Alex Calamia

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Jul 22, 2026, 6:39 AM

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Updated

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Most gardeners do the bulk of their plant shopping in the spring, but if you're looking for flowers and shrubs that look great in the heat of the summer, you could be disappointed by those early blooming selections. We visit Greg Picca's garden this week. He's the owner of GP Landscape Design in Center Moriches, NY where they use carefully selected plants and pruning techniques to make this garden look great all year long.

How to Design your Garden

One of the easiest ways to create a landscape that looks great year-round is to start with structure. Greg recommends building your garden around evergreen shrubs like boxwoods, then layering in long-blooming and low growing plants such as Nepeta (also known as cat mint) carpet roses, hydrangeas, allium, calla lilies, and compact flowering shrubs like 'Little Princess' spirea for continuous seasonal color.

When and How to Prune

A perfectly shaped boxwood hedge doesn't happen by accident. Greg says one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is using powered hedge trimmers for every pruning. At GP Landscaping, boxwoods are hand-pruned with shears to create cleaner cuts and healthier growth while avoiding the browning that can occur with aggressive mechanical trimming. Pair that with a slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring, and your boxwoods will stay fuller and greener throughout the season.

Hydrangeas need attention in summer, too, especially if deer are common in your neighborhood. Greg recommends using both liquid and granular deer repellents, noting that applying granular repellent directly around and on the plants has produced excellent results for his clients.

Summer is also the perfect time to tidy up flowering shrubs like Spirea, Limelight Hydrangeas, and many other mid-late summer bloomers. These shrubs can handle a hard prune in early spring if you need to keep them a more manageable size.. However, a light pruning after the blooms fade will tidy up the plant and encourage a few more blooms on plants like Spirea and Nepeta.

'Little Princess' Spirea is a great variety for those looking for a compact shrub. This cultivar is loved for its soft pink flowers and manageable size, making it ideal for foundation plantings and smaller landscapes. If you're looking for brighter foliage, yellow-leaved spirea varieties like 'Goldmound' and 'Goldflame' offer vibrant golden leaves that add color even when they're not in bloom.

A beautiful summer landscape isn't about planting more—it's about maintaining what you already have. Strategic pruning, healthy evergreens, and carefully selected flowering plants can keep your yard looking fresh well into fall.

Seek a professional

If landscape design or pruning doesn't spark joy, leave it to the professionals to help. GP Landscape Design in Center Moriches, NY specializes in custom landscape design, expert pruning, seasonal maintenance, and year-round landscape care. Owner Greg Picca has more than 25 years of experience and combines practical horticultural knowledge with thoughtful design to create outdoor spaces that stay beautiful through every season.