A Gardener’s Guide to Summer Flowers: When and What to Plant

The birds are chirping, there’s the gentle hum of bees in the background, and flowers are blooming everywhere. Is there any better season to start or work on a garden?

If you wish to know more about summer flowers, you are in the right place. Below, you can find a gardener’s guide to summer flowers and all you need to know about the right flowers to plant for your summer garden. 

A Gardener’s Guide to Summer Flowers

Summer flowers come in a variety of colors and sizes, making them great additions to any garden. 

Now the question is, which summer flowers will be the best fit for your garden? Worry not weary gardener, in this gardener’s guide to summer flowers, we will cover:

·   The difference between perennial and annual flowers

·   Examples of flowers that bloom all summer vs. flowers that bloom all year

·   The easiest and most difficult summer flowers to grow

Zinnias: These beautiful, fast-growing flowers are easy to grow and will add a burst of color to your garden up until autumn.

What Flowers Will Bloom All Summer?

So what is the difference between an annual and a perennial flower? One answer lies in their lifespan. An annual flower’s life cycle typically lasts only one season and does not grow back, whereas perennial flowers return year after year. However, while perennials return even after dying, they typically have shorter lifespans than annual flowers.

The secret to a beautiful and long-lasting summer garden is a combination of annuals and perennial flowers. Here are a few examples of annual flowers with long bloom periods:

·   Zinnias: These beautiful, fast-growing flowers are easy to grow and will add a burst of color to your garden up until autumn.

·   Petunias: These colorful flowers have a long flowering period so you can enjoy them throughout summer. They make great border flowers and will add a pop of beauty and color to your garden. 

·   Begonias: These flowers come in several varieties and can be categorized by their root structures. These flowers come in several different colors and should be planted in partial or filtered sunlight for the best results.

You may be wondering, is it too late to plant flowers in July? The answer is no. You can add perennial flowers to your garden in July to create a beautiful garden that is in bloom for the remainder of summer. You can plant these flowers at the beginning of summer.

Here is a list of perennial flowers that bloom all summer:

·   Valerian: You can expect to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies with this flower due to its sweet vanilla and clove scent. 

·   Lilac: This hardy shrub will also attract butterflies to your garden with its fragrance. These blooms will range in colors of white, cream, pink and yellow.  

·   Hydrangea: This plant produces plentiful blooms and comes in plenty of colors for your garden. 

Hydrangea: This plant produces plentiful blooms and comes in plenty of colors for your garden. 

What Are the Easiest Flowers to Grow?

Maybe you do not have much time to garden, or you are simply new at gardening. If you need summer flowers that are low maintenance, these are the flowers for you. 

Here are a few of the easiest flowers you can grow in your summer garden:

·   Lavender: This perennial plant is low-maintenance and easy to grow since it requires minimal water and thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. 

·   Butterfly Bush: These hardy shrubs require little maintenance and can survive even in harsh environments. This means even if you live in a polluted urban setting, your butterfly bush will continue to thrive. They are perennial plants, so while they die in the winter, they will come back the next year. 

·   Denver Daisy: Also known as Black-Eyed Susan, these beautiful annual flowers are easy to grow since they only need well-drained soil, a spot where they get full sun, and only medium moisture. These flowers can also tolerate droughts once they are established in your garden. 

Difficult But Beautiful Flowers to Grow

If you do not mind a little bit of a challenge when growing your summer flowers, here are an additional few flowers you can add to your summer garden:

·   Gardenia: These perennial, ornamental shrubs need to be watered regularly, prefer soil that is well-drained and acidic, and should be kept in partial shade. You will also need to prune the bush to keep it tidy and in good condition. 

·   Dahlia: These flowers are tender perennials, and need at least six hours of sunlight per day and lots of water. They also need nutrient-rich soil but will produce very few flowers if the soil is too rich in nitrogen. 

·   Delphiniums: These perennial flowers are prone to illness and fungus problems, so they need plenty of sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, and need to be deadheaded after their first bloom.

Delphiniums: These perennial flowers are prone to illness and fungus problems, so they need plenty of sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, and need to be deadheaded after their first bloom.

Share Your Summer Garden to Social Media

Fill your garden with a combination of annuals and perennials such as zinnias, petunias, and hydrangeas. If you are up for the challenge, try your hand at planting some gardenias and dahlias. Otherwise, plants like lavender and the butterfly bush are easy to grow and require very little effort on your part. 

Including any of these flowers in your garden? Share your summer garden pictures online and tag us! We would love to see your picture!