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Sweet Alyssum

Pollinators adore the tiny blooms of sweet alyssum; you'll adore the honey-sweet scent. This annual looks lovely cascading from containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets, or tucked into a rock garden as a flowering ground cover. Sweet alyssum likes full to part sun and handless a light frost, so you'll enjoy abundant flowers all season long.

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Shasta Daisy

What's sunnier than the bright, happy faces of daisies? These perennials are hardy souls, and they offer weeks and weeks of summer color. Pollinators love them! They need full sun.

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Lobelia

Cascading blooms of this annual will fill your planter in cool weather; newer types tolerate more heat, but still don’t bloom best when nighttime temps stay in the 70s. Trim them up in hot weather, and they’ll revive when things cool down. Lobelia prefers part sun or full shade in hot climates.

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Azalea

Azaleas are a sure sign that spring has arrived. Many new varieties of this shrub are more cold-tolerant, so you can grow them farther north. They need mostly sun. Make sure to choose one for your USDA Hardiness zone.

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Peony

So many peonies, so little time! This shrubby perennial plant with glossy, dark green foliage has lush scented flowers that rule all the others in the garden in May and early June. The ants which visit the flowers aren’t pests; they’re sipping the nectar. Peonies prefer full sun.

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Nemesia

Tons of teeny flowers that resemble baby snapdragons flourish from spring to fall without deadheading (removing spent blooms). This annual tends to do better in pots, though it will tolerate well-drained soils in the garden or in raised beds. Nemesia likes part sun, but does okay in full sun in cooler climates.

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Lily of the Valley Shrub

Need some early season color? Like its namesake, these shrubs have showy clusters of bell-shaped flowers that dangle from the arching branches in late winter to early spring. Lily of the valley needs mostly shade.

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Fan Flower

These annuals are totally low-maintenance garden because they bloom all summer with zero effort from you. Their trailing habit makes them a natural for baskets and window boxes. Fan flowers like full sun.

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Rose

Your garden needs at least one rose bush! New shrub or landscape types are more cold-hardy and disease-resistant, and they bloom all summer, well into fall. Roses need full sun.

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Petunia

Old varieties of this annual required deadheading to keep blooming, but new hybrids bloom all season without any fussing on your part. Trailing or double varieties are especially lovely in window boxes and hanging baskets. Petunias need full sun.

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Gardenia

Glossy green leaves and creamy white flowers highlight this pretty, old-fashioned garden favorite. Most varieties of this shrub bloom from late spring to early summer. Plant them near patios and walkways to enjoy the scent. Gardenias like part shade.

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Bacopa

This trailing annual has tiny, round flowers that seem to thrive on neglect. Combine them in a mixed planter with more upright flowers for most impact. Bacopa bloom all the way until frost and like mostly sun.

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Hydrangea

These stunning shrubs range in height from a few feet tall to eight or more feet. The blooms can be tiny like softballs or gigantic like bowling balls! Many types have white to cream-white blooms that last for months. Hydrangeas need sun to bloom best.

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Angelonia

If you're not planting this annual, you're missing out! Angelonia come in both upright and cascading forms. They look amazing starring alone in a container, but they're also fabulous in a mixed container.

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Butterfly Bush

These shrubs really do attract pollinators, so you'll enjoy blooms and butterflies all at once! This plant ranges in size from two to eight feet tall, so read the label. New varieties are more compact and are not invasive. Butterfly bush needs full sun.

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Daffodil

Come spring you can count on these bulbs to pop up in bloom with their trumpet shaped centers! They aren’t picky about soil or critters either. Plant them between shrubs, in a border in a woodland garden, or in large grove. Daffodils will grow in sun or part shade.

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Queen Anne’s Lace

These tiny, dainty clustered blooms are so lace-like that they got their name from the wife of Britain’s King James I who was known for wearing a lace headdress. It makes a great addition to any wildflower garden! The plant prefers sun to part shade.

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Dahlia

There’s a reason these flowers are often used to decorate cakes and pastries! The Mexico natives enchant gardens and balconies alike each summer, love warm temperatures, and can grow to be as larger as your head. Dahlias prefer full sun.

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Hibiscus

Watch out—these hardy perennials can grow up to eight feet tall if they aren’t a dwarf variety to show off their late summer blooms! Many are native to the Southeastern US. Hibiscus prefer full sun.
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Hyacinth

Looking for a fragrant flower? These stunners are known for their natural perfume, and their beauty too. Their bell shapes are full of dense clusters of tiny starfish-like flowers that are sure to wow. Hyacinths prefer full or part sun.
SHOP HYACINTHS

Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.

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