A symphony of summer perennials - garden of Frederick McDowell, Iowa City, Iowa

Flower & Garden Magazine, June-July, 1994 by Monica Brandies

After the Spring Flush of Irises, Peonies and delphiniums, it may seem there aren't as many pretty perennials for midsummer. Not true - there are plenty. Some just aren't so well-known or widely used. Others, like the versatile daylily, are avoided by some gardeners just because their reliability has made them too popular.

One look at the yard of dedicated perennial grower Frederick McDowell of Iowa City, Iowa, and you'll see it's a mistake to shun the daylily. McDowell combines his daylilies with other summer-blooming perennials, making the most of contrasting colors, forms, textures and heights to turn the daylily season from a solo performance into a symphony.

Among the perennials in McDowell's garden that share the daylily's blooming season is the balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus). The violet-blue, 2-inch, star-shaped blossoms re beautifully compatible with the daylilies. The blur softens warmer colors and sets them off, blending all together with a quieting harmony.

Named for the shape of the buds, balloon flowers also come in pink and white. There are double and semi-double forms too, although I prefer the elegant simplicity of the single flowers.

Balloon flowers are easy to grow in moist, well-drained soils. They are hardy to Zone 4, but saturated soil in winter can kill them. They thrive in full sun where their only fault is the frequent need for deadheading. Removing the spent flowers will prolong the bloom and make the plant neater. Balloon flowers also bloom in partial shade. Few pests or diseases bother them.

Be sure to mark your balloon flowers' locations in the fall, for the plants will disappear completely in the winter, and they are one of the latest perennials to emerge in the spring.

Started from seed in the spring, balloon flowers may take two or three years to bloom. From plants or divisions they bloom the first summer, but are not at their best for three years. After that they can be left in place forever or divided in the spring. Growing to 2 or 3 feet, they are best staked loosely in midborder.

Balloon flowers bloom for weeks starting in late June, all through July and most of August, possibly even into September.

Veronica species and hybrids have the same delightful softening power of blue. The tiny flowers are gathered densely on narrow, graceful spikes that are fattest in the middle. Some have green, lance-shaped foliage; others have leaves with a definite grayish cast. Most varieties grow 1 to 2 feet tall. This plant is more insistent and formal than the balloon flower; it grows a little lower and more clumpy.

Veronica is not fussy about soil, but demands good drainage. It likes full sun but will tolerate partial shade. If downy mildew or leafspot become serious problems, especially in humid climates or seasons, spray with a fungicide to protect the plants. Veronica seldom needs staking, and is hardy to Zone 4.

For best bloom, divide clumps every four years in spring or fall. You can sow seed outdoors in the spring but it may take one to three months to germinate. There will be some variation from seed, but any blue is good in July.

Remove faded flowers diligently and veronica will bloom from late June to the middle of August.

Shasta daisies (formerly classified as Chrysanthemum x superbum, but recently assigned the name Leucanthemum x superbum), with their striking whiteness and homey simplicity, can be either a background or an accent flower. Either way, they fit into any garden and are an excellent cut flower as well. The familiar flowers are 2 to 4 inches wide on plants that vary is stature from tidy 10-inch mounds to 3-foot clumps.

They like full sun best, although double varieties will stand a little more shade. All are shallow-rooted and require constant moisture and feeding. Mulch helps, especially in winter, when shasta daisies need protection against the cold in Zones 4 and 5. They tend to live short lives, sometimes dying out after their blooming season, and should be renewed often. Shastas start easily from division or seeds; some of the seed-grown varieties will bloom in their first year.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is really a pink daisy with drooping petals and a conical eye that is bristly and purple, maroon or brown. It is a large and coarse native of the prairies from Iowa to Louisiana. The flowers are 3 to 4 inches wide; clumps can grow 3 to 5 feet tall and almost as wide. Staking will contain them in a mixed border. They are not invasive.

Purple coneflowers bloom from July to September, even in hot, dry summers. Moderately easy to grow in sandy loam or any well-drained soil, purple coneflowers prefer full sun, but the colors are richer in light shade. Except for Japanese beetles, they have few problems, but like moderate feeding. They are resistant to wind and drought but respond well to watering.

Clumps can be divided every three or four years in early spring. New plants should come from such starts or from a nursery rather than seed from the wild, since named varieties are much superior to the species. White and creamy white varieties are available. All are hardy to Zone 3.