The best types of flowers
Who says you have to settle for pretty flowers only in the summer months? With a little planning, you can enjoy blooming flowers from spring through summer to fall. Even in winter, many varieties of cold-hardy winter flowers can add color and life to your garden. There are many types of flowers in the year-round garden, from annuals that add instant impact for one season, to long-lasting perennials that return year after year.
Flowering vines can provide vertical interest on a trellis or trellis, while hardy ground-level plants can solve problems such as protecting hillsides from erosion. Flowering shrubs have a place in your garden, providing color, texture and form year-round. The most important thing to remember is that when choosing plants, read the plant tag or description to make sure you are providing the right conditions for each plant. Flowers that require full sun, 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day, do not bloom well in shade. And shade-loving flowers get roasted in the hot sun. Finally, be sure to choose plants that are winter hardy in your recently updated USDA hardiness zone. (Find yours here.) Whether your garden is large or small, cottage-style or formal, or an arrangement of containers on your deck, patio, or balcony, read on to discover the most popular flower varieties that will inspire you to get started. Plant!
1 forget-me-not flower
When it blooms: Spring
Why we love it: These adorable pink, white or blue flowers look great at the front of borders. Be sure to plant one of the native species, Myosotis alpestris, laxa, macrosperma or verna.
If you choose the non-native species Myosotis sylvatica, plant it in containers or deadheads before sowing; This plant is considered invasive in some states.
2 Daphne bush
When it blooms: Late winter to early spring
Why we love it: The sweet scent of Daphne flowers is like no other, bringing color and fragrance to the late winter or spring garden. Its beautiful flowers remind us that spring is coming!
3 Snowdrop
When it blooms: Late winter
Why we love it: Cute, nodding little heads appear when snow is still on the ground in northern climates. These beloved flowers, fall-planted bulbs, are also deer- and rabbit-resistant.
4 Bearded Iris
When it blooms: Late spring to early summer
Why we love it: Irises come in every shade imaginable, from pink to deep purple and almost black. They are easy-care perennials; Plant rhizomes in the fall and you'll have years of flowers.
5 Dahlia
When it blooms: Late summer to fall
Why we love it: The number of dahlias is astounding. You can grow everything from tiny pom-pom-shaped balls to dinner plate-sized flowers in every color of the rainbow. They are perennial in the south, but in northern climates the bulbs must be dug up in the fall and replanted in the spring.
6 Winter aconite
When it blooms: Late winter
Why we love it: Winter aconite is one of the earliest blooming flowers, providing precious nectar to pollinators early in the season. They are resistant to deer and rabbits. Plant bulbs in fall for bright late winter color.
7 Fritillaria
When it blooms: Mid-spring
Why we love it: Fun bell-shaped flowers nod atop long, grassy leaves on these unique spring flowers. Plant bulbs in fall for spring color. Big plus: Rodents leave these bulbs alone.
8 Helenium
When it blooms: Mid-summer to fall
Why we love it: Delightful blooms of orange, gold and sunny yellow are a must-have for this sturdy perennial. Even better? Pollinators adore it!
9 Love in a Mist
When it blooms: Summer
Why we love it: Aside from its cheerful name, Love in a Mist is an amazing flower that's also edible! It is grown as an annual, but it self-seeds every year.
10 Clematis
It is enough to bloom A: Spring to late summer
Why we love it: Clematis is a beautiful vine for fences, arbors and lampposts. But be patient: Perennials like clematis take years to establish.
11 Cornflower
When it blooms: Early to mid summer
Why we love it: Cornflower's fringe flowers add a cheerful pop of color to summer borders. You can find them in pink, white and cornflower blue. This year is easy to grow from seed. Deadhead flowers to make plants bloom.
12 Bleeding Heart
When it blooms: Late spring
Why we love it: The tiny heart-shaped flowers are reason enough to love this perennial, but the beautiful blooms provide food for hummingbirds early in the season.
13 Lavender
When it blooms: Summer
Why we love it: This incredibly fragrant perennial looks great when planted in large spaces. Choose a variety that will survive the winter in your region.
14 Azalea
When it blooms: Spring
Why we love them: These beautiful shrubs tell you that spring is in full swing. They look great when planted in masses with other spring-flowering perennials. Some varieties rebloom late in the season.
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