So often we hear that the garden is dull and colourless in the summer after all the pomp and splendour of the spring season, but this needn’t be the case.

Right now we have a fantastic range of summer perennials in stock that will perform and improve year on year in the summer and autumn garden, giving a real wow and an essential pop of colour at a time of year when it can be great to enjoy the garden at any time of day or alfresco in the evening.

Try out some Agastache or more commonly known as Hummingbird Mint, such as Agastache ‘Sweet Lili’ a magnificent Australian hybrid with apricot tinted rich amethyst flowers or Agastache ‘Blue Boa’ with densely packed spires of rich blue.

Cone flowers are an essential part of the perennial garden at this time of year and include the statuesque Rudbeckia laciniata with towering stems to 2m with bright golden petals around a central cone of black. We have a great range of Echinacea also referred to as cone flower such as the newly released Echinacea ‘Rich Red’ with flowers that open as a vibrant orange red and deepen with age until they are a rich glowing deep red, or you could try one of the bright pink cultivars such as Echinacea ‘Magnus Superior’ with huge blooms with broad petals or the quirky Echinacea ‘Double Decker’ that produces a second row of petals from the top of the cone.

Globe thistles such as Echinops ritro ‘Taplow Blue’ are much adored by bees and humans alike and they produce an abundant display of golf ball sized sapphire blue blooms that also make a fabulous cut flower for the home.

For those who may live by the seaside or further inland we have the super hardy Sea Holly Eryngium bourgatii ‘Oxford Blue’ with its architecturally gorgeous blooms of steely blue.

We also have the far less commonly seen Pink Statice, Limonium peregrinum which will endure hot dry conditions and harsh winter frosts to boot and still flower with papery pink blooms which can be picked and dried and will maintain their colour for years after picking.

An essential of the modern New Age Perennial Movement that is sweeping the world are the perennial grasses and we have some great stock now, such as Panicum ‘Iron Maiden’ a new release Aussie Bred form with densely clumping glaucous blue grey foliage with deep purple highlights topped with fawn inflorescences which look wonderful when back lit by the afternoon sunlight.

Japanese Sword Grass is another must have, try Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Fontane’ (little fountain) with green foliage with a strong central silver spine and superbly fluffy flower plumes of silver grey or Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’ who’s rich green foliage is regularly crossed with band of gold on an upright tight clumping form.

What summer garden would be complete without Queen of the Meadow or Filapendula palmata nana with its fairy floss pink flower heads on thin elegant stems or the delightful spires of Veronicastrum or Culver’s Root. These form lovely clumps topped with long elegant flower spikes. Try Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Lavendelturm’ with soft mauve flowers, or the Icy Blue of Veronicastrum sibiricum.

Now is a great time to see and plant these and many other beauties from our nursery to your garden, and add a little extra sizzle to the summer garden.