No matter what time of year it is, it’s always nice to think about the types of summer flowers to plant in your eco friendly garden. Where I live, summer is winding down. Even though I’m in the midst of The post 20 Summer Flowers to Plant for a Beautiful, Colorful Yard appeared first on Of Houses and Trees.
No matter what time of year it is, it’s always nice to think about the types of summer flowers to plant in your eco friendly garden.
Where I live, summer is winding down.
Even though I’m in the midst of harvesting veggies like crazy (picture zucchinis the size of newborn babies), I’m already dreaming of next year’s veggie and summer flower garden.
For summer seasonal flowers, I only planted marigolds and sunflowers this year and they both did so well.
I love marigolds with their bulbous little heads and our sunflowers got massive, which is always a sight to behold.
Hopefully next year I can plant some more summer flowers, as we’re planning on finally putting in the brick planters at the front of our house. Fingers crossed that other projects – and life in general – doesn’t get in the way.
In the meantime, I’ll just keep dreaming of hydrangeas and foxgloves and peonies – oh my! If you love to dream too – then this list of twenty of the best summer flowers to plant is for you! For each flower type I’ve recommended a variety you can buy from a small seed business on Etsy – be sure to check them out!
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5 Full Sun Perennial Flowers
Looking for some sun-loving flowers to plant in summer that will happily live in the brightest and warmest part of your garden? Want them to come back year after year? The check these five beauties out!
Iris
Variety Pictured: Wild Blue Iris
Irises are known to be hardy and can be grown in most zones. They come in a wide variety of colours, which is why their name – “Iris” – comes from the Greek word for rainbow.
Irises grow in clumps and can range from just inches in height to several feet tall. If you want to be able to grow and then cut flowers for display in your home – Irises are a lovely choice.
Peony
Variety Pictured: Peony Poppy
My grandmother had beautiful peony bushes in front of her home, which sadly was torn down years ago. Happily, my mom transplanted some of grandma’s peonies to her garden – and I’m hoping to do another transplant into mine!
Some consider peonies blooming to be the signal that summer is coming and personally – no flower makes me smile more than a puffy peony.
Goldenrod
Variety Pictured: Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod
Once considered and invasive weed, Goldenrods are now considered one of the best summer plants thanks to cultivars that offer prettier varieties.
Goldenrod can thrive in poor soil, so it ain’t finicky and can grow so tall it may require staking to keep it upright.
Jupiter’s Beard
Variety Pictured: Red Jupiter’s Beard
If – like me – you have a problem with deer eating all your carefully planted vegetation, you’ll be happy to know Jupiter’s Beard is deer resistant.
This plant is another one that can grow in poor soil, so you don’t need to baby it. And while it does reseed itself, it isn’t invasive and thus won’t takeover your garden.
Black-Eyed Susan
Variety Pictured: Heirloom Black-Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susans kind look like miniature sunflowers – and they love the sunshine just as much! Unlike sunflowers, they are perennials and will bloom year after year if they’re well taken care of.
They produce an abundance of nectar and are loved by bees and butterflies.
5 Partial Sun Perennial Flowers
Just because an area of your yard is shady, doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve some flower love! Here are five summer blooming flowers that flourish in partial sun.
Tiger Lily
Variety Pictured: Leopard Lily
Tiger Lilies may be toxic to eat, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still pretty to look at! They grow three to five feet in height and – although orange flowers are very common – they can also bloom in red, yellow, white and pink.
Tiger lilies look lovely planted up against the house, which I can personally attest to as my previous home had them growing practically wild against two sides of it!
Foxglove
Variety Pictured: Foxglove Beardtongue
The most beautiful flower gardens, in my opinion, are the ones that combine a mixture of colours, textures and levels. And speaking of levels – Foxgloves can grow to six feet tall in one season!
They come in a wide variety of colours, such as pink, purple and the always classy white.
Bleeding Heart
Variety Pictured: Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart
When I was a kid I was obsessed with the Bleeding Heart plant my mom grew in her garden. I used to pick the little heart-shaped flowers off their stems (sorry mom) and hold them in my hand.
Now that I’m a grown up I know it’s better to admire them as they are – and admire them I do! While the classic pink is always a favourite, you can also find Bleeding Hearts in white and red.
Hydrangea
Variety Pictured: Pee Gee Hydrangea
One of the most popular summer flower types, hydrangeas actually bloom from early spring to autumn.
Fun fact time! Soils that are more acidic will turn the blooms blue or purple, while neutral or more alkaline soils will turn them red or pink. Cool!
Geranium
Variety Pictured: Mixed Geranium
While Geraniums are perennials in warmer climates, they do need to be replanted in cooler zones such as where I live – which is zone 3.
That being said, they’re worthwhile no matter the location and are popular – and pretty – in containers and hanging baskets. Plus, they come in a wide array of colours and can even be multi-coloured.
5 Full Sun Annual Flowers
Moving on to the annual category – here are five of the best flowers to grow in the summer that love the sun!
Verbena
Variety Pictured: Blue Vervain Verbana
Verbena loves to spread and creates a gorgeous cascading effect when it’s allowed to. It can grow up to five feet tall and bloom from mid-summer to early fall.
It’s often used for its medicinal properties and also is beloved by pollinators. Verbena can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
Dahlia
Variety Pictured: Unwins Dwarf Hybrid Dahlia
Did you know a “dinnerplate” variety of Dahlia can reach up to 12″ in diameter? Meanwhile, “pop-pom” Dahlias are miniature versions of the popular flower.
They also come in every size in between – and nearly every colour too! Dahlia can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
Zinnia
Variety Pictured: Cherry Queen Zinnia
While there are a lot of plants labelled as annuals that are actually perennials in warmer climates, Zinnias are annuals everywhere. Happily, they’ll grow in almost any zone and make beautiful cut flowers.
They also are pretty drought-tolerant so don’t need a ton of hydration to survive. They also aren’t picky about the type of soil they’ll grow in – alkaline, acidic or neutral – they’ll thrive almost anywhere!
Sunflower
Variety Pictured: Autumn Beauty Sunflower
Is there anything more summery than a sunflower? These beauties come a huge range of varieties and can grow from a small-ish 3 feet tall all the way up to 15 feet!
As the name says – they love full sun and mulching around their base can help keep moisture in and weeds down. And humans aren’t the only ones who love their tasty seeds, so you may need to cover them with mesh bags or cheesecloth if your sunflowers are targeted.
Snapdragon
Variety Pictured: Defiance Snapdragon
This lovely flower gets it’s name from the shape of its individual flower heads, which looks like the snout of a dragon – minus the fire-breathing.
Snapdragons are known to be a bit slow when grown from seed, so many gardeners start them inside months before the last frost or purchase them as seedlings from a nursery. They’re a popular flower to plant for summer bouquets and and can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
5 Partial Sun Annual Flowers
Here are some pretty summer flowers that bloom annually and will fill in those partially shady spaces in your yard.
Pansy
Variety Pictured: Deep Blue Pansy
Pansies prefer cool weather, which is why they’re such an excellent shade plant. Part of the violet family, Pansies are fast growing and come in many base colours – such as white, pink, blue and purple. Pansies like moist soil, but don’t appreciate being soggy so don’t overwater them.
Pansies can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
Fuchsia
Variety Pictured: Hardy Fuchsia
A staple in hanging baskets thanks to their teardrop-shaped flowers. Fuchsia can be a bit more high-maintenance than some of the other flowers on this list, but they can usually be kept happy as long as they’re out of the intense heat.
Fuchsia can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
Impatiens
Variety Pictured: Dwarf Impatiens
Easy to start from seed and grows pretty much anywhere, Impatiens are popular because it doesn’t take much for them to thrive. They have a long bloom time and pack a punch – producing many, many flowers growing close together.
People love them for borders, window boxes and hanging baskets. And humans aren’t the only ones who love them – hummingbirds do too! Impatiens can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
Daisy
Variety Pictured: Shasta Daisy
Much like I admitted above to plucking bleeding heart flowers off their stems, I also used to pick Daisies straight out of my neighbours’s garden – without asking. Sorry! But they did plant them right next to the sidewalk and my little kid heart just couldn’t resist a game of “he loves me, he loves me not” whenever I saw a Daisy.
And if Daisy’s aren’t already one of the cutest flowers in summer season, did you know they close their petals over their centre at night? Adorable. Some varieties of Daisy can be grown as a perennial in warmer zones.
Marigolds
Variety Pictured: Sunset Marigolds
One of the best flowers to plant in summer, which is why I plant it in my garden every year – without fail. Why? Because deer don’t like them! And where I live, well – deer eating my garden is definitely a problem.
But their unattractiveness to deer is not the only thing I love about them. I love how easy they are to grow. I love their shape. I love the colours. While I usually stick to the yellow and orange varieties, Marigolds come in other colours – like cream and even maroon!
And there you have it! Twenty flowers that bloom in summer for you to plant in your front yard, backyard, pots and more!
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Reposted on July 10, 2025 (Originally Posted on September 6, 2021)
