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Nothing celebrates summer like a garden bursting with colorful blooms that add life and dimension to your beds! Apart from making us happy, which they do, there are many reasons to fill your garden with gorgeous summer flowers. Summer is peak season for pollinators, and a garden of flowers gives them plenty to snack on. Plant the right flowers, and your garden will become a top hangout for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. 

For those who know how to decorate the home with flowers, a flower-filled yard means a living supply of cut flowers for every room. If you plant enough, you’ll have extra to give away as gifts. Whether it’s a granny’s birthday, teacher appreciation day, or just a pick-me-up for a friend, your garden will have plenty to go around. Keep a pack of Wikmily Flower Bouquet Wrapping Paper and some ribbon handy, and you’ll always be ready to throw together a gorgeous bouquet.

More than that, flowers are a potent source of inspiration for all types of creativity. They are a photographer’s best friend as backdrops for natural lighting photoshoots, or the star of the show for intricate macro photography. Use them in creative projects such as decoupage, potpourri, or handmade paper. Artists have captured the graceful curves of stems and petals in brushstrokes, pen lines, and subtle pencil shading. So how do you choose? We’ll kickstart your summer garden with 18 of our favorite blooms and the reasons why we love them.

Helianthus annuus, the common sunflower, brightens up gardens in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 through 11 with its sunny yellow petals. These fast growers love full sun and reach a height of 3 to 10 feet, making them ideal for adding drama to a bed. The central area in younger blooms is a dining hall for bees, which caters to birds later in summer when sunflower seeds develop. Sunflowers feature as one of the great ideas for a stunning flower garden. Younger flowers have a circadian rhythm and follow the sun through the day while turning to face the east at night.

The Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) may not be the star attraction of your bed as it is tall and gangly. But it makes a great supporting act and can be grown as a backdrop for smaller plants. It loves full sun and is a trooper in drought conditions as well as poor-quality soil in USDA zones 2 through 11. Pollinators are big fans of this bright beauty. The bush may need support, especially in strong winds, as they tend to blow over, or their brittle branches may snap. Stake them for a gorgeous show of orangey-yellow resilience.

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are a delightful addition to summer gardens in USDA zones 7 through 10 as they come in a wide mix of vibrant colors and scent the air sweetly. Plant them in big groups for the best effect. These show-stoppers are known for their long blooming period. In favorable conditions, they’ll emerge in spring, flower all through summer, and bridge the seasonal change into autumn. Deadheading regularly will increase their longevity. Incredibly versatile, these striking blooms work equally well as the focal point of a bed or a cheerfully tall backdrop for shorter plants. 

Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) grows in low carpets that produce a riot of color when flowering. With succulent-like leaves shaped in fleshy needles, this resilient bush spills an artist’s palette of colors along borders. They are extremely low maintenance and thrive in full sun when the soil is rich and has good drainage. Moss roses can have showy single or double blooms of frilly petals that wave an open-for-business sign for pollinators. Their easy growing habits make them an excellent addition to any garden design across zones 2 through 12.

The everlasting flower (Helichrysum bracteatum) is a visually striking plant that deserves to take centerstage in a full-sun bed. When considering how to dry and style your favorite flowers, put these at the top of your list. They come in a range of colors, from yellow to purple, with papery petals that keep their color and shape for long periods. Not only that, but they’re at home in poor-quality soil and don’t need much watering. Exceptional beauty, rugged resilience, and drought resistance make the everlasting flower a go-to for eco-friendly gardens in zones 8 through 10.

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) produces charming flowers with tall stems, making them ideal for cut flowers and dried flower arrangements. They come in maroon, white, blue, pink, and lavender shades. While they love full sun, they’ll also grow in light shade. Taller cornflower plants may need a bit of help to stay upright. Whether you have a cottage, wildlife, or rock garden, cornflowers will fit right in. Cornflowers grow in USDA zones 2 through 11 but may be considered invasive in some regions, so it’s worth checking with your local nursery before adding them to your garden.

If you’re looking for showstopping summer garden drama, the tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium) is it. These freckled bright orange blooms are easy additions to your garden that adapt and thrive in most conditions within USDA zones 3 through 9. Some mature bulbs will reward you with up to forty flowers! The best part is that tiger lilies make great cut flowers, gracing your home with their fresh, fiery orange petals for up to two weeks. Most parts of the tiger lily plant are edible for people but not suitable for your feline friends.

The striking tropical hibiscus adds a splash of vibrant life to a garden that conjures up balmy days on sun-kissed beaches. These shrubs boast bushy, evergreen leaves and eye-catching flowers that can grow as large as 8 inches across. They’re typically warmer colors, including yellow, orange, red, salmon, or peach. While each bloom only lasts a day, they bud prolifically for a continuous show. In regions without frost within zones 10 through 12, they’ll flower from spring to early winter. Plant them in full sun or part shade and keep the soil moist for a happy hibiscus.

While filling your bed with summery blooms, let’s not forget tiny flowers, the miniature heroes that creep into empty spaces and spread pops of color and scent. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritime) is easy to grow in USDA zones 5 through 11 and won’t need much care. They’ll happily seed and spread as a shallow-rooted ground cover when planted in full or semi-sunny spots. Interestingly, alyssum is part of the mustard family with edible leaves and flowers, though they may trigger allergic reactions like skin rashes. Birds, bees, and butterflies are big fans of these small powerhouse flowers.

A stunning summer climbing vine, the Clematis offers 12 groups that contain hundreds of species and hybrids, different flower shapes, colors, and sizes. They’re a versatile addition to USDA zone 4 through 11 gardens and can be grown up trellises, trained to climb trees or bury their roots in containers to splash color along patio and deck railings. Some will happily grow as a gorgeous flowering ground cover. They thrive with cool roots in the shade and sun on their leaves and branches. Some species are considered invasive; check with your local nursery before inviting them into your garden.

When it comes to unusual shapes and textures, the exotic Celosia (Celosia argentea) feathery, velvet-like flowers in the brightest range of colors, including purple, yellow, pink, orange, and red. Celosia flowers make great cut flowers and can be used fresh or dried. Across USDA zones 2 through 11, there are three different types, each with distinctly different shapes. Celosia plumosa has silky, feathery plumes, while Celosia spicata’s flowers form long, narrow, wheat-like spikes. Celosia cristata flowers are the most unusual, with wavy velvet petals that resemble a human brain. All three varieties add their own special flair to bouquets. 

Who doesn’t love fuzzy pompoms? The floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum) is an annual that produces fluffy white, pink, lavender, or blue flowers on long stems with green, get this, heart-shaped leaves. The plant makes compact bushes that can reach a height of 30 inches. Plant them in borders or containers to add visual texture and gentle color. Ideal for fresh arrangments, you’ll have a ready crop of flowers to display in your home from late spring all through summer and into early fall. They love sunny beds or lightly shaded areas in USDA zones 2 through 11.

Often synonymous with cottage gardens, delphiums are the supermodels of the garden crowd in USDA zones 3 through 9. Ranging from 2 to 8 feet, their strikingly tall spires are graced with vibrant flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white. Plant them in your summer garden to add vertical interest to your beds. They’re ideal for cooler areas as they don’t cope well with heat. You’ll need to water them regularly to prevent the soil from drying out. While they make perfect cut flowers, don’t try using them in a salad, as they’re toxic for people and animals. 

If ever there was a plant that should be called a fairy ballgown, the exotic Fuschia is it. These spectacular summer bloomers add a touch of elegance to any bed they grace with their nodding clusters of bi-colored flowers. Hummingbirds and other pollinators love Fuschias! If you’re looking for a hardy variety suited to cooler environments, opt for Fuschia magellanica. In bright light, but not full sun, their continuous blooms will add glamour to your borders and hedges, while more tender types are more suited to container living. You’ll find these exotic beauties across USDA zones 6 through 11.

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is a deciduous shrub that grows into a naturally rounded bush between 2 and 6 feet. These old-fashioned grand dames bring a larger-than-life extravagance with their oversized flower heads that may be pink, blue, or purple and can change along with the acidity of the soil. If your garden needs a splash of bright blue, add aluminum sulfate to the soil they’re planted in, or turn them pink by adding lime. Hydrangeas can join your expanding bouquet of home-grown cut flowers if you live in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) has been a classic staple in American gardens in USDA zones 4 through 8 for over a century and is still growing strong. Growing to heights ranging from 2 to 4 feet, these perennials offer an abundant display of flowers in late summer nestled among narrow dark green leaves. Many varieties are scented, and add pink, white, red, or purple splashes wherever they grow. Whether you plant one as a focal point or group them as a low-maintenance back row border, they’ll reward you by living and flowering for decades. 

The stately African lily or lily of the Nile ( Agapanthus)  is an elegant perennial that can reach a height of 4 feet. Clusters of trumpet-like flowers sit gracefully on long, green stems that emerge from a bush of strappy green leaves. Flowers are typically white, purple, or blue. These impressive blooms are especially effective when planted in groups or along walkways and paths. Even when flowering season is over, the foliage provides striking visual appeal. As they only need minimal watering, they’re a great choice for growing a sustainable garden in zones 7 through 11.

The humble bee balm (Monarda) is a charming prairie flower that comes in shades of red, pink, white, and purple in USDA zones 3 through 9. The flowers form puffs of color that are best described as a crazy hair day. This hardy perennial can be planted in groups along borders or individually as a solo attraction. Most bee balms are sun-lovers and thrive in the warm summer sun, however some cultivated species of Monarda are better suited to shady areas, so always check the growth preferences for the bee balm that you invest in.