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In summer it is not easy to find plants that keep their flowers through the whole season, except for yearly flowers, certain climbing ones and some trees or shrubs.
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One the best small trees for this time of year is the crepe myrtle, whose flowers range from white to pink to fuchsia and mauve, depending on the variety.
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Bushes known for their long blooming time and which are evergreen (giving structure) include: - Escallonia (Escallaonia macrantha): its tube-shaped flowers, in pink, white and fuchsia, are small but abundant. - Abelia (Abelia sp.): has an exceptionally long blooming period, with flowers white to pink. - Oleander (Nerium oleander):� easy to care for, with constant blooming until the first frost. Has an even wider range of colors than the flowers mentioned above: white, orange, off-white, salmon, pink and fuchsia.
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These deciduous shrubs are also very pretty: - Magic carpet (Spiraea bumalda): if you trim away the dead flowers, they bloom again. - Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus): one of the best late-blooming shrubsm, with single or double blossoms and a wide range of colors. - Rose bushes: they bloom well and are resistant to diseases.
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Among climbing plants there are several species that bloom from spring to autumn: - Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides): white or blue flower with a yellow stamen. - Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans): known for its large, trumpet-shaped blossoms with bright colors. - Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea sp.): bright colors, depending on the species, although sensitive to frost.
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Among flowering plants, be they perennial or seasonal, goods ones include dahlias, surfinias, marigolds, alisum, verbenas, Sweet William and in shady areas, touch-me-nots and begonias.
There are techniques which encourage and prolong blooming: - Plant the species in the right place in the right kind of soil; many flowering plants bloom less if planted in shady areas. ������������������������������������������������������� - Strip away dead flowers. You will thus spare the plant from wasting energy producing non-ornamental fruit. - Fertilise adequately with a product rich in phosphorous and potassium, measuring the dosis carefully. It's best to use too little than too much. - Don't get the flowers wet, as sprinklers cause flowers to wither sooner. - Clip end buds so that the side ones will bloom, thus increasing the number of blooming buds.
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