Plants that die in the summer 

Let’s say for example that I took you through the nursery and showed you a couple of plants that looked nice with attractive foliage and possibly some flower buds.  I extolled their virtues and shared how much I loved them in my own garden.  And then I dropped the bomb: “Oh, by the way, these plants die in the summer or to be more precise, they go dormant in the summer and completely disappear but come back the next year”.  Would that turn you off?  Would that prevent you from trying them in your own garden?

For the sake of argument let’s all agree that most of us, when we buy a plant in the spring, expect it to grow and live all summer.  After all, that’s what most annuals and perennials do isn’t it?  The annuals bloom continuously throughout the summer and the perennials usually bloom for 5-6 weeks after which we cut them back and they flush out with new growth and at least have nice foliage for the rest of the season.

But there are several perennials that come up in the spring (always early) and bloom in April or May and then go back to sleep for the remainder of the year.  Two of them are indispensible in my garden and should be the same in yours.

The first is a bleeding heart.  The good old fashion bleeding heart emerges in March from a long slumber that started as early as the previous July.  In a few short weeks it can reach a height to 2-3 feet tall and is covered with delicate pink and white flowers that look just like hearts.  The “bleeding” part comes from the fact that they appear to be oozing out drops of blood from the base of the heart shaped flowers.  It’s more attractive than it sounds.  It also comes in an all-white version too.  And, several years ago the breeders came out with what may very well be my all time favorite perennial (at least for early spring), a golden leafed flavor called “Gold Heart”.  This is such a stunning plant that I have found multiple places in the garden to plant it.  Now is the perfect time to find them in the garden centers too.

The second perennial that I simply cannot live without is the Oriental Poppy.  In spring these rapidly grow into a clump of fairly ho-hum foliage.  But when they bloom they are simply incredible.  Like most poppies, the flowers appear to be made from crepe paper and can be 6-8 inches across.  They can come in several different exotic colors from white to pink to orange to even almost black.  Some are also double in form.  The center of the flowers is often detailed with black stamens that make them look like some sort of sea creature that you would encounter in a tide pool.  Names like Princess Victoria Louise hint of their regality.  I often find myself mesmerized by the beauty of their flowers.  And then, just as fast as they appeared, they go back to sleep for the summer re-emerging in the fall to give you a little green through the winter.  It seems like an odd life cycle but it works well to fill in the gap between early spring and the summer bloomers.

A third perennial that seems to always be overlooked is one called Leopard’s Bane.  This is a most pleasing daisy flower of a soft and pure yellow (unlike the garish yellow of a Forsythia) that blends well with primroses and pansies in the early spring garden.  Again, come summer it goes to sleep and lets all the other guys duke it out for your attention.  It really deserves a place in most northwest gardens.  While it is almost done with its blooming cycle you can still find a few on the benches of our garden centers.

What all three of these perennials lack in summer interest they by far make up for in spring blooms.  With a little planning the void they create in summer can be easily concealed with an ornamental grass or summer blooming perennial.  And since they have such a unique life style, they can also help teach us to embrace things that are different from what we are accustomed to, a lesson we can all use from time to time.