During the summer you are spoilt for choice for shrubs that look amazing when in full flower. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of our favourite flowering shrubs for summer. Here are our top 10 recommended shrubs for May to September.

Top 10 Flowering Shrubs for Summer:

1. Philadelphus:

This flowers in June and can come in a range of sizes, from less than 1 metre tall to Philadelphus virginal which is a beautiful white and can grow to more than 3 metres tall. This shrub is fully hardy but must be pruned immediately after it has flowered. If you prune later in the year, you will dramatically reduce the number of flowers that it produces the following year.

2. Weigelia: 

Two of our favourite varieties are Weigela ‘Florida’, which is a variegated form and Weigelia ‘Bristol Ruby’, which has an abundance of red flowers from late spring to early summer. These bushes, although deciduous, are well worth a space in any border due to the abundance of colour they bring to your garden.

3. Deutzia:

This very pretty shrub grows to around 1.5 metres tall. It has dense mounding habit with slender arching branches. This shrub flowers in June and July, it does not need dead heading and is
trimmed up in the winter.

4. Roses:

One fantastic feature about Roses is that they are highly fragrant. Some fantastic fragrant Roses are ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ which is beautiful pink and is a shrub variety. ‘The Poet’s Wife’ is a fantastic sunshine yellow and has a strong fruity scent. If you want a rambler, the ‘Wedding Day’ has a very vigorous habit with a great scent. Every garden should have a rose, especially as the bees like them.

5. Choisya:

This comes in green and gold. The Choisya ternate (green) flowers more prolifically whereas Choisya ‘Sundance’ has new golden foliage – it still flowers well but it is grown for the new gold leaves. This plant is also known as Mexican Orange Blossom as when the foliage is rubbed it has a lovely Orange smell. This plant is well worth using in your borders.

6. Spirea:

This shrub can grow up to 2 metres tall but is more typically seen at a height of 1 metre. It becomes covered in white small flowers in May and June. This plant needs to be pruned immediately after it flowers just like Philadelphus.

7. Koelwitzia:

Also known as the beauty bush, with clusters of pink bell-shaped flowers. It grows up to 3 metres tall, however it is unusual to see it this tall. Koelwitzia flowers in May and June. It is quite tolerant of most soils and pH ranges, but it does not like to be waterlogged.

8. Hibiscus:

Hibiscus varieties include ‘Blue Bird’, ‘Woodbridge’ and ‘Meehanii’ which is a variegated version. Typically, they will grow to around 1.2 metres tall but can get taller if they are in sunny, sheltered position. They all have large rose like flowers in August. They really look great and are a lovely addition to your garden. Due to their slow growing nature, pruning is negligible and if required carried out with secateurs.

9. Hydrangea: 

These are often undervalued and can come in White, Pink and Blue. The colour can be
manipulated by changing the pH of the soil with the blue resulting from an acidic soil. They flower in late autumn with one of our favourites being the ‘Runaway Bride’. This white Hydrangea looks fantastic in a pot or planted in groups within a border.

10. Fuchsia: 

These can be grown in pots and troughs but also in borders, with the fully hardy ones easily growing up to 0.9 meters tall. Their lovely drooping flowers are a great source of nectar for bees, and they can flower prolifically over the summer. Some of the more ornamental varieties are more tender so need extra protection over the winter if they are left outside. Nevertheless, we definitely recommend these as a valuable addition to your garden.

Contact Us:

If you need any advice on what to plant in your garden or want more information on flowering shrubs for summer, then do please get in touch with us. We can carry out the planting for you, giving you a fantastic garden without having to lift a finger.

Alternatively, we can provide bespoke advice or create a planting plan for you. We’ve also put together some further planting recommendations of the best vegetables to grow this August and planting guides for Autumn, Spring and Winter.

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