Summer is the time when my Potager garden really shines. While the cottage gardens in front of the house hit their peak in May, in explosions of pastel pinks and purples, summer flowers in the Potager tend to pack a bit more of a punch. Let’s take a trip through my summer garden and check out some seasonal blooms you won’t want to miss!
Dahlias
Dahlias are Internet famous. Over a decade ago, Floret Flower Farm came on the scene and made the beautiful summer bloom an absolute sensation. Her gorgeous photos of dahlia’s she had grown on her farm went viral and so many of us have been growing them in gobs ever since. Erin’s book Cut Flower Garden completely transformed the way I viewed flowers.
Dahlias are a pleasure to grow for so many reasons. They are sturdy, bright, cheerful and prolific. The more you cut, the more they bloom. They are relatively easy to care for- you just wait to water until they’ve peeked their little green heads out of the soil- and once they pop, the fun don’t stop!
I’ve written about planting dahlias HERE and dahlias you can’t live without HERE.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers have got to be the most quintessential summer flower there is. Bright, bold, beautiful. I love them so much I put them on this season’s Sunflower Gardening Tee!
Sunflower blooms can be absolutely massive, or teeny tiny. They come in a wide variety of colors, from white all the way to a deep garnet. Many have a dark brown middle, but there are varieties that have gold, yellow, pink and even black. They even come in widely varying heights; some growing only to knee-height, some up to 18 feet tall!
Great in arrangements or just swaying back and forth in the garden, sunflowers are worth every inch of the space they take up.
Sweet Peas
I had never even heard of Sweet Peas until Floret’s book Cut Flower Garden. But now, they are a mainstay in garden every year. Sweet peas are whimsical and delicate, yet pack a powerful punch in the scent department. I have also found them to last well in arrangements if handled properly, and add a softness to other bold summer blooms.
This year I have a deep purple, almost black, color on a gifted metal trellis and they are absolutely stunning!
Another great thing about sweet peas is that they are easy to grow! I always direct seed sweet peas when I plant the rest of the garden- just soak those seeds overnight- and if you keep cutting them faithfully, they will bloom for your all season long.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are a flower I’d heard about and seen in garden centers for years. But little did I know that not all snapdragons are created equal! Those tiny little dwarf snaps you can buy for containers and hanging baskets GOT NOTHIN on snapdragons grown from seed. NOTHIN I tell you!
Another thing that makes Snapdragons so incredibly special is that they aren’t super easy to grow. The seeds are basically specks of dust, and if you don’t have a good seed starting set up (I don’t!) it can be hard to get your hands on them. Lucky for me, my friends at J&J Flower Co. had a start sale and I was able to purchase my snaps from them this year. Thank you ladies! I’m in heaven!
Yarrow
Yarrow is newer on my list of favorites, but definitely a summer flower you don’t want to miss. Rather than a big, show-stopping bloom, yarrow has tiny little lace-like flowers that are a PERFECT compliment to all the other lovely ladies in your garden. I started this yarrow from seed a few years ago and each summer it just keeps self-seeding and coming back! And I couldn’t be happier
There are so many shades of yarrow, but one of my favorites is a dusty peach color. The blooms tend to change slightly through the summer as they fade out, and even look nice in arrangements when they are past their prime.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds are where I source my yarrow.
Zinnias
Similar to snapdragons, Zinnias are a flower that acts completely differently when grown from seed. I don’t know who decided they needed to breed zinnias to be tiny, little electric colored flowers solely for containers, but I’d like to have a word from them. Even the brightest, hottest colored zinnias (not my preference) are stunning when grown from seed.
A few years ago I discovered the Queen Series of Zinnias, as well as Oklahoma Series. A far cry from the vibrant shades of typical garden zinnias, these series both have shades which lean into that dusty country garden vibe. A perfect fit for the
Summer flowers: honorable mentions
Though I didn’t include them in this list, Stock, Gomphrena, Strawflower and Scabiosa are other favorite summer flowers. I am growing Lisianthus for the first time this year too, and I’m hoping they live up to the hype.
Share your favorite summer flowers!
Leave a comment below with your favorite summer blooms! And don’t forget to pin this image so others can enjoy these beautiful summer blooms as well!
