By Sarina Dellinger
For the Salisbury Post

As spring moves into summer, the gardening tasks really begin to take off. Between watering, weeding, mowing and repairs, it often feels like there’s hardly a moment to savor the fruits of your labor. Through this article, I hope to encourage you to take a short walk around Hurley Park or your own yard and revel in the beauty of the plants. I will also highlight some of the stars of the early summer garden here at Hurley Park.

I have to start with one of my favorite plants throughout any season, the oak leaf hydrangea. Blooming across Hurley Park now is the oakleaf hydrangea which really stands out in the early summer garden. It can easily fit into a woodland style garden, used for light screening or even as a foundational shrub. Its flowers retain their beauty well into the summer, and as they dry, they remain on the shrub, adding visual interest even into the winter months.

The gardenia, a quintessential Southern summer plant, often announces its presence with its sweet fragrance wafting through the air on warm days. With the rainy spring we’ve experienced, the gardenias around Hurley Park are thriving this year. My favorite one is in the Rochelle garden. This garden is nearby the large gazebo and includes a trash can, which the gardenia does a great job of masking in more ways than one! Definitely take time this spring to stop and smell the gardenias.

Another standout plant that flourishes with the arrival of warmer days is the Stokes’ aster. This showy perennial puts on a spectacular display, lasting long enough for even the busiest gardener to appreciate. As a self-sowing perennial, you may discover it popping up in various areas of the garden over time. At Hurley Park, you can find it adorning many gardens, thriving in both full sun and light shade. The easiest place to enjoy it is in the Lib and Ed Taylor Garden where it mingles with the best of all the sunny summer blooms.

Follow our Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC for updates about the park. If you would like to donate to Hurley Park, visit our website at salisburync.gov/hurleypark. If you have any additional questions or would like to book the park for an event, please give us a call at 704-638-5298.

Sarina Dellinger is public garden supervisor for Salisbury Parks and Recreation.