Bracknell prairie - July and August

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This is the third in a series of blogs about the prairie planting in my front garden. This one covers the summer
months of July and August.

In the previous blog, we left the garden at the end of June

By the middle of July, more and more colour is appearing. Monarda ‘Gardenview Scarlet’ is making a huge splash of red, with achillea ‘Terracotta’ behind it. A few pink dots of dianthus carthusianorum can be glimpsed (this has been flowering non-stop for several weeks), also two patches of the deep red knautia macedonica ‘Mars Midget’ (which I am deadheading to keep it flowering). Solidago ‘Goldenmosa’ is not quite in flower yet but is showing colour, while the pink phlox amplifolia ‘Augenstern’ nestles among some gladiolus ‘Purple Mate’. The phlox has slightly smaller flowers and bigger leaves than the more common phlox paniculata cultivars, but it is more tolerant of sun and dry conditions without getting mildew. Spikes of salvia nemorosa, veronica, and veronicastrum are also visible

At the beginning of August, the phlox, solidago ‘Goldenmosa’ and knautia are still going strong, and spikes of veronicastrum and verbascums can be glimpsed. The flowers of the achillea and monarda are beginning to fade but will provide structure long after they have finished. Geranium ‘Rozanne’, left over from the previous planting in the bed, is much happier now than it was before, while lobelia ‘Tania’ on the extreme right of the shot gives a purple punch. The panicum grasses are just beginning to flower now, although I may need to add some more to bulk them up

The middle of August. The phlox and solidago are beginning to fade although the grasses are carrying the border now. I might add a couple of crocosmia varieties to give a new punch of colour

Now we’re at the end of August and the grasses are flowering – two different forms of panicum virgatum, sporobolus heterolepis, and pennisteum alopeculoides ‘Hameln’. The knautia is still going strong, while salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ took a break but has now started again. The first aster flowers have opened – there are several of these on the far side of the bed that will keep the colour going into October. The tall solidago rugosa will soon be adding to the display. This has proved not to be self supporting – maybe packing more grasses around it might help to keep it upright?

Autumn is when this style of planting should help prolong the season of interest, so there will be another blog in three months’ time

• 31 Aug, 2019
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