12 Flowers for a Summer Garden - Beautiful Plants That Bloom All Summer Long
Hello, dear readers! It has been a while since my last post. I decided to take a break for the last two weeks and truly enjoy the best of summer. Especially with the last 18 months we've all had, it's important to step away from work, recharge and relax.
I'm thankful that our city has started to open up and we can once again enjoy
meals out with friends, time at the beach, and really just being outdoors.
That's what summer is all about, isn't it?
One fun thing I enjoyed was a visit with my friend John. He lives on a farm
near our cottage and grows plants. This summer, he was ambitious and in the
early spring he planted well over 100 varieties of seeds and seedlings in his
meadow garden.
Flowers for a Cutting Garden
I'm a beginner gardener with a
small cutting garden
at my own home. It was so helpful to me to hear about what varieties make
great cut flowers, what tasks to undertake in late spring and early summer
to maximize our short growing season, and the best plants for our area (this
farm is in zone 5b).
And while I don't know a lot about gardening, I know I was inspired just to see these gorgeous summer flowers and check out what he's planted. His plan was to use this as a cutting garden and sell arrangements, though in the end, that proved a bit too much work so he's been giving the flowers away to family and friends (lucky us!).
Pin this post for next summer, if you want to plan flowers for your garden and
click through this Instagram reel to see this tour in video form.
Perennial and Annual Plants
Plant selection is key to creating a summer garden that will burst with a wide range of colors from early summer to late fall. You'll see that this summer flower garden is well organized and planned with rows of different types of plants.
Some are showy flowers with long stems and large blooms while others are flower clusters that sit low to the ground. There are many different colors, from white flowers to purple flowers.
Though some of these are perennial flowers (like the Black Eyed Susan), John grows them as an annual plant. He will dig up and remove all the plants at the end of the season. For some, like the dahlias, he will keep the tubers and replant them in the spring. Knowing that many of these great flowers will disappear by early fall makes them even more precious.
Best Summer Flowers
Looking for plants that produce abundant and colorful blooms? These 15 flowers bloom in the summer months and are sure to cheer up your garden bed.
Feverfew
These small white and yellow daisy-like flowers grow in a compact mound shape. They are beautiful as a cut flower as their tiny flower heads are a great way to add filler to an arrangement of larger blooms.
Zinnia
Zinnias are one of the most popular summer flowers. Not only do they come in brilliant colors, but they require little care and are low maintenance. They have a long bloom time, from early summer to first frost, and are unsurpassed as fresh cut flowers.
Yarrow
Tall with masses of long-lasting attractive flowers, yarrow is a hardy
plant that does best in direct sunlight. They make a great filler for cut
arrangements.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are an easy plant to grow. These summer bloomers are a
great plant for cutting gardens as they feature tall stems and come in
a wide array of colors.
Globe Amaranth
This variety of amaranth is a tropical annual that features
globe-shaped blossoms in a variety of colors. It's compact shape makes
it ideal for garden beds, borders, and rock gardens. Similar to the
strawflower, it features paper-like tubular bracts instead of petals.
It's drought tolerant and can even thrive in dry soil.
Black-Eyed Susan
Also known as Rudbeckia hirta, these plants come in different
heights, colors, and forms. They are a member of the sunflower
family and similar daisy-like flowers. They feature an intense
autumnal palette of yellows and orange flower colors that look
striking in arrangements.
Salvia Greggii (Autumn Sage)
A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, Salvia greggii is a
flowering shrub that works well as a perennial border or long hedge.
It does well in hot climates and full sun.
Strawflower
Strawflower can bring a wide variety of colors and texture to your
garden. The petals feel papery and work well in dried flower
arrangements. They are also a good candidate for container gardens,
hanging baskets, or border plants around a front porch.
Verbena
Purpletop vervain or tall verbena, whatever you call it, there is no
missing this plant. It is a perennial with an upright and open form,
and towers over your other plants. Grown in full sun, it has
clusters of flowers that appear in late spring and attract
butterflies. Planted en masse, it's a beautiful border plant.
China Aster Matsumoto Mix
China Asters are hardy plants which make them an excellent choice
for a cutting garden. They feature strong stalks and flowers in
shades of pink, blue, red, and white around a yellow center.
Amaranth
This edible plant produces bountiful seed heads on top of tall stalks.
The long trailing stalks are great for vertical flower arrangements
and can hang or drape around the bottom of the container. This garden
features amaranth in a golden and a deep maroon which are a wonderful
addition to bring color to a garden bed.
Dahlias
At the far end of John's garden were my favourite plants, the
dahlias. He planted dozens of varieties and they thrived in the full
sun. I bought some dahlia seedlings from John early this summer and
they are flourishing
in my own garden. While I don't have the names of these dahlia varieties, I hope
you enjoy these photos.
Dahlias come in a multitude of colours, shapes and sizes. Some are petite while others are dinner plate size. Pompon or ball dahlias are the ones I love the most. Their perfectly arranged petals are breathtaking - nature is beautiful!
But for now, I went home with a vase of dahlias and this container filled with cut flowers. I've used it to make small arrangements scattered throughout my home. The flowers are just as stunning in an arrangement as they were out in the field!
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