Summer's Garden Evolution

After seemingly endless winters, many Wisconsinites want the “wow and now” in their gardens. Understandably eager for instant beautiful blooms and lush foliage, people visit garden centers, fine-tune their layouts, select the biggest annuals already flowering and get everything planted no later than Memorial Day. Then what?

Karl Hornung, owner of Shady Lane Greenhouses in Menomonee Falls, and his daughter, Heidi, a landscape architect, suggest that the fun has just begun. And they do mean fun. Taking a little more time, they say, at spring’s first blush, remembering planting essentials, and letting your garden evolve over summer maximizes all the enjoyment that can be derived from your backyard.

When choosing garden stock, it’s generally a good idea to pick those plants that haven’t yet flowered. In garden centers throughout Germany, when Karl was growing up in the Black Forest, seldom were plants sold with flowers; it was understood that plants take off faster when the roots are allowed to take hold first, rather than the blossoms.

Shrubs and perennials have a short, specific bloom time; annuals bloom all season long. Knowing this and putting the three together in the right combination provides plenty of color well into fall.

Size matters! When designing your garden, not just for the summer but for the years to come, remember to allocate enough space for things to grow to their full potential. That small spruce just planted will grow into a mighty tree, provided it’s not stunted by others planted too closely. Be patient with the little saplings. You will be rewarded in due time.

The staff at Shady Lane Greenhouses, which includes seasoned gardeners and a horticulturist, says that location is the most important factor of all when planning your endless summer garden. Things will quickly come to a stop, for instance, if full-sun or partial-shade requirements aren’t met.

Once planted, a garden needn’t stay static. Instead, the Hornungs encourage landscaping clients and retail customers alike to develop their gardens all summer long. Plants aren’t locked into place; feel free to move them around. Come July, add a few extra hanging baskets (a good time to do it since many garden centers now have them on sale) and add a pretty or quirky garden accessory as an additional design element.

While pruning, watering and dead-heading, think of how you’d like to extend your garden even further. Shady Lane will be busy planting mums in August, why not you? Kale, a plant that serves well as a salad, is also very decorative in gardens and can be purchased and planted in August. The color variations in the leaves of different Coral Bells such as Marmalade and Chocolate Truffle will last all summer and well into, dare we say it, fall.

That can be a painful word for many gardeners. But, should you stop by Shady Lane Greenhouses, the Hornungs will tell you how busy European garden centers are throughout the year. Perhaps they can teach us how to have an endless summer after all.