Forgot to Plant in Spring? Create an Instant Garden This Summer

Forgot to Plant in Spring? Here’s How to Create an Instant Garden This Summer

If you happened to pick up the latest issue of House & Home Magazine, you might have spotted me in their Ask the Expert feature.

They asked me a question I hear almost every day at the nursery:

“Have I left it too late to plant my garden?”

It’s such a common worry, especially at this time of year. Spring has been and gone, the neighbours’ gardens are looking lush, and suddenly your own space feels like it’s been left behind.

The answer I always give is exactly the same.

Absolutely not.

In fact, some of the most satisfying gardens I’ve helped create have been planted in the middle of summer.

I thought I’d share some of the advice from the magazine here, because if you’re standing in your garden wondering where to begin, I hope it reassures you that it’s never too late to create something beautiful.

Start with the biggest plants first

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is buying lots of little plants because they feel like they’re getting more for their money.

In reality, it’s usually the opposite.

A garden doesn’t feel finished because it has lots of flowers. It feels finished because it has structure. Whenever we’re designing gardens at Caragh Nurseries, we nearly always begin with the biggest plants first. A beautiful specimen tree. Evergreen screening. A mature shrub that immediately anchors a border.

Those are the plants that make a garden feel established from the moment they’re planted. Then everything else becomes much easier. Before you fill your trolley with flowering plants, stand back and ask yourself one simple question:

“Where does my eye naturally go?”

That’s usually where your statement plant belongs.

Repeat your planting

When people visit the nursery, they often fall in love with everything, which is completely understandable, I do too!

But one of my favourite pieces of advice is this:

Resist buying one of everything.

Professional planting schemes almost always repeat the same plants throughout a garden. Choose two or three varieties you genuinely love and plant them generously.

Hydrangeas are one of my favourites for creating instant impact. Their large blooms make borders feel full almost overnight, while salvias provide colour for months and bring movement as they sway in the breeze.

Lavender and verbena soften the edges beautifully, fill the garden with pollinators and create that relaxed, informal feel so many people are looking for.

Even something as simple as matching containers either side of your front door can completely transform the entrance to your home.

Sometimes less really is more.

Don’t forget the senses

A beautiful garden isn’t just something you look at. It’s somewhere you experience. When I’m planning a garden, I’m always thinking about what people will notice without even realising it.

• Fragrant roses beside a seating area.
• Lavender lining a pathway where you’ll brush against it every time you walk past.

• Fresh herbs by the kitchen door that release their scent every time you pick a handful.

Then I think about texture.

• Soft ornamental grasses catching the breeze.
• Ferns unfurling in a shady corner.
• Different leaf shapes sitting happily alongside one another.

And finally, sound.

It might be the gentle trickle of a water feature, gravel crunching under your feet, or simply ornamental grasses dancing in the wind.

Those little details are often what people remember long after they’ve left a garden.

If you’ve only got one weekend…

Don’t overcomplicate it. I’d focus on these five things:

• Plant one statement tree, evergreen or mature shrub to create structure.
• Choose two flowering favourites and repeat them throughout the garden.
• Add scent close to the house with lavender, roses or herbs.
• Mix in ornamental grasses and interesting foliage for texture.
• Finish with compost and a generous layer of mulch to keep moisture in and give borders a beautifully finished look.

My golden rule

After more than twenty years helping people create gardens they’ll love, one thing has never changed.

Plant fewer varieties, but plant them generously.

A garden filled with bold, repeated planting will always look more established than one packed with lots of different plants. And perhaps the nicest thing about gardening is this…

You don’t have to get everything perfect straight away.

Plant one beautiful tree this weekend.

Add a few favourite perennials next month.

Tuck in a few bulbs later in the year.

Gardens aren’t created overnight, they simply become more beautiful with every season.

If you’re not quite sure where to begin, come and see us at Caragh Nurseries. We’d love to help you choose plants that will thrive in your garden for years to come.