Ultimate Guide to Summer Flowers

Gardeners have lots of options when choosing and planting summer flowers, whether in flower beds or containers. Most summer flower plants fall into two main types:

• Annual flowers complete their entire life cycle in just one season. They can be planted any time after the danger of frost has passed, with most summer annuals being planted in spring or early summer. Annuals bloom continuously before dying at the end of the summer.
• Perennial flowers come back year after year. Most will die back to the ground as winter approaches, but their root systems remain dormant underground until the next spring when they awaken and produce new growth. Spring-flowering perennials are planted in the fall while summer or fall-flowering varieties are planted in the spring. Perennials typically produce short bursts of blooms at certain points in the growing season, but they won't always flower the first season after they're planted.

Annuals and perennials live happily together in any garden among other landscape plantings, like trees and shrubs. The number of flower combinations you can create is limited only by your imagination—and your growing conditions, of course!

Though many gardeners consider annuals to be their go-to solution for a flower-filled summer, perennial flowers that bloom all summer long are more common than you'd realize. Many will begin blooming in mid to late summer and continue through fall, like Shasta daisies and black-eyed Susans, striking blue and purple asters, pollinator-friendly purple coneflowers, and stunning yellow-gold Stella D'Oro daylilies. Hardy "Crane's Bill" geraniums in shades of maroon to purple, sunny yellow Sundrop primroses, and spiky blue delphiniums will also bloom for weeks at a time, providing lush, mid-height filler between taller plants and ground covers.

Perennial Flowers that Bloom in Summer:

• Shasta Daisies
• Black-Eyed Susans
• Asters
• Purple Coneflowers
• Daylilies
• Hardy Geraniums
• Primroses
• Delphiniums

Annual flowers, with their never-stop-blooming habit, are an easy way to create a colorful flower garden, either all on their own or in combination with perennials. Sunflowers are the classic summer flower with their large, bold flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. Brightly colored zinnias grow quickly and produce bright, full flowers for cutting. Globe amaranth, in rich shades of purple, grows stalks topped with clover-like, papery globes suitable for cutting and drying. Easy-care petunias, in a dazzling variety of colors and sizes, bloom from May to September and work as a mounded ground cover or a spilling container accent. New Guinea impatiens flower early and aren't too picky about how much sun they're given, from partial shade to full sun. Perky, reliable marigolds brighten up garden edges. Drought-tolerant, multi-colored moss roses creep across the ground and create a pleasing polka-dot effect with their rose-like flowers.

Annual Flowers to Plant in Summer:

• Sunflowers
• Zinnias
• Globe Amaranth
• Petunias
• New Guinea Impatiens
• Marigolds
• Moss Roses

Mix and match annual and perennial summer flower plants to give your flower beds and containers spectacular color, texture, and visual interest that will last the entire season. While a perennial is "resting," annuals can add a pop of color and fill in the gaps until other blooms kick in. You can also use annuals to add color during your perennials' first year in your garden when their blooms may be sparse.

A variety of plant heights, textures, shapes, and colors of blooms will add dimension and interest to your garden. Growing habits, like filling, mounding, spreading, climbing, and spiking, should also be considered when you choose plants. Use your imagination, along with these simple guidelines, to create pleasing, personalized garden landscape designs and container arrangements:

• Place taller plants in the back of your flower beds or containers.
• Fill the central parts of your flower beds and containers with medium-height and mounding plants.
• Use ground covers and plants that like to "creep" or "spill" for the front of your flower beds or containers.
• Plant shorter, more compact flowers as edgings.
• Vary colors—of both blossoms and foliage—throughout your garden.
• Ensure enough space between plants for them to grow and spread during the season.

A garden can be much more than just plants, too. You can also incorporate features, like stones, trees, benches, and paths, as well as decorative elements, such as bird baths, statues, and lighting.