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60 Best Types of Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

It's time to plant!

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Part of the joy of gardening is learning about new plants and adding them to your garden. And there's always space for one more plant! To keep your garden looking amazing throughout the year, make sure to mix it up: Plant annuals for quick pops of color and perennials, which come back year after year, as well as spring-flowering bulbs, evergreens and flowering shrubs. There are even plants that bloom in winter before the snow has melted to provide color during the darkest days of the year! Variety in your plantings not only provides habitat and food for pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, but you'll also enjoy more color for a longer period of time.

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Before purchasing a plant, make sure to read the plant tag or description. When you're planting perennials or shrubs, choose those that will survive winters in your USDA Hardiness zone (find yours here). And pay attention to how much sun or shade a plant needs. Sun lovers need sun and won't bloom in shade; shade lovers will sizzle in the afternoon sun.

Whether you're just daydreaming of spring or are planning to order all your spring flowers and plants soon, read on for the best flowers for any garden, big or small, country or formal.

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Astrantia

When it blooms: Spring to summer

Why we love it: This lesser-known perennial actually is an old-fashioned cottage garden favorite. Its pretty blooms last a long time and attract tons of pollinators.

SHOP ASTRANTIA

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Allium

When it blooms: Late spring

Why we love it: Tall, globe-shaped flowers (some are as big as your hand!) are a striking addition to the spring garden. Rodents won't bother these bulbs.

SHOP ALLIUMS

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Angelonia

When it blooms: Spring to fall

Why we love it: The bright colors, cascading or upright forms and flowers that bloom non-stop are all reasons to plant this annual in your beds, window boxes, and pots. It's sometimes called summer snapdragon.

SHOP ANGELONIA

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Aster

When they bloom: Mid-summer to fall

Why we love them: It's one of our favorite perennials for a reason! Aster blooms for a long period, adding color just as all the other flowers are winding down for the season.

SHOP ASTERS

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Azalea

When they bloom: Spring

Why we love them: These pretty shrubs tell you spring is in full swing. They're gorgeous planted in masses with other spring-flowering perennials. Some types rebloom later in the season.

SHOP AZALEAS

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Balloon Flower

When it blooms: Midsummer

Why we love it: This perennial has brilliant blue, purple or pink blooms last for weeks. Plus, the tiny balloon-shaped buds make it even more fun to admire in your garden!

SHOP BALLOON FLOWERS

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Begonia

When they bloom: Spring through summer (though some types bloom year-round)

Why we love them: Begonias come in a staggering array of shapes and colors and bloom continually without any deadheading (pinching off spent blooms). They're the perfect low-maintenance annual for any garden!

SHOP BEGONIAS

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Black-eyed Susan

When it blooms: Late summer to early fall

Why we love it: This sunny flower will make you smile, plus it doesn't need babied because it's drought tolerant and blooms for weeks and weeks. These are all the reasons you need this late season bloomer in your garden. Be sure to choose a perennial type.

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Butterfly Bush

When it blooms: Early summer to late summer

Why we love it: Tons of spikey flowers in pink, purple or white cover this fast-growing shrub. Plus, you'll love seeing all the butterflies that visit! Newer varieties are not invasive.

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Caladium

When it blooms: As pretty as any flower's bloom, the leaves keep their color from spring to frost

Why we love it: Gorgeous heart-shaped leaves add style to any garden, especially in shaded areas where many flowers won't bloom.

SHOP CALADIUMS

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Calendula

When it blooms: Spring to mid-summer

Why we love it: These old-fashioned favorites are easy to grow from seed, and their bright orange or yellow petals make a gorgeous contrast to flowers that are blue or purple.

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Calibrachoa

When they bloom: Spring to fall

Why we love them: These adorable annuals look like petunias but actually are a different plant. They bloom abundantly until a hard frost--and come in any color (including multi-colored pinwheels) you can imagine!

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Catmint

When it blooms: Early summer to fall

Why we love it: If you want a perennial that requires almost no work, this is the plant for you! The silvery spicy-sweet foliage and the long-lasting blooms of catmint keep tons of pollinators buzzing for weeks and weeks. It's also drought-tolerant.

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Chrysanthemums

When they bloom: Late summer to late fall

Why we love them: Mums come in ton of different types and colors ranging from hot pink to pumpkin orange. Plant these perennials in the spring so their roots can get established and survive winter; if you wait to fall to plant, they'll give a good show but likely won't return next year because they're putting their energy into blooming, not putting down roots.

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Clematis

When it blooms: Spring to late summer

Why we love it: Clematis is a beautiful vine for fences, arbors and lamp posts. But be patient; it often takes perennials such as clematis several years to get established and take off.

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Columbine

When they bloom: Spring

Why we love them: The delicate flowers are so exotic-looking, yet these perennials are tough and very cold-hardy. Plant them with other spring perennials and annuals for best effect. They're also sometimes called Granny's bonnet (how cute is that!).

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Coneflower

When it blooms: Early to late summer

Why we love it: These perennials are super-tough and drought-tolerant. They come in an array of bright and beautiful colors from lime green to hot pink and deep red.

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Crocus

When it blooms: Spring

Why we love it: These tiny flowers pop up in early spring, often when snow still is on the ground. Plant in the fall for spring blooms that return year after year.

SHOP CROCUSES

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Daffodil

When they bloom: Early spring

Why we love them: Their bobbing heads are one of the earliest signs of spring--plus, rodents won't bother these bulbs (unlike tulips and crocuses). Plant in the fall for spring flowers, which should return for many years.

SHOP DAFFODILS

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Dead Nettle

When it blooms: Late spring to mid-summer

Why we love it: We promise the plant is way better than its strange name! Also called lamium, this plant has pretty foliage and pink or purple flowers. It makes an incredibly low-maintenance perennial groundcover because it's drought tolerant and not fussy about soil types.

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Dianthus

When they bloom: Late spring to early summer

Why we love them: These sturdy perennials come in every shade of the rainbow! They work well as a groundcover, planted in rock gardens, or placed at the front of a mixed border.

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Daylily

When they bloom: Mid-summer

Why we love them: When nothing else will grow for you, plant daylilies! These super-hardy perennials come in various heights and stunning, saturated colors. As they multiply, you can divide and replant elsewhere.

SHOP DAYLILIES

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False Indigo

When it blooms: Spring

Why we love it: This perennial, also called baptisia, is a spring bloomer in shades of bright purple, pink, or yellow. It has pretty blooms which become interesting seed pods in the fall! Pollinators love it, too!

SHOP FALSE INDIGO

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Fan Flower

When they bloom: Spring to hard freeze

Why we love them: Fan flowers are a reliable annual which come in a variety of colors including pink, white, and purple-blue. They're beautiful cascading from baskets and window boxes.

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Forsythia

When they bloom: Early spring

Why we love them: Forsythia are one of the earliest signs of spring, and their blooms appear before the foliage does. Look for newer varieties that remain much neater and more compact so they fit in smaller gardens.

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Four O'Clocks

When they bloom: Summer

Why we love them: These old-fashioned annuals, which open in late afternoon, have a sweet scent that attracts butterflies during the day and moths in the evening.

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Fuchsia

When it blooms: Summer

Why we love it: The exotic-looking blooms of this annual brighten up any shady area. It's incredible in baskets and window boxes, and pollinators such as hummingbirds love it!

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Hellebore

When they bloom: Mid to late winter

Why we love them: These gorgeous perennials appear in winter or early spring, often blooming when snow is still on the ground in northern climates. They look delicate, but they're actually super-hardy.

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Hollyhock

When they bloom: Summer

Why we love them: Big blossoms in luscious colors make these a must-have for any cottage garden. They can grow up to seven feet tall, so keep them at the back of borders.

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Hyacinth

When they bloom: Mid to late spring

Why we love them: These pretty bulbs have a strong scent, and they bloom for weeks. Plant in the fall for spring blooms. They're a good choice if you're dealing with digging chipmunks and other rodents because they don't like these bulbs.

SHOP HYACINTHS

Arricca Elin Sansone Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more.

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