Blooming All Summer: Annuals for July & August

If your gardening tastes are anything like ours, chances are high that you’re eager to savour the abundant blooms of annual flowers. Even if your main focuses are fruits and veggies or your show-stopping perennial border, the vibrant colours of annuals instantly breathe life into any garden space, making them must-have additions to your landscape this summer. If you’re still shopping for annuals, we’d like to introduce you to some of our most prolific favourites that bloom all summer and are sure to keep your garden buzzing with life! 

Annual Flowers That Bloom All Summer in Abbotsford

While all annuals spend their warm summer days in full bloom, there are some that absolutely thrive in the full sun and heat of the season, stealing the show with repeat blooming all through July and August. Try these greenhouse favourites in your garden this summer:

Marigolds

These vibrant beauties bloom all summer and usually come in shades of yellow, orange, and red, splashing colour wherever you plant them. They’re also super at repelling pests and make great companion plants for cottage gardens or veggie patches. 

Petunias

A classic summer-blooming beauty, petunias will stun your guests all season long with their large, repeated flowering. They can grow in partial shade, but to make them perform at their best, allow them to bask in the full light of the summer sun. You can also reboot their vitality in late summer by trimming off any “leggy” stems to promote new, compact growth.

Dahlias

We love dahlias in the greenhouse, and they continue to be one of the most popular annual summer flowers. Prized for their tall stems and large, distinct blooms, dahlias are used worldwide in cut flower arrangements and wedding adornments. Although dahlias are summer-blooming annuals, you can store their tubers over winter to replant the following spring. 

Alyssum

The perfect annual flower for containers, window boxes, and cottage gardens, alyssum showers your landscape with sweet clusters of small flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple. Alyssum spreads quickly through a garden and looks its best trailing across a rockery, in between taller blooms in a perennial border, or spilling abundantly over the side of a stuffed container.

Cosmos

Here in Abbotsford, you’ll likely see cosmos blooming happily all summer long and right into early Fall. These tall, daisy-like annuals grow pretty tall, so it might be necessary to stake them or plant them next to a fence or supporting wall to prevent them from toppling over in high winds. Cosmos are also prolific re-seeders, so if you want them to spread, allow some flower heads to remain when deadheading.

Celosia

With a look that resembles something out of a Dr. Seuss book, celosias are a must-have heat-tolerant annual for any garden this year! These summer bloomers will instantly add drama, colour, and pizazz to your Abbotsford landscape with their hues of red, yellow, and viva magenta.

Zinnias

Often confused with dahlias, their famous lookalikes, zinnias also stand tall and proud and bloom all summer up until the first frost starts biting. Hummingbirds and butterflies love zinnias, so planting these ensures a happy local pollinator population.

Sweet Pea Vine

Often considered one of the prettiest annuals for a cottage garden, this perfectly sweet plant produces deliciously fragrant flowers that make superior cut vase displays and usually blooms from June until late July. However, they can continue much longer in optimal weather conditions and with the right care. Give this annual flowering plenty of fertilizer and frequently deadhead to encourage reblooming.

Impatiens

Though impatiens can be treated as a perennial here in B.C. with the proper care and overwintering strategy, most gardeners use them as a brilliant, long-blooming annual to fill borders, containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets. The best part about them is that they don’t need to be deadheaded to keep their momentum going. That being said, however, feel free to prune any leggy growth back if needed.

Annuals that bloom all summer are a real treat, and we hope we’ve inspired you to continue growing for the months ahead. We are now closed for the season, but we hope you have a wonderful summer creating your gorgeous gardens!