seasonal planting guide
Flowers
Gardening
Seasonal

Flowers Blooming by Season: What to Grow and When

By Ben Carter
Reviewed by ePlant Editorial
Published on July 30, 2024

A garden that delights year-round is a garden planned with the seasons. By choosing flowers that bloom at different times, you can create a continuous parade of color from the first thaw of spring to the final days of fall.

From the ePlant team, we're here to guide you through the symphony of the seasons. Understanding the rhythm of nature is the key to a vibrant garden. This guide will help you select the perfect flowers to ensure your outdoor (or indoor!) space is always alive with color. As you read, remember that our ePlant app is the perfect companion for identifying these beauties on the go and getting detailed care information.

Spring: The Great Awakening

After a long winter, spring flowers are a welcome sight, heralding the return of warmth and life. These early bloomers are often resilient and eager to grow.

Tulips

These iconic bulbs come in every color imaginable. Plant them in the fall for a spectacular spring show. They are perfect for garden beds and containers.

A vibrant bed of colorful spring tulips

Daffodils

With their cheerful yellow and white trumpets, daffodils are one of the most reliable spring flowers. They are deer-resistant and multiply each year.

Cheerful yellow daffodils blooming in a spring garden

Summer: A Carnival of Color

Summer is when the garden truly comes alive. The long, sunny days fuel an explosion of growth and an abundance of blooms that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Sunflowers

The quintessential summer flower, sunflowers follow the sun and bring a smile to any face. They come in sizes from dwarf varieties to towering giants.

A tall sunflower in a field under the summer sun

Zinnias

Easy to grow from seed, zinnias offer a rainbow of colors and are one of the best flowers for cutting. The more you cut, the more they bloom!

A colorful mix of zinnia flowers in a summer garden

Found a Flower You Don't Recognize?

Use your phone to snap a picture! The ePlant app can identify it in seconds and give you all the details you need to grow it yourself.

Identify with ePlant

Fall: A Final, Fiery Display

As the days grow shorter, the garden's color palette shifts to rich, warm tones. Fall-blooming flowers provide crucial nectar for migrating pollinators and offer one last burst of beauty before winter.

Chrysanthemums (Mums)

The undisputed queen of the fall garden. Available in countless shapes and colors, mums provide brilliant color well into the cooler months.

A pot of vibrant orange and yellow chrysanthemums on a porch

Asters

These daisy-like flowers cover themselves in blooms of purple, blue, pink, and white. Asters are a critical late-season food source for bees.

A bee on a purple aster flower in the fall

Plan Your Year-Round Garden

By planting a variety of flowers from each season, you can enjoy a garden that is always changing and always beautiful. At ePlant, we're passionate about helping you connect with the natural world. Use our app to explore even more seasonal flower options and plan your perfect garden.

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