Summer garden inspiration

Bringing flowers inside is a great way to experience nature when you might not have a particularly large garden or perhaps none at all. Summer is a good time to get fresh flowers as they come in myriad bright colours and there’s a wide choice available.

Which flowers to choose

Here are some of our favourite summer flowers that would work well in the home:

Sunflowers – The smaller varieties of sunflower look lovely in a simple vase alongside some greenery.

Peonies – These look great in bouquets as the stems are strong and they come in a number of colours.

Gerberas – These are the epitome of cheerfulness and come in some wonderfully bright shades, from sunny yellow to striking magenta.

Crocosmia – These late summer flowers lend themselves well to flower arranging because they have beautiful arching sprays of colourful flowers.

Roses – Yellow and orange roses work particularly well in sunny bouquets.

How to achieve the look

As well as having bouquets of flowers throughout your home, there are ways to add a bit of life to even the smallest garden.

Hanging baskets – These are a great way to add some quick colour to a small space. Go for geraniums or begonias.

Strawberry plants – Attractive and distinctive, they don’t need a lot of room to grow.

Cut-and-come-again salad – Add some greenery to your garden and it’s great if you fancy a foray into growing your own food.

Sunflowers – They can be grown in a sunny spot and they don’t take up much space although some varieties do grow very tall.

Did you know?

Why not challenge your family to a sunflower growing competition. At the beginning of summer you all plant a sunflower. Whichever grows the tallest is the winner. It’s a great way to get kids into gardening.
Most plants rely on bees and other insects to transfer pollen from one flower to another in order to set seeds. That’s a worrying fact considering the world’s bee population is falling.
Your summer garden is created during spring when you would sow seeds and get on with a number of other garden jobs. All you have to do in the summer is keep your garden tidy and make sure your plants have enough water.

References

http://britishcutflowers.com/contents1a/?s=summer
http://www.covertcandy.co.uk/covertblog/outdoor-flowers-make-the-perfect-summer-present
http://www.housetohome.co.uk/product-idea/picture/10-best-flowers-for-hanging-baskets
http://www.josie-curran.com/2011/04/hold-sunflower-growing-competition.html
http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/structural/plants-for-small-gardens/1109.html
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=528
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module8/key_jobs_for_summer1.shtml