As hot as it is, it’s a wonder there’s a flower alive in all of Severna Park.  But wait…there are lots. Phlox, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, daisies, mallows.  All over manicured yards and even in some not so manicured, summer’s floral beauty abounds. 

This fall or next spring, when thinking perennials for your full-sun landscaping, remember how these stunners looked in the dead heat of July.  Maybe they are what you need to pick up at Meadows Farms or Homestead or Gary’s Gardens so that you can enjoy vistas like these from your living room windows next year. 

Vinca, an annual in several shades, is stunning right now. Chartwell Country Club's display is breathtaking as you drive up to their main
building. Several area homes are fortunate to still have their front yards speckled in day lilies – a local favorite. Varieties range from deep reds to the brightest of yellows. And they are very low maintenance.

Shade is all you have? That can be a bit tougher for getting color with perennial choices.  Annuals tend to be what offers the most summertime spice to shade gardens, with impatiens leading the color parade.  Variegated hosta and feathery ferns grow happily through moss in one Severna Park back yard. Not much color there, except for about a week a year when the hosta are a-blossom. Note to self and others: snip off ugly dead spikes after hosta bloom.

Check with your local nurseries and begin to plan for next year. In the meantime, take in the beauty as you drive through our local streets and neighborhoods.

Better yet, save gas and click on Severnapark.patch.com for a slide show of beautiful flora in our neck of the woods.