough to be grown in the UK – though most varieties are best placed in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.
Plus, aside from only needling occasional watering, these purple flowers are incredibly versatile. They are small enough to fit in little garden pots – making them perfect for a smaller garden or balcony.
Yarrow
These colourful flowers require little maintenance beyond the occasional deadheading. Plus, they barely need any watering. Home and Gardens writes: “It can usually be sustained by natural rainfall as its long root system penetrates deep down into the soil to access the moisture it needs.”
Black-eyed Susan
Known for their bold blooms, black-eyed Susan’s are a great, long-lasting way to brighten up your garden. According to Home and Gardens, they can be planted in July and will quickly establish themselves quickly if sufficiently watered over the first few weeks.
Sedum
This plant’s fleshy pink blooms are great at holding in moisture – which also makes them remarkably drought tolerant. This makes them perfect additions to dry gardens and rock gardens.
Campion
Looking as though they come straight from a fairytale, these silvery-pink flowers are ideal for a low-maintenance garden. This is because silver leaves help reduce moisture loss.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers are bright striking blooms that make a large impact on your garden without needing a tonne of work. While they do need to be cut back at the end of a season, they don’t require regular watering – making them perfect for a laid-back gardener.
Agastache
Somewhat resembling lavender, these tall long-lasting purple plants are known for their ability to withstand the heat. They’re also fantastic at drawing more pollinators into your garden.