Hampshire's relatively mild summers and varied soils create good conditions for a wide range of summer planting. Whether you want a low-maintenance border that looks after itself or a more intensive planting scheme full of colour and fragrance, there are excellent options for every situation.
Long-Flowering Perennials for Summer Borders
These perennials give the longest return on investment — flowering from June or July through to September or beyond with minimal effort or deadheading.
- Geranium 'Rozanne' — violet-blue, June to October
- Salvia 'Hot Lips' — red and white, long season
- Rudbeckia fulgida — bold yellow, August to October
- Agapanthus — blue or white, spectacular July display
- Penstemon — wide colour range, very long season
- Echinacea — pink, long-lasting seedheads into winter
Summer Bedding for Instant Colour
For containers and bedding areas, petunias, osteospermums, verbenas and calibrachoas all deliver months of colour from May planting. Choose trailing varieties for hanging baskets and compact types for border edging.
Mediterranean Planting for Dry Hampshire Sites
On free-draining chalk or sandy soils, Mediterranean plants — lavender, cistus, rosemary, verbena bonariensis and eryngium — thrive through even the driest Hampshire summers with minimal watering.
A&T Landscapes can design and plant summer borders for any Hampshire, Dorset or Wiltshire garden. Call 07735 916029 to discuss your planting project.