No matter how much we love the spring, it’s the summer garden display that steals the show. We need to wait a little longer for the temperatures to rise but there’s one thing we can do right now: sow flowers!
Yes, April is the perfect time to plant summer bloomers that will adorn our outdoor space. I plant marigolds and zinnias at this time but I’m sure you already know all about these guys.
Well, there are some other, less popular beauties that deserve a spot in your garden and, best of all, each has something special to offer:
1. Borage For Beauty But Also Eating
Some flowers stand out because of their versatility. The best example is borage, an edible plant with spectacular blue and purple blossoms.
They taste heavenly in salads but I prefer using them in my refreshing summer drinks.
Pollinators, such as bees, adore the star-shaped blossoms of borage, and that’s another amazing thing about this plant.
So, what do you need to grow borage? Start with making a few thin rows with about 16 inches of space between each. Then, scatter the borage seeds lightly over the prepared planting site and cover it with half an inch of soil.
Don’t forget to check moisture regularly and mist if necessary.
I have a couple of borage plants in containers and they perform great, but they need watering more frequently.
2. Spice Things Up With Chrysanthemums
Everyone loves chrysanthemums! Also known as mums, these gorgeous plants are a part of summer and fall gardens worldwide.
If you’re a fan of brightly colored annual mums with smaller leaves, then April is the perfect time to sow them!
Here in Florida, temperatures are already warm enough for planting mums in the ground. If you live in cooler climates, you can wait until the danger of frost ends.
The planting process is typical: remove weeds and rake the site to fine tilth. Scatter the seeds, cover them with soil lightly, and you’re good to go!
3. Sunflowers For Sun-Kissed Splendor
Can you imagine a summer garden without sunflowers? Me neither! There’s simply something about these flowers that can cheer you up and make the hot summer evenings more enjoyable.
Luckily, growing sunflowers is super easy and sowing them in April guarantees success. If you have small children or, in my case, nephews, you can include them in this wonderful project.
Apart from the standard yellow sunflowers, you can also go with other colors, such as orange and red. Unusual yet beautiful!
If you live in Southern California, Texas, or other warmer USDA zones, you can sow your sunflowers directly in the ground once April approaches.
For fellow gardeners from Kentucky, Colorado, or cooler zones, it would be best to start the seeds indoors and transplant them outdoors when temperatures rise.
4. Alyssum For An Elegant Touch
It can be pretty hard to decide which flower to grow in hanging baskets or other container types. If you’re one of these people, search no more, I have something special for you!
Sweet alyssum, or simply, alyssum, is a gorgeous flowering plant that produces stunning blooms with a cascading growth habit. They’re tiny and white but they grow densely and you get a feeling you’re looking into a carpet!
But I would like to share a couple of things I learned about alyssum. Their seeds should be started indoors in April but you need to be careful about the temperatures.
Most of my flower seeds germinate at 70 degrees Fahrenheit but alyssum seeds performed best when I set temperatures to 50 degrees.
This basically means these seeds are suitable for unheated greenhouses or cold frames. Just make sure to sow them in high-quality seed-starting mix and lightly cover them with compost!
5. Nasturtiums Have It All
Nasturtiums remind me of old gardens and they’re definitely a summer classic. You can incorporate them into various garden designs.
The blossoms come in orange, red, and yellow, which will add a fiery touch to your outdoor space.
Guess what? The flowers are edible! It took me a long time to try nasturtium pesto, but luckily I did and it tastes amazing.
Oh, that’s not all. Nasturtiums make great companion plants because they can repel pests and attract beneficial insects and pollinators.
And last, but not least, these beauties don’t need much to thrive so they’re a perfect option for beginners. Start them indoors in April and transplant them outdoors when temperatures reach about 68 degrees!
6. Gypsophila For Cut Flowers
Here’s one of my favorite garden flowers: gypsophila. If you aren’t familiar with this name, maybe baby’s breath rings a bell!
These plants produce lovely tiny white blooms and they look absolutely fantastic in flower arrangements.
If you want to sow your baby’s breath in April, you should go with annual varieties.
The roots of these plants aren’t big fans of moving, so I highly recommend sowing the seeds directly in the ground. Just wait until the temperatures reach 70 degrees, grab your gardening gloves, and start sowing!
I use the succession planting method for my gypsophila because I can have cut flowers all season long. For those who’ve never heard of this method, it’s basically resowing the seeds every few weeks to get a continuous bloom display!
7. Amaranth
And our journey ends with one of the most spectacular flowering plants out there – Amaranth. With its red, green, and purple tassel-like blooms, it will steal the spotlight in every garden.
But beauty isn’t the only quality of amaranth plants. Their seeds and leaves are edible and they’ll make a perfect addition to your kitchen garden.
You can start amaranth seeds indoors in April or wait for outdoor sowing when the temperatures reach approximately 70 degrees.
I grow the Love Lies Bleeding variety and it’s definitely the most popular in US gardens.
So, are you ready for the most captivating summer bloom display you’ve ever seen? With these amazing flowers, it’s guaranteed!