You might think of the spring as the primary seed sowing time. But there are actually plenty of seeds you can still sow through the summer months. In this article, we’ll look at 31 flower seeds you can sow in summer.
Some are quick growing annuals that will provide blooms later in the season and into the fall.
You can also sow the seeds of certain flowers in summer for bedding plants that will bring color to the winter or spring garden.
Some are biennials or short-lived perennials that will bloom next year.
There are also plenty of hardy perennial flowers that you can sow during the summer months.
Of course, which flowering plants you should sow will depend on where exactly you live and the conditions to be found there.
Remember, it is very important to take into account the climate where you live, the micro-climate of your particular garden, and the soil type, pH and conditions. I would strongly recommend that you delve a little deeper to look into the conditions required by each of the flowering plants on this list.
Depending on where you live, certain options may need to be sown undercover, or brought undercover later in the year. Do your research so you know how to care for each of the plants you sow seeds for in your garden.
Not all the plants on this list will necessarily be suitable for you. But this list should give you a starting point to help you plan for a beautiful garden over the coming year (and the years to come).
Why Sow Flowers in Summer?
Sticking to spring sowing can give you attractive blooms. But sowing in summer too can really kick things up a notch. When you sow flowers in summer as well as earlier in the year you can:
- Enjoy late summer/ fall flowers. (You still have time this month to get blooms before the cold weather arrives once more.)
- To give you bedding plants to use to fill gaps in beds or borders, or to keep in containers over the winter and spring.
- Boost your stock of garden plants by propagating your existing biennial and perennial plants from seed.
- Create a lower maintenance garden by growing new biennial and perennial plants.
- Make sure you have flowering plants for pollinators and other garden wildlife throughout as much of the year as possible.
Another thing to bear in mind when choosing which flowers to sow in summer is what those flowers can provide (other than visual appeal).
A number of the plants included on the list below also help you as a gardener – by attracting beneficial creatures to your garden, and repelling certain pests.
Some also provide yields in their own right – as edible flowers, medicinal plants, or for other uses around your homestead, such as for soap making, or other natural cleaning solutions.
Choose the right flowering plants and you will find they can benefit you in a wide range of different ways.
You might be thinking about sowing more vegetables and other edible crops to see you through into the colder months to come. If you are focused on edibles, remember that flowers are important too.
Even when flowers don’t provide an edible or other yield, they are still essential for pollinators and other wildlife in your garden. Flowers may ‘just’ be ornamental – but like all your other plants, they can perform important functions in an organic garden.
It is a good policy to think about integration rather than segregation. Instead of having separate flower beds or borders and annual growing areas for fruits and vegetables, think about combining the two, to create thriving and productive food producing gardens that also look great all year round.
Quick-Growing Annual Flowers to Sow in Summer
In July, it is not to late to sow a range of annual flowers that will give you bright and beautiful blooms in your garden before the winter arrives.
Annual flowers will bloom only for a single season, but some are excellent self-seeders and so can pop back up over a number of years.
1. Amaranthus
2. Cleome
3. Cobaea scandens (cup-and-saucer vine)
4. Cosmos
5. Cornflowers
6. Marigolds (Tagetes)
7. Nasturtiums
8. Nicotiana
9. Ricinus (castor oil Plant)
10. Stocks (Matthiola)
While you may already have some of the flower seeds on this list, you still have time to get growing if you have not already done so. Just remember that if you live in a cooler climate zone, many of these annuals may need protection from early frosts.
While annual plants may not be the lowest maintenance plants to grow, there are still plenty of reasons to include some annuals in your planting schemes.
They can look great in dedicated ornamental beds or borders, of course. But you can also consider growing some alongside your fruits and vegetables.
Annual flowering plants will often fit in well with annual edible crops, since they can fit in with crop rotation plans. If you grow annual flowers in your kitchen garden, they can bring a range of benefits. For example, they can help in pest control, attract beneficial wildlife, and provide yields in their own right.
Another reason to sow flower seeds in summer is to make sure you have companion plants around to aid your food crops later in the year.
Seeds to Sow For Flowers in the Winter Months and Spring Bedding
You can also sow flower seeds in summer for bedding plants that will bring color to your garden or your containers over the winter and early spring next year. For example, you could sow:
11. Pansies (Winter-flowering Pansies)
12. Polyanthus
13. Viola (To overwinter for color in the spring)
Biennials/ Short-lived Perennials to Sow in Summer
Biennials are amongst the most important flower seeds to sow in the summer months. By sowing biennial flower seeds in summer, you will mimic the natural seed distribution process. Leave some in place to self-seed, and they can do their work for you.
For example, I allow foxgloves to self-seed throughout my forest garden, so there will always be plenty popping up each year. You can also collect seeds, or purchase some, and sow the following plants – and a range of other biennials and short-lived perennial flowering plants in your garden:
14. Angelica
15. Aquilegia
16. Cynoglossum ababile
17. Echium vulgare
18. Eringeum giganteum
19. Foxgloves
20. Hollyhocks
21. Lunaria (honesty)
22. Papaver (Poppies, California poppies, Iceland poppies)
23. Primulas
These are just some of the interesting and attractive biennial or short-lived perennial flowers to consider.
Perennial Flower Seeds to Sow In Summer
Perennial flowers are a great choice for many gardens. Sowing perennials is a great way to make the most of your garden, and require far less effort to grow than annuals, since they will come back each year.
Here are just some of the many perennial flowers you could think about sowing this month:
24. Bellis
25. Delphiniums
26. Echinacea
27. Geraniums
28. Lupins
29. Myosotis (forget-me-nots)
30. Scabiosa
31. Strelitzia (bird of paradise flower)
(Summer is also the time to plant cyclamen corms. Keep them warm over winter and they will then flower within 18 months.)
The list above is by no means a comprehensive one. There are also plenty of other flower seeds to sow in July and August. But as mentioned above, this list should help you begin to decide how to proceed and which plants to grow.
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