Summer is my favorite time of year! As the last whispers of winter fade away and spring breathes new life into our surroundings, I start to think about hanging out in my yard, getting my garden ready, and spending time in nature.
It’s not just me. People everywhere begin to envision the possibilities that lie in their outdoor spaces. The transition from spring to summer offers a great opportunity to refresh your landscape with designs that will shine throughout the warmer months ahead. Whether you’re looking to create a peaceful retreat, boost your home’s curb appeal, or establish a more sustainable outdoor environment, these 6 landscaping ideas will help transform your yard into a vibrant oasis that carries you beautifully from spring into the height of summer.
Create a Transitional Bloom Schedule
One of the most rewarding aspects of thoughtful landscaping is designing a garden that provides continuous color throughout the seasons. As spring flowers begin to fade, you want to ensure your landscape doesn’t lose its vibrancy. Consider implementing a transitional bloom schedule by selecting plants that flower at different times.
I am not a huge flowers person. But, each year I try to add more perennials so that I do not have to put much thought into them while I’m busy in my veggie garden.
Add in some spring classics like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths that will bloom in early spring with their bold colors. As these begin to fade, introduce plants that bridge the gap between spring and summer. Alliums, with their whimsical purple globes, create visual interest while late-blooming azaleas and rhododendrons continue the color show. For the summer months ahead, incorporate perennials like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and daylilies that will carry your garden through the hottest days with minimal maintenance.
Planting in layers also ensures visual interest throughout the seasons. Start with a foundation of evergreens that provide structure year-round, add mid-height flowering shrubs, and finish with perennials and annuals that can be changed seasonally. This approach creates depth and dimension while ensuring that as one plant concludes its show, another is ready to take center stage.
Establish Outdoor Living Zones
As temperatures rise, our outdoor spaces become extensions of our homes. Creating distinct outdoor living zones allows you to maximize functionality while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your landscape. Identify your local landscaping garden center, talk to the specialists there, and consider dividing your yard into areas for dining, relaxation, play, and gardening.
Start by evaluating your family’s needs and the natural features of your property. In my yard, we have 4 zones for hanging out. On our patio we have a table for eating, a gazebo with furniture for chillin, chairs around the fire pit for cooler nights, and a swing in front of garden for relaxing and watching the plants.
Pay special attention to transitional areas between zones. Arbors covered in climbing roses or clematis create enchanting entryways, while stepping stones through groundcover plants offer both functionality and charm. Adding outdoor lighting extends the usability of these spaces into the evening hours, particularly valuable as summer days lengthen and outdoor entertaining peaks.
Incorporate Water Features
Few elements add as much tranquility to a landscape as water. From the gentle sound of a bubbling fountain to the reflective quality of a still pond, water features create focal points that engage multiple senses. As spring transitions to summer, water elements also provide cooling relief from rising temperatures.
Water features need not be elaborate or expensive. Even a small recirculating fountain or a compact container water garden can make a significant impact. Consider a wall fountain attached to an existing structure, a freestanding birdbath that attracts wildlife, or a series of connected basins creating a gentle waterfall effect.
For those with more space and resources, a pond with water plants and fish adds tremendous ecological value to your landscape. Water lilies, lotus, and marginal plants like iris and rush create a self-sustaining ecosystem that evolves throughout the growing season. Just remember that most water features require some maintenance, particularly during the hottest months when evaporation increases and algae growth may accelerate.
Design for Drought Resilience
Climate consciousness continues to influence landscape design, and designing for water efficiency doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty. In fact, drought-tolerant landscaping can be extraordinarily vibrant and requires significantly less maintenance during the summer months when water restrictions may be in effect.
Begin by grouping plants with similar water needs together, a practice known as hydrozoning. Near your home or in high-visibility areas, you might choose moderate water-users, while transitioning to more drought-resistant options farther out. Consider replacing portions of traditional lawn with alternatives like clover, microclover, or native grasses that require less water and mowing.
Incorporate hardscaping elements like decorative gravel, natural stone, or permeable pavers to reduce the total planted area while adding texture and interest. When selecting plants, turn to native species adapted to your local rainfall patterns, along with Mediterranean climate plants that thrive in dry summers. Lavender, sage, rosemary, yarrow, and ornamental grasses not only survive with minimal irrigation but provide color, fragrance, and movement throughout the hottest months.
Add Vertical Elements
As we move from spring to summer, expanding your landscape visually upward creates dimension and maximizes limited space. Vertical gardening draws the eye upward, making even small yards feel more expansive while providing opportunities to grow more plants in less square footage.
Trellises, arbors, and pergolas offer immediate vertical structure while supporting climbing plants like clematis, jasmine, and climbing roses. As these plants mature through spring, they’ll create dappled shade and stunning floral displays by summer. Vertical succulent gardens mounted on sunny walls provide drought-resistant greenery with minimal footprint.
Don’t overlook the impact of trees in creating vertical interest. Fast-growing varieties like paper birch, river birch, or certain Japanese maples can add height within just a few seasons while providing valuable shade during summer’s heat. Columnar trees like Italian cypress or fastigiate oak varieties create dramatic vertical lines without spreading widely, perfect for smaller properties or property boundaries.
Embrace Edible Landscaping
The grow-your-own movement continues to gain momentum, and integrating edibles into your ornamental landscape offers rewards beyond mere aesthetics. Spring is the perfect time to establish food-producing plants that will yield harvests as summer progresses.
Move beyond the traditional vegetable garden by incorporating edibles throughout your landscape. Blueberry bushes offer spring flowers, summer fruit, and spectacular fall foliage. Dwarf fruit trees like peach, apple, or fig create beautiful spring blossoms before producing summer treats. Herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage function as ornamental perennials while providing culinary essentials.
For seasonal color, consider replacing traditional annual flowers with edible alternatives. Rainbow chard, red-veined sorrel, and purple basil offer comparable visual impact to ornamental plants while providing fresh ingredients for summer meals. Edible flowers like nasturtiums, pansies, and borage add unexpected delight to salads and desserts while brightening borders and containers.
As we transition from the gentle awakening of spring into summer’s full expression, these landscaping ideas offer possibilities for creating outdoor spaces that evolve with the seasons. The key is working with nature’s rhythms rather than against them, selecting plants and features that will thrive as temperatures rise while creating spaces that invite you to fully experience the outdoor world. With thoughtful planning now, your landscape can provide months of enjoyment ahead—a living canvas that continues to unfold new beauty as spring blossoms give way to summer’s abundant growth.
Leave a Reply