Over sixty diverse blooms suitable for every gardening endeavor
Revamped and Restructured Guide to Different Types of Flowers to Grow in Your Garden:
Embracing the beauty of various flowers all year round is an exciting prospect for any gardener. The variety of color, shape, and size available is limitless, ranging from annuals to perennials, climbers to ground covers, and spring blooms to summer beauties.
Annual flowers are wonderful for adding a splash of color in a short period. They bloom and set seed within a year. The sown-in-spring variety will provide summer delight and last several months, including cosmos and zinnias. They are an affordable choice for filling gaps in the border.
Perennials are plants that reappear every year. Some will die down during winter, then produce new growth in spring. A mix of perennials that flower in different seasons is ideal, with long-flowering perennials such as hardy cranesbills offering year-round color.
Shrubs carry significant importance in structure and year-round interest. They are woody plants that bring architectural appeal, not only as standalone features but also as backdrops for more showy perennials. Shrubs can be evergreen or deciduous, catering to both sunny and shaded areas.
Flowering climbers, such as clematis or roses, are perfect for covering boundaries, wigwams, containers, and trellis. They boost color in the garden, grow fast, and take up little space.
Bulbs like crocus, daffodils, and tulips also deserve a spot in your garden. They grow from an underground storage organ known as a bulb. These plants are easy to grow and add instant color to borders and containers, with a wide variety available for each season.
Consider the following additional options to liven up your garden:
Cosmos: An easy annual to grow in a sunny spot, cosmos will flower from mid-summer to autumn and vary in height from 60cm to 2.5m. Varieties like 'Purity' and 'Cosmos' are excellent choices.
Crocosmia: Sun-loving and ideal for a south-facing border, crocosmias are perennials with multiple flowers on an arching stem. They become 50cm to 2m tall, and bloom from August to October. 'Lucifer' and 'Emily Mackenzie' are the top choices for their fiery orange or red flowers with RHS AGM.
Magnolia: Magnolias are classic flowers, with pink or white flowers appearing in March. The best choice for small gardens is the compact variety, Magnolia stellata, that grows to 3m tall.
Penstemon: Hardy perennials, penstemons produce long-flowering summer blooms that bees love. They grow to around 1m tall and offer a variety of colors such as white, pink, blue, purple, or red.
Crocus: Plant crocus beneath trees and shrubs for an early spring display. One of the easiest varieties to naturalize in your lawn or under trees is Crocus tommasinianus.
Honeysuckle: Attract both bees and butterflies with a climbing honeysuckle. It flowers from July to September and takes up little ground space. Try 'Lonicera periclymenum' Serotina' for its white to yellow flowers.
To ensure your garden enjoys a satisfying blend of color, scent, contrasting shapes, and various seasonal blooms, choose a mix that includes a range of heights and types of plants. Select plants that suit the unique conditions of your garden, such as soil, light, and shade requirements, to help create a thriving and harmonious garden.
For an even more extraordinary experience, consider incorporating a tree into your garden. Many trees suitable for small gardens offer something in every season, whether that's flowers, berries, winter structure, or autumn color. Trees can also provide shelter and food for birds. Happy planting!
Homesteading enthusiasts might find delight in integrating home-and-garden elements into their lifestyle, such as acquiring cosmos or crocosmia for a splash of color in the summer and autumn seasons, respctively. To further elevate the garden's appeal, one could also flank the property boundaries with flowering climbers like clematis or roses, or ponder the addition of a compact variety of magnolia for a timeless, spring bloom.
