Flowers to plant this year

Temps are slowly but surely creeping up and summer break is literally at our doorstep. Tis the season to start gardening!

Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies. WhileI prefer houseplants, as they can be enjoyed all year long, the garden is my happy spot.

I’ve tried my hand at vegetable gardening over the years, but all I can seem to come up with are radishes, a few carrots, and some lettuce if the rabbits don’t get to them first. This leaves me with my flower garden, which is fine by me. The blooms can be enjoyed all throughout the growing season and you can enjoy the additional bonus of butterflies, bumblebees, and hummingbirds.

If you’re new to this gardening thing, looking to pick up a new hobby, or already in love with the art of flowers, you’ve come to the right place. Not all flowers are created equally, but I have a few suggestions of what I enjoy and how to get the most out of your flower beds this growing season.

Tulips

These are some of my personal favorites, and they are perennials, so they come back year after year. Plant the bulbs in early fall, and they will more than likely be popping up by springtime. It’s a little late to add them to your flower beds this year, but definitely add them to the list for your fall to-do! They have a wide variety of colors and start blooming in early spring, making them some of the first flowers of the season.

Irises

Another early bloomer, and just as lovely. Irises need to be planted in late summer or early fall, enough time to be settled before the first frost, and they will bloom for the beginning of the summer. They are also perennials and will keep returning year after year.

Marigolds

I typically pick these little guys up in flats at Menards or Lowes since they are annuals and don’t come back every year, and plant them when they are already in bloom. They aren’t my favorite of the flowers, but there is one main reason to plant them: rabbits don’t like marigolds. 

If your yard is like mine, rabbits are everywhere and eat everything they can. I like to plant these little flowers around the edges of my flower bed to try to keep them out. It doesn’t always work 100%, but it helps.

Petunias

If you are looking for a forgiving, hardy, and nearly indestructible flower, this is your best bet. Again, picking them up in a flat at the hardware store is my favorite way to plant these (annuals, again, so they won’t be back after the growing season ends). The petunias at my house have withstood heat, hail, frost, rabbits, getting stepped on, being uprooted and replanted, and basically almost anything that comes their way. 

They also come in a beautiful variety of colors, blooming all throughout the summer, thus being a go-to in my garden each year.

Daylilies

If you’re looking for a perennial as hardy as a petunia, this is your answer.

I don’t know how many times I’ve gone into my garden to thin out the thick patches of daylilies that grow every single year, only for them to grow back stronger than ever.

Plant them in late summer or early fall, and they will be growing in full force before you even know it. They require little care and maintenance, love the sun, and are bright orange and sometimes yellow, so prepare yourself for a sea of light colored blossoms.

These are just a few of the flowers that I’ll be growing this year. Before planting, be sure to know what kind of space you’ll be planting in. If it’s sunny or wet or the soil is a bit rough, whatever it may be, and check out the kinds of plant that would best suit that environment before you buy. Doing your research will pay off!

 I have never met a flower I don’t like, and I’ve never been in my garden without enjoying it. I’ll be spending my summer enjoying both houseplants and flower beds alike, and I hope you found a variety or two here to enjoy this summer, as well.