Just because it’s winter or fall doesn’t mean you can’t walk outside and see color in your garden! All it takes is a little planning, and you’ll be able to enjoy your vibrant landscape all year ‘round.
There are plenty of options to choose from – from perennials to annuals – for every growing season, and we’re going to show you some of our favorites! Obviously a few seasons (ahem…spring and summer) are more lush and bright than others, but with some forethought you won’t be left with a barren desert for the fall and winter (unless of course you live in a barren desert!).
The growth in spring and summer are a gardener’s dream and the options are endless. Even if you are running a little behind for your planting schedule in the late spring or early summer, you can always pick up some gorgeous annuals to give you that instant gratification! While your garden is thriving in the summer though, don’t forget to look ahead to those cooler months.
How to Get Started
A little structure never hurts, so starting with some evergreen bushes such as box balls will give you a framework to begin your planning. Keeping a gardening journal or notebook of ideas and what flowers you planted (and when) will be a great reminder of what is to come, especially when winter is in full force and you are ready for some blooms to look forward to.
It’s also a great idea to get your calendar out and schedule what to plant, when.
Know What You Want To Grow and Find the Optimal Planting Time
Here are some of our favorite flowers for each season:
Spring
After a long winter, the hint of spring is so exciting!
For spring blooms, be sure to plant bulbs in the fall. When the first frost sets in, you’ll want to remove your annuals, clean out your flower beds, and plant bulbs.
In fact, you can plant bulbs all the way up until Christmas, as long as the ground isn’t frozen solid.
To watch the bulbs you planted in late autumn begin peeking out of the ground gives you hope that warmer days are ahead. Below are some of our favorites to see popping out of the soil each spring:
- Tulip
- Peony
- Daffodil
- Pansy
- Iris
Summer
Summer is the season where your garden is in overdrive. You see your perennials begin to wake from their slumber, and then it’s time to make your space explode with color.
Plant these flowers in late spring and early summer for mid- to late-summer blooms.
- Hydrangea (read our Step by Step Guide to Planting Hydrangeas in Southwest Ohio, and learn more about Problem Solving Hydrangeas)
- Coneflower
- Butterfly bush
- Rose (Read about planting roses in Southwest Ohio!)
- Zinnia (so vibrant and beautiful!)
- Marigold (one of our favorite low-maintenance annuals!)
Fall
When the sweltering heat of summer subsides and you begin to feel the crisp fall air, it’s time to look to more hardy plants to provide a backdrop of color. Mums are the staple of a fall flower garden, but they’re not the only rugged warriors of autumn.
Read more in our article “What to Plant in August for Autumn Color!”
- Mum
- Aster
- Begonia
- Petunia
- Celosia (they are so hardy!)
Winter
Although green is the color you can most look forward to in winter, there are some noteworthy plants that will still catch your eye.
- Camellia
- Hollie
- Wintersweet
- Snowdrop
- Poinsettia
- Sweet pea
- Primrose
- Flowering kale
If you find it difficult to encourage blooms in the winter, don’t forget to explore our great selection of herbs and houseplants that you can grow inside, and maybe this year you can experiment with an indoor potted bulb garden!
We’ll be with you every season to answer any questions and make sure that you have vibrant color in your garden all year ‘round!