5 Flowers to Add to Your Garden This Summer

June 26, 2017

Flowers are cheerful and lovely additions to any garden in the summer. Adding a border around your vegetable garden can add some charm as well. Here are a couple suggestions for flowers that will give your garden flair, and suggestions on how to plant them:

1. Poppy

By the end of June, your poppies may already be in full bloom in your garden. If you planted poppies from seeds, they will be popping up now. If you have planted them from young plants they will be blooming.

If you want to lengthen the life of your plants, you should plant them a week apart. In doing so, you will have plenty of time to relax and enjoy their beauty. If you want to grow poppies well into the middle of the summer, we also suggest planting California poppies. They will bloom well into August, and self-seed so you don’t need to replant!

2. Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are gorgeous, showy plants that come in numerous hues. They are most commonly a vibrant shade of plum and indigo, which will stand out from any other flower. They also sometimes bloom in the softest and brightest of pinks. They offer a light and pleasant smell that will waft through your garden.

These plants appreciate moist soil with plenty of drainage. You can add compost to your soil if you have dry, or compacted, soil before planting your hydrangeas. Once planted, you should water your plants daily unless there is at least an inch of rain. They prefer full sun but can live in partial shade.

Hydrangeas are stunning outdoors and indoors as well. Add them to bouquets or potpourri around your home to gain color, texture, and a gentle, soothing scent.

3. Dahlia

Dahlias love well-fertilized, composted soil. Be sure to use rich, aged compost in deep, watered ground. Once everything is prepared, be sure to plant the dahlia tubers about eight to 12 inches deep in the ground. Then, water the ground well and repeat on a daily basis. Before you know it, you will be welcomed into your garden with stunning, eye-catching dahlia flowers that will be the envy of your neighborhood.

4. Sweet Pea

If you’re planting sweet peas from bulbs, always prep a trellis for them. Make sure your plant has full sun, and water it regularly. Be careful if you don’t want the sweet pea from traveling and re-seeding. Be sure to keep them potted, so that they won’t re-seed all over your garden.

5. Zinnia

Zinnias are wonderful for beginning gardeners. They are eye-catching, bright, and gorgeous flowers that can create beautiful décor in your garden or indoors a pot. Zinnias in a garden need to be grown about 12 to 18 inches apart and will thrive in rich, organic soil with compost or fertilizer. Make sure when you find a spot for your zinnia that it stays there. Zinnias are not fond of being transplanted and will die if not moved properly.

With these beauties blooming around your garden, you’re guaranteed to create just the relaxing, picturesque garden of your dreams.