Ideas for Summer Flowering Shrubs

I want to plant a few summer flowering shrubs, not too tall as pruning up a ladder is out. Situation has all day sun and can be a bit windy and also winter cold southerlies. The garden is against a corrugated iron fence so there is some shelter. I am looking for something different so tell me your favourite summer colour and if it has a perfume so much the better. thanks. Lesley.

Hello Lesley. I'm wandering around in here as it is freezing outside. I would try one of my favorites for all year round flowers, Polygala. There are several Lavateras that will flower until late Autumn. Also you could try some of the Australian Native Hibiscus. I have a gorgeous one with a large purple open flower. It will flower well into late Autumn and at the moment has heaps of buds with even a couple of flowers open. Not much perfume there, but lots of color in Summer. Someone else may have some ideas for perfumed ones. Any of the Hebes should flower well too. If you want a Summer perfume around the garden and have no perfumed shrubs, try getting Alyssum to grow and selfseed all over the garden. It acts as a great mulch and when in full flower through Summer has the most sweetest perfume. You would not think so as they are only little plants, but get a garden full on a warm day . Mmmmmmm. You don;t have to bend down to smell it either, it will drift around in the air. I know , common plants but great survivors.
Of course these are what I have growing and they may not do the same where you are, but the beauty is none of them require much water. In truth, none of mine get any, other than the rain.
Jean.

Thanks Jean, i bought a polygala a couple of weeks ago and put it in a light shady spot for a bit of colour. It will get enough sun to keep it happy. I have daphne and kowhai and chinese lantern. Hebe's are out too much up keep, I have heaps at the other house but got tired of pruning them back all the time. Is the Australian Native Hibiscus the perenial one or does it have a botanical name. I have a white deciduous one. I love white allysum it brightens up the garden and I have ordered some Day Lillies to fill a few gaps and give some colour. Most of what I have to go in are quite small so will take a couple of years to get going, so will have to buy a few bigger plants to get some structure happening. Am thinking a few bedding dahlias will be on the shopping list to fill a few gaps. Iwill keep scouting the nurseries but your hibiscus is on my list and I will make enquiries. Of course I will have to leave enough room for a few brugs as well.
Lesley.

Hello Lesley
It's a heat wave here this morning. It has gone from -1C to 2C.
i am not sure of the proper names for a lot of shrubs but I am sure the native hibiscus is an Alogyne. It is evergreen and nothing seems to worry it.
I took a pic this morning for you and a few others while I was out there. i will put them up when my fingers regain feeling. These are all ones that survive really well on little water and in
Jean.any weather

Trust me to click the wrong button. That post reads a bit odd now. Oh well it's there and you know what I meant.
this is another very hardy Aust, native. Grampians Thryptomine. It flowers most of the year.Pic is the weeping and I also have an upright. one .

Another very hardy plant. I don't know it's name but nothing seems to worry this one either. It is very pretty but will grow quickly. I trim mine so if you don't want to trim it , put in a space where it can grow . It would look good as a background . I am not sure how big it will grow but someone else may know. It has pretty blue flowers.

The last one is one I remembered from my childhood days. It was in lots of gardens. It is very hardy and deciduous. It has pretty little grape like bunches of pink flowers. I know it as Flowering Currant , but someone will know it's proper name. Hope this helps a bit. If things grow here they will grow anywhere. Jean

Thanks Jean there are some good choices there. Thankyou for taking the time to take pics as well. Aussie plants grow well over here. I have pruned back a very nice blue salvia that should put on a nice show when it flowers as it is quite a strong and upright plant. A Daphne would be nice as well.I actually have 2 cuttings that I did but they are a bit small yet so may have to buy one to start with and wait for the others to grow up a bit. Its quite funny the things I have been getting rid of are plants that I have been growing for years and would threaten with extinction but because I had such a huge garden I really didn't have to. Here these same plants were in this little garden so I have quite enjoyed getting rid of them. I can now admire them in someone elses garden and now have room for a whole new look. I hope. That flowering currant is very colourful. Lesley

LOL I was going to suggest salvias:)

Great suggestion Annette. Salvias grow beautifully just about anywhere. They come in various size plants to suit most gardens. I have just planted another 8 and find that they survive both the cold and the heat . Another plus is that they will require very little water or maintainance except a bit of a haircut after flowering .
Hope we have helped Lesley.
Jean.