Design a Garden for Flowers All Summer Long

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When planning on how to design a garden, think about how to keep the flowers blooming all summer long. Here's a plant list and gardening advice from The Old Farmer's Almanac.

The ideal summer flower garden develops in waves, reaches crescendos of bloom, and depends on chronological succession.

• Choose flowers for their color, beauty, and fragrance, of course—but also consider the season in which they bloom.
   
• Avoid planting midsummer bloomers all in one spot; instead, distribute groups of them throughout the garden. This will draw the visitor's eyes through the whole area, creating the effect of a greater expanse of color.
   

What combinations of plants will keep your garden colorful all summer long? Here are some suggestions.

Early Summer

Bleeding hearts
Delphinium
Early roses (Rosa hugonis; damask, eglantine, and gallica roses)
Iris magnifica
Oriental poppy
Peony

Midsummer

Astilbes
Bee balm
Daylilies (try 'Stella de Oro')
Early-blooming white phlox
Hollyhock
Hollyhock mallow
Regal lily and Asian hybrids such as 'Enchantment'
Snakeroot

Late Summer

Asters
Fall-blooming anemones
Globe thistle
Harrington's pink aster
Japanese iris
Late lilies and daylilies
Monkshood
Pink and white phlox
Tiger lily
White boltonia

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The 2012 Gardening Calendar features how-to garden advice, tips, secrets, folklore, plant illustrations. Learn more about the 2012 Gardening Calendar.