By Jennifer Poindexter
When you plant flowers, wouldn’t it be nice to have some which bloom all summer long? You can accomplish this with annuals that thrive from consistent deadheading or when practicing succession planting.
Remember, succession planting is when you sow seeds every two to four weeks to keep consistent blooms in your garden plot or container garden.
If this sounds ideal for your landscaping ideas, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled a list of options for annual flowers which bloom all summer.
Allow these suggestions to guide and help craft your ideal look for your home over the summer months. Here is a list of annuals which will bloom around your home the entire summer:
1. Tuberous Begonias
Tuberous begonias are bright flowers which add a lot of beauty to their surroundings. The blooms are layered like roses to add a classic look to your garden plot. However, be sure to plant these begonias early enough. In most cases, the tubers should be planted in February, so the plants will begin to bloom in June and last through the fall.
These plants thrive in areas of filtered sunlight and are great for adding color to darker corners of your yard or patio. Tuberous begonias prefer morning sunlight and do require well-draining soil.
2. Zinnias
Zinnias are hard to miss due to their beautiful layered blooms and bright color options. If you need a way to brighten up the landscaping in your yard, don’t overlook zinnias. These gorgeous flowers grow best in areas of full sun and can bloom in partial sunlight if grown in a warmer climate. In extremely warm areas, it’s wise to provide afternoon shade to these flowers. Ensure their growing location has rich soil that drains adequately.
When supplied with proper care and growing conditions, you can expect zinnias to bloom about two months after planting. This flower may require succession planting to keep continuous blooms from the middle of summer through September.
3. Vincas
Vincas are mounding flowers that create lush foliage and small, colorful blooms. These flowers produce a simple yet elegant look.
Therefore, if you’d like to keep your landscape on the traditional side, this could be a great option for you. Vincas grow best in areas with full sunlight and well-draining, loamy soil. You should expect to see blooms from these flowers from the early portion of summer until the first fall frost.
4. Sweet Alyssum
Would you like to grow a flower that creates traditional foliage and small clusters of blooms? This could be the plant for you. Sweet alyssum is a forgiving plant as it can grow in an array of soil types.
However, be sure to provide soil that’s consistently damp and drains adequately. If provided adequate conditions, sweet alyssum should bloom throughout the entire summer. Some varieties are even tolerant of frost and will bloom in spring and fall.
5. Impatiens Walleriana
There are many varieties of impatiens. This option is the original variety from Africa. It’s used to make the different variations of this flower. If you’d like to grow an original, don’t overlook this option with its small green foliage and colorful blooms.
This plant blooms from June until the first fall frost and produces colors such as lilac, orange, white, pink, and multicolor. Be sure to provide these flowers with well-draining soil and full to partial shade.
6. Dahlia
Dahlias produce large blooms with layered angled petals. If you need a showy flower, don’t overlook this option as it blooms for approximately four months.
However, you must provide adequate growing conditions and care to see these blooms. Dahlias thrive from being fertilized with a low-nitrogen fertilizer once per month. They also need a growing location with full, direct sun.
7. Sunflowers
If you’re looking for an annual that blooms all summer, don’t overlook sunflowers. They come in many sizes, varieties, and colors. Whether you need a traditional, tall sunflower or something with darker colors and a shorter stem, there’s a sunflower for you.
But it’s vital that you supply what these flowers need to be able to enjoy their beauty. Sunflowers need full sunlight and soil that’s loose and well-draining. Also, ensure the flowers are provided adequate space. If cared for properly, sunflowers should bloom from summer through fall. However, you must practice succession planting of different varieties to enjoy prolonged blooming.
8. Spider Flower
Spider flowers grow on the end of thick stems with many offshoots. These shoots are what cause the bloom to resemble a spider.
If you’re interested in growing a unique flower, be sure to supply what this plant needs. Spider flowers grow best in full sunlight and well-draining soil. They also produce blooms from summer until the first frost of fall. These plants grow densely and typically become about a foot wide.
9. Geraniums
Geraniums are wonderful plants for a container garden. They take on a bushier shape and produce small, colorful blooms which form larger clusters.
If you’re in the market for a traditional flower to brighten up your landscape or patio, geraniums could be for you. These flowers thrive in areas with ample sunlight and well-draining soil. When provided appropriate conditions, they bloom from spring until the first frost of fall.
10. Moss Rose
Be sure you check this flower out prior to planting as it’s not your traditional rose. Moss rose plants produce thick blooms similar to a marigold. Should you choose to add this flower to your landscape, be sure to supply a growing area with ample sunlight and well-draining soil.
This plant is forgiving of soil types, so don’t worry about your soil as long as water can quickly drain away from the plant. You can expect moss roses to bloom from summer until the first fall frost. Plus, these plants require zero deadheading.
11. Petunias
Petunias are another great way to liven up your home around the summer. These plants come in multiple varieties and colors. However, be sure you provide adequate care to your petunias to prolong their blooms.
These flowers do best when grown in full sun and well-draining soil. They need regular deadheading to encourage continuous blooms, but if provided proper care, they should bloom until the first fall frost.
12. Ageratum
Ageratum produces wispy blue blooms to add a pop of color and texture to their surroundings. These plants grow well in containers or when planted in the ground.
Should you decide this is the plant for you, be sure to supply a sunny growing location with damp, well-draining soil. When cared for properly, you should expect ageratum to bloom from the end of spring until fall.
13. Sweet Pea Vine
The sweet pea vine produces unique, layered blooms in multiple colors. It’s a great way to add a pop of color to your garden area.
However, you must care for these flowers properly to receive their full beauty. These flowers should bloom from spring through summer as long as they’re grown in an area with ample sunlight and damp, well-draining soil.
14. Cosmos
Do you prefer to create a natural, wildflower look around your home instead of smaller, more traditional flowers? If so, cosmos could be for you.
These flowers range in height from two to five feet tall. They produce brightly colored blooms at the end of their long stems. Cosmos grow best in areas with full sun, well-draining soil, and where weeds are kept under control. Expect cosmos to bloom from early summer until the first frost of fall.
15. Mandevillas
Mandevillas come in different varieties. You may grow the vining type or the bush variety of mandevilla. Either way, they’re a great option for summer as they love warm weather.
Plus, these flowers thrive in full sunlight and well-draining soil. Expect these plants to produce on-going blooms from the last part of spring until the first fall frost.
16. Calibrachoas
Calibrachoas also goes by the name million bells. This gorgeous plant produces many small, cup-shaped blooms in various colors. It’s a great flower for containers, window boxes, or for inground garden plots.
Plus, this plant is forgiving. It prefers to grow in areas with damp, well-draining soil that’s high in nutrients. This plant also prefers full sun. However, it can also grow in areas with partial shade and even tolerate small periods of drought. If you provide all this plant needs, expect it to bloom the entire summer.
17. Scaevola
I don’t know about you, but I like to grow flowers with unique appearances around my home. It provides curb appeal while also encouraging my house to stand out a little bit.
If you’d like a unique flower, don’t overlook scaevola. These plants create broad, brightly colored blooms. They grow best in areas with full to partial sunlight, and they love a climate that’s hot and dry. Scaevola should bloom from summer until the first frost of fall.
18. Poppy Flower
Poppy flowers come in various colors. They have bright outer blooms with a dark center. These flowers grow on the end of long stems and are great for flower beds or as a border plant.
When growing poppy flowers, be sure to provide a location with ample sunlight and well-draining soil. You can expect poppies to bloom all summer, but they do require succession planting as each rotation will only bloom for seven to fourteen days.
19. Angelface Blue Angelonia
Angelface blue Angelonia is a beautiful plant with richly colored blooms. This plant works well in large containers or window boxes. You may also plant it in the ground.
As you prepare an adequate growing location for this flower choose a location with at least six hours of sunlight. This is what keeps the plant blooming over the summer months. When grown in areas with too much shade, the plants become spindly and don’t produce as many blooms.
20. Marigolds
Marigolds are another wonderful annual which bloom all summer. These plants are low-maintenance, come in a variety of colors, and are great for keeping pests out of your garden.
When growing marigolds, pick a location with plenty of sunlight and well-draining soil. Aside from watering the plant regularly, it doesn’t need much. You should expect marigolds to bloom from summer until the frost sets in during the fall.
21. New Guinea Impatiens
New guinea impatiens supply the same bright colors, sweet flowers, and green foliage that attracts most gardeners to most varieties of impatiens. This variety tends to be more tolerant of sunlight while less tolerant to drought.
Therefore, ensure you supply what these plants need if you expect them to bloom from spring through fall. In some climates, they’ll even bloom in winter. New guinea impatiens thrive in areas of partial sunlight and well-draining, consistently watered soil.
22. Pentas
Pentas are gorgeous plants that produce vibrant foliage and small, colorful blooms which form into larger clusters of blooms. If you’d like a traditional but colorful flower around your home, consider growing this option.
Be sure to provide a growing location with plenty of bright lighting and well-draining soil. However, this plant isn’t particular about soil type. Also, pentas bloom the entire summer as long as they’re watered and fertilized adequately.
23. Verbena
Verbena is another flower that produces brightly colored blooms in clusters. If you like this look, verbena could be a great option for you.
Ensure you provide verbena with ample sunlight, an inch of water per week, and well-draining soil. In return, you should expect these plants to bloom from spring through fall.
24. Celosia Spicata
Celosia comes in multiple varieties. Some grow in wispy triangle shapes and bloom in bright colors. Other varieties grow vertically and resemble a colorful cat tail.
No matter the variety you choose, ensure the plant grows in a location with plenty of sunlight and well-draining soil. In return, these plants should bloom from the early portion of summer until the middle of fall.
25. Salvias
Salvia is another flower which grows colorful, vertical blooms. This plant mounds and produces vibrant green foliage. Out of the foliage stands gorgeous erect blooms that are sure to draw attention.
If you’d like to grow this flower, be sure to plant it in a location with full sunlight and well-draining soil. In return, salvia should bloom in shifts. It typically blooms in early summer. If you cut the plant back after it stops blooming, it should bloom again in the fall. You can also keep blooms forming by deadheading the plant regularly.
You now have twenty-five different options for annual flowers that bloom throughout summer. These options have similar growing conditions and tend to produce plenty of color for the summer months.
Now, it’s your turn to begin taking this information and creating a look you love. Know which plants you can provide the right growing conditions and think you’ll enjoy most. Then start planting to create a gorgeous oasis of flowers around your home.
Learn More About Summer Annual Flowers
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6629
https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2005/growannualflowers.shtml
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/annual-flowers.html
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