Yay it’s June, can we now say it’s officially summer? (Looking at today’s miserable weather, perhaps not) however the summer season has definitely started in terms of flowers. As we wave goodbye to the ranunculus (which I found very hard to do) we say hello to an array of beauties that come with the summer months, some of them I thought I would share with you today in my summer flower guide.

Aquilegia, such a pretty delicate looking flower which I only came across very recently at the flower market. It flowers in May & as a cut flower I have spotted it in the beautiful purple tone as pictured below, white & a dusky pink colour. However as a garden flower there is a wide array of varieties & colours available. Despite their fragile appearance they make a great cut flower, they have a good vase life & the stems are hardy too. I mixed this shade in with a bright summery colour pallet I was working on a few weeks ago (pictured below) which also included sunflowers they season from late summer through to autumn.

Astilbe, another of my favourite flowers I think because of it’s soft fluffy texture the blush pink shade below reminds me of candy floss. Astilbe is also available in white and a deeper raspberry red shade which I used in the above medley. For a romantic feel mix blush Astilbe with other pastel shades and delicate varieties such as nigella, sweet peas & blowsy peonies.

Scabiosa, although the name may not sound particularly appealing the flower however is very pretty. Available in white, lilac & a deeper burgundy shade actually known as ‘black scabious’. This pretty flower looks great if you would like your arrangements to have a more natural feel to them & would look equally elegant on their own with just a couple of stems placed in medicine bottles. The lilac/blue shade is perfect if your going for a soft blue colour pallet.

Hydrangeas, you know summer has arrived when the hydrangeas come into season. The Colombian varieties tend to be available all year round but there heads are not as big as those grown in Holland and of course here in Britain. What is so fantastic about hydrangeas (besides their giant blowsy heads) the vast variety of shades available is incredible from; pale blush pinks to fushia to raspberry reds, sky blue, lilac, purple, white, green to the two tone varieties which I personally adore. Hydrangeas are fantastic if your keen to create a statement. They work well in tall arrangements & in large urns, mix with roses for a truly romantic feel.

My favoruite flower shows it face during the summer months, sweet pea. I just can’t get enough of their light summery fragrance and delicate ruffle like petals. The choice of colours is remarkable from all different shades of pink to peach, lilac, burgundy, red, plum to two tone shades such as this pink ombre tone pictured below.

Peonies, you didn’t think I would do a blog post on summer flowers & forget the star of the show? Yes I am pleased to say that Peony season is upon us, their peak season tends to be from May through until July. For us florists they can be one of our biggest headaches. Sleepless nights worrying if they will open in time for our wedding or event to having the opposite problem on hot summer days of them ‘blowing’ open to quickly, lots of maneuvering to warm & cool locations depending on the dilemma but my are they worth it. There is no denying how utterly beautiful they are. The pink Sarah Bernhardt variety tends to be popular among weddings, it’s handy to note that not all varieties carry a delicious scent. Like the Coral Charm peony (pictured below) for example, one of my favourites for it’s gorgeous colour however it unfortunately doesn’t have the captivating scent to match.

The flower fusion below captures the essence of summer with the riot of bright colours & the summer varieties included; peonies, sweet peas, astilbe, clematis & dahlia’s to name just a few.

I hope you have found today’s summer flower guide useful, any questions just ask hopefully I can help you with the answer. What’s your favourite summer flower & why?