Flowers are more than just the pretties of the garden. There are many positive benefits to be reaped from growing flowers in your garden. They add colour, fragrance and encourage beneficial insects and visiting birds. They are also fun to pick, whether to bring indoors or arrange in a posy to give to a friend. Some flowers are edible and make great additions to salads, drinks and desserts.

All plants produce flowers, but for the gardener keen to add lots of colourful blooms to the garden year-round, annuals are a good starting point. There are annual plants that flower in every season and suit all garden locations – including containers such as window boxes and hanging baskets. Most are easy to grow and can be started from seed or seedling, making them affordable to buy.

 

With careful plant choices, you can have a colourful, eclectic selection of flowers blooming all year long.

 

5 steps to fill your garden with flowers

  1. Choose your spot Generally a full sun to part shade position works best to maximise the health and vigour of flowering annuals.
  2. Enrich the soil A well-drained soil with plenty of organic material dug through provides the nutrients to get the plants growing and keep flowers blooming. Flower Power recommends Supersoil Enriched Soil Improver & Planting Mix. In a container, use Supersoil Professional Potting Mix.
  3. Get planting Pick up a packet of seeds, a bag of bulbs or invest in a punnet of seedlings to get started. For instant colour, look for small potted plants in flower - Flower Power sells these as "bloomers". For ideas on what to grow for flowers in each season, see our recommendations below.
  4. How to care for your flower garden Flower gardens don’t need to be hard work, but a few regular tasks will keep plants blooming. Water regularly and apply a liquid fertiliser (such as Harvest) every few weeks to encourage strong growth. Pick flowers or deadhead spent blooms to keep plants looking tidy and to promote further flowering.
  5. Replenish plantings Annuals don’t live forever – most last one to two seasons. As flowering starts to slow down, and if the plants begin to die back, it's time to get stuck in and remove spent annuals and replant to encourage another season of flowers.

 

What to plant for flowers all year round

Annuals start flowering within weeks of planting, or can be purchased already in flower in more advanced sizes. As one season comes to an end, get ready to plant flowers for the season ahead. The following is a selection flowers that bloom well over a long period, are easy to grow and can be picked for a vase. They are listed by season. Note that due to the seasonality of these plants, they'll be available to purchase at different times of year.

 

Summer Flowering Annuals

Pretty pink petunias add vibrant colour through summer.

 

Autumn Flowering Annuals

Marigolds add a vibrant splash through autumn.

 

Winter Flowering Annuals

Pansies and their smaller counterparts, violas, light up winter gardens.

 

Spring Flowering Annuals

Add colour and whimsy to your spring garden with poppies.