9 Summer Blooms for the Last Minute PNW Gardener
Do you feel like spring bloomed in the blink of an eye? The cherry blossoms have washed away with April showers and the tulips are shriveling up right in front of us. But do not worry, there are plenty of blooms on their way in the late spring and through summer. There are still seeds waiting to be planted, you haven’t missed your chance at a flower garden this year! Here’s our list of what to look forward to and what to plant if you’re a last-minute gardener.
Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan)
Blooms: July-Oct
These summer blooms thrive in hot and dry weather. The classic rudbeckia has golden petals with a dark black center, they look like the child of a sunflower and a daisy. But there are many varieties in colors in shades of red and yellow. Some varieties are annuals and some perennials.
Coneflower
Blooms: June-Oct
Coneflowers come in many colors and you’ll be able to find variety to match your garden and are similar in appearance to rudbeckia. Their identifying trait is that bulbous center and petals pointing towards the ground like a cone. These flowers can be planted late spring-early summer. Coneflowers could take a while to flower if starting from seed. So if you are eager to have flowers this season you might want to buy some developed flowers to plant. These flowers also prefer full sun and are drought-tolerant once they’re established.
Coreopsis
Blooms: June- Frost
Coreopsis are lovely little flowers in a variety of warmer shades. also favors full sun. These are relatively easy flowers to grow from seeds as long you regularly water, making it a great flower for a beginner gardener. They also prefer full sun to grow properly.
Salvia
Blooms: May-Frost
With Salvias you can get multiple blooms a season. Simply deadhead them and they bloom up to three or four times. Pollinators are very attracted to these blooms, so you’ll have lots of friendly birds and bees visiting. Like most of the plants on this list, they thrive in warm climates, are drought-tolerant and can even grow in dense clay soil.
Hydrangeas
Blooms: March- Sept
Hydrangeas aren’t typically grown from seed by novice gardeners. These bushy plants should be planted in a shaded location. They are a bit picky about their sunlight and prefer light sun in the morning and shade during the warmest parts of the day. These plants might need some specific care, but they are worth the effort for those bundles of shades and blue and purple blooms.
Begonias
Blooms: June-Frost
Begonias are commonly grown indoors but there are also many varieties that thrive outdoors as well. Begonia leaves are already spectacular, certain varieties can even be metallic or polka-dotted, but with the proper care you can even get some flowers out of them. Their flowers are waxy pink, white, and red colors. To get begonias to produce flowers you must make sure you are giving the plants proper care.
Cosmos
Blooms: June-Frost
Cosmos can grow tall and spindly and make for great cut flowers. These plants thrive in warm weather and are pretty tolerant to any soil. They can come in colors like pink, white, orange, red and yellow. They will begin to bloom a few months after sowing, so these are best to sow during the spring to get summer blooms.
Sunflowers
Blooms: July-Oct
We’re all familiar to the sunflower. The classic giant sunflower can grow up to 16 feet tall. But there are also many dwarf varieties to accommodate smaller areas of growing. It’s best to plant the seeds straight into the soil, with these flowers. You can plant them any time after frost, and like most of these summer bloomers, they thrive in a hot climate.
Dahlias
Blooms: July-Oct
These native Mexican flowers appreciate hot dry climates. These huge blooms come in a beautiful range of colors, white, yellow, red, orange, pink, only to name a few. Dahlias are best grown from tubers (started plants) which can be planted in the spring and will bloom during the spring and fall. Don’t water the tuber right after planting, wait until the plant begins to sprout. Dahlias require little maintenance but they do prefer sufficient drainage.
As you can see, just because we're getting to the end of spring doesn’t mean the blooms are going to be few and far between. You still have the time to run to the local nursery and get started on a garden of late bloomers. Or simply look forward to some colorful summer walks in the PNW sunshine. Don’t forget to pick up a bag of Clean Water Grow Rose and Flower blooms to ensure your plants get all the nutrients they need. Look out, you’ll have the brightest blooms on the block. Happy gardening! Don’t forget to tag your gardens with #grownwithGROW on Facebook and Instagram so we can see how your flowers are growing!