Five easy plants for summer colour from Hillier Garden Centres

Summer is the perfect time for gardens to come alive with colour. With just a few standout plants, even the smallest outdoor spaces can feel refreshed and full of life. To make choosing easier, Emma Fell, Head of Horticulture at Hillier Garden Centres, shares her favourite picks for reliable, long-lasting summer blooms. 

Dahlia 

“Dahlias are celebrated for their impressive, sculptural blooms that come in an extensive palette of colours and forms. From delicate pastels to fiery reds and oranges, their versatility makes them an excellent choice for creating impact. They thrive best in full sun with well-drained, fertile soil. Regular watering and deadheading will encourage continuous flowering, often lasting from midsummer right through to the first frost. Their striking presence makes them ideal for borders or large containers.” 

Gerbera 

“Garvinea bring the same joyful daisy-like blooms and vivid colours as traditional gerbera, but with the added benefit of improved hardiness. Unlike typical gerbera, which are often treated as tender bedding or indoor plants, Garvinea are bred to be more robust – able to withstand cooler UK temperatures and even light frosts. Available in vibrant shades of pink, red, orange and yellow, they flower prolifically from spring through to autumn. Ideal for borders, containers or cut flower displays, they thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, with regular feeding and watering to keep the blooms coming.” 

Impatiens 

“Impatiens, often known as Busy Lizzies, are a top choice for shaded areas where many flowering plants struggle. Their abundant blooms in shades of pink, red, white and purple provide much-needed vibrancy to darker corners of your garden. These plants prefer partial shade and moist, well-drained soil (in full shade they will be reduced in flowering). Because of their shade tolerance and ease of care, they’re perfect for brightening patios, balconies and shaded garden beds.” 

Geraniums 

“Bedding geraniums are a staple for summer colour due to their robust nature and prolific blooming. Offering bright, cheerful flowers in reds, pinks, whites and purples, these plants are drought-tolerant once established and perform well in full sun to partial shade. Their versatility makes them ideal for edging beds, containers or hanging baskets, providing reliable colour throughout the warmer months.” 

Rudbeckia 

“Rudbeckias bring warm, golden yellow blooms with dark centres that add a striking contrast to any planting scheme. They are long flowering, typically from midsummer into autumn, and are excellent for attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Rudbeckias prefer full sun and well-drained soil, making them low maintenance yet highly effective plants for summer colour. 

Members of the Hillier Gardening Club get exclusive offers on a wide selection of stunning summer perennials, as well as first hand access to top tips and advice from the horticultural experts at Hillier Nurseries. To sign up visit: www.hillier.co.uk/gardening-club 

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Editors notes

“To inspire the creation of green living spaces for now and the future” Hillier is one of the leading names in the horticultural industry, with 160 years of growing and retail experience.

Founded in 1864 by Edwin Hillier, the company remains a family-run nursery with the fifth generation now actively involved in the family business as it continues to grow.

Not only is Hillier the largest producer of semi-mature trees in Europe and grower of over one million plants at its Hampshire nursery, but it also employs over 750 staff across its nursery, amenity trees and 22 garden centre divisions and is a flourishing multi-million pound company. It proudly holds the world record for the most consecutive gold medals awards at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with 74 wins.

As one of the leading growers in the UK, Hillier is involved in many peat-free initiatives, including the RHS Peat-Free Fellowship, the largest peat-free collaborative research project globally. The company was amongst the first nurseries to become 100% peat-free across both its production nursery and retail garden centres, and all Hillier plants are grown in peat-free compost.

Recent successes for the company include the launch of its online shop, the substantial redevelopment of Hillier Garden Centre Newbury and the acquisition of the Rosebourne Garden Centre Group in November 2022, as well as sponsorship of BBC Gardeners’ World Live and BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, and the incredibly popular free ‘Hillier Gardening Club’ loyalty program which now has over half a million members.

Renowned for being a leading breeder of plants in the UK at its 100% peat-free nursery in Hampshire, each year Hillier introduces amazing new varieties. Many of these have become essentials in British gardens and the company continues with the tradition of innovation and the introduction of new garden plants in the present day.