Early Summer Superstars

Make room for these May and June flowering beauties

- Chris Morley

Floral fillers

In early summer, gardens can fall into a lull – the spring bulbs have faded and many herbaceous perennials are still to bloom. But there are options to fill the gap, ensuring your beds and containers are full of colour and scent. Bees and other pollinators will thank you for it, too, as this can be a time when nectar is scarce.

Sun seekers

Add a glittering splash of blue to a sunny corner with annual cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus). A favourite of butterflies and bees, the flowers are edible, and make a pretty garnish for salads and cakes. As well as blue, cornflowers come in jewelled colours, such as amethyst, raspberry red and deep maroon, plus pastel shades.

Other option are field poppies or the California poppy (