With Father’s Day just around the corner, do you think it’s finally possible that mother nature will turn the heat up and let the sunshine? I think we are all ready for summer to arrive.

I absolutely love being the annual greenhouse manager. Every day I come to work and get to enjoy all the summer color annuals provide throughout the summer and well into the fall season.

Early spring, we have show stoppers like nemesia, osteospermum daisies, petunias, snow princess allysum, and of course the number one favorite PANSIES!!

But, once the summer heat arrives so do the full-on summer colors.

For the best of all summer color, you can choose from a wide array of thriller plants such as:

• Hibiscus, mandevilla, lantana, jasmine,and cannas.

Next, choose a great filler plant:

• Angelonia, verbena, pentas, gazanias, vermillionare, ageratum, geraniums, lantana, new guinea, and sun impatiens just to name a few. Oh, and we can’t forget diamond frost my all-time favorite.

And last we need a great creeping/spiller plant.

• Petunias, million bells, verbena, lantana, vinca flower, bacopa, lobelia, and even though they don’t flower also Lysimachia and sweet potato vine add great contrast in color against the foliage of all the flowers.

Whether the annual color is in your garden or in pots on your patio any combination of the plants mentioned above will have you saying, IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE. “ L.O.L “

Everyone loves to watch this beautiful bird. There are many ways to attract them to your yard.

Let’s start with hummingbird feeders. There are feeders for hanging or with suction cups to attach to your window. Some come with a built-in ant moat or you can buy them separately to keep the ants out of the nectar.

One of the most important things to remember is to change your nectar every 3-5 days before it begins to ferment. The weather can affect how long it will take. When the nectar begins to get slightly cloudy it is time to make the change. Remember to clean the feeder when you change the nectar. A quick wash with hot water will do.

Now the best place to hang them… place them in a spot where you can enjoy them. You need to know they are territorial and are not really into sharing. Hang additional feeders close to each other and you will attract multiple hummingbirds at a time. This limits his (yes, the males are the worst) ability to hog more than one feeder.

There are many plants that attract hummingbirds. Here a few of our favorite perennials: Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, and all varieties of Penstemon and Agastache. Add these plants around your feeder and hummingbirds are even more likely to pay you a visit.

Enjoy your hummingbirds!

Elaine Blackstone