Opting for some of the easiest flowering plants for summer is a wise choice if you're super busy, new to gardening, or simply not that green-fingered. After all, whether you have a few flowerbeds or just a couple of pots in a courtyard, a few beautiful blooms can totally transform a space.
From a low-growing perennial with masses of tiny blooms to tender annuals that provide plenty of cheer for months, there's a reliable and no-fuss plant to suit any garden trend. Even just investing in one or two can make a big difference (and if you're a beginner, this may help build your confidence as you get more familiar with plant care).
I asked gardening professionals for their recommendations on easy bloomers for the warmest season, and below, they share their picks. There are also lots of practical tips on how to help them perform at their best.
8 easiest flowering plants for summer to get growing this year
Now's the time to stock up on some essential gardening tools if you haven't already. As well as a sturdy trowel for planting, you'll need a watering can and a pair of gardening gloves, such as these floral RHS Burgon and Ball ones from Crocus.
A trowel is an essential gardening tool, and this one features a resistant stainless steel head with a useful serrated edge and planting depth scale.
Even the easiest plants need watering in summer, especially if they're freshly planted. This classic metal watering can with a removable watering rose is a great tool for ticking off the task.
1. Erigeron karvinskianus
"This cheeky, small, pretty plant with its soft daisy flowers will seed itself in cracks and crevices and romp all over your garden," says garden designer Harriet Worsley, who adds how it has an informal cottage garden look.
Gardening expert Sarah Raven also recommends it (particularly the "Profusion" variety, which is seasonally available from the Sarah Raven website). "The masses of pink daisy-like flowers are perfect for softening garden steps, walls, and patios," she says. Erigeron will flower for months on end, she adds. "It’s a brilliant value plant which no garden should be without in summer."
Upkeep is minimal, as this low-growing perennial is drought-tolerant once established. However, Sarah says that it should be planted in a sunny spot with well-draining soil, and that regular deadheading will encourage growth.
2. Echinacea
Lucie Bradley, a gardening expert from Easy Garden Irrigation, recommends echinacea for our list of easiest flowering plants for summer. "Flowering from as early as June through to as late as October, needing very little maintenance and suffering from hardly any pests or disease, echinacea is a perfect flowering herbaceous perennial for busy gardeners," she says. What's more, they are a great plant for pollinators.
While most commonly seen in shades of purple or pink, these pretty perennials can also be found in white, green, and red. However, Lucie says she always recommends either the pink or purple varieties, such as "Elton Knight", "Rubinstern" (which you can buy from Crocus), or "Ruby Giant", as these tend to outperform the other colours.
"Best planted in spring or early summer, they produce the best blooms when grown in full sun and in any type of soil as long as it is free draining," she continues. "Although you will need to water them in their first year, their long tap roots mean that once established, they can cope with dry soil and perform best when allowed to dry out between waterings."
3. Pelargoniums
Pelargoniums (sometimes called geraniums) are perfect plants for patio pots. Harriet especially recommends the white varieties, adding how they're easy for window boxes and to pep up borders. They don’t need much care, she says, "just water them once or twice a week". However, she notes that they must be in a sunny spot.
You can also deadhead pelargoniums if you wish, which will neaten up their appearance as flowers fade. This is super easy to do, as the spent flower stems should break off easily from the main stem if you give them a gentle pull.
As they are tender, it's important to bring pelargoniums indoors before temperatures drop – a sunny windowsill is perfect. Otherwise, you can simply treat them as annuals and replace them each year.
Try the "White Pearl" pelargonium from Thompson & Morgan for a trailing variety.
4. Geranium "Rozanne"
Hardy geraniums are different from the pelargoniums mentioned above, as they can stay out in your garden all year round. As they are herbaceous, they will die back in winter, with new growth sprouting in the spring.
Charlotte McGrattan, hardy nursery stock buyer at Hillier Garden Centres, recommends "Rozanne" – an award-winning variety, for our list, highlighting its deep violet-blue flowers with white centres and maroon veins. "Flowering from early summer to early autumn, geraniums are perfect for adding instant colour to the garden," she says.
Plant "Rozanne" (available from Hillier Garden Centres) in well-draining soil, and remember to water the plants properly while they get established. A layer of mulch around the plant will help to retain soil moisture. They are super versatile and grow quickly, working beautifully in pots, borders, or even as rock garden plants.
5. Bacopa
Bacopa (also known as Chaenostoma cordatum) is a fabulous and easy-going bedding plant with tiny flowers that brighten summer displays.
"If you’re looking for training foliage and waterfalls of flowers, white bacopa will add a veneer of romantic prettiness to pots, troughs and window boxes," says Harriet. "Bacopa likes sun but also tolerates semi-shade, and the flowers go on, and on, and on. In the city, it may last two years, but in colder areas, it will die off in the winter."
Regular watering and feeding throughout the growing season will help these alluring plants truly thrive. Try the "Snowflake" variety, available from Crocus.
6. Dahlias
Learning how to grow dahlias is easier than you might expect and an excellent option if you want show-stopping blooms for displaying indoors.
“For a long-performing flower in summer, you can’t beat dahlias," says Sarah. "The bold splashes of colour that dahlia 'Molly Raven' [from the Sarah Raven website] produces are brilliant, and the Venetian-marbled-paper textures make it a stunning centrepiece with the rich stripes and pink petal base contrasting perfectly against the stems. Support it with a stout stick, making sure to tie it in every couple of weeks."
For best results, you should plant dahlias in moist but well-drained soil, Sarah adds. Somewhere with plenty of sun is also beneficial. Snip off spent flowers to encourage more blooms. In warmer regions, protect the tubers from winter cold by covering the area with a thick blanket of mulch – or, in colder places (or to play it safe), dig the tubers up to keep them somewhere frost-free, then replant them in spring.
7. Nepeta
"A great herbaceous perennial which takes up very little time but brings a lot of benefits to your garden is nepeta – commonly called ‘catmint’ due to its attraction to cats," says Lucie. "Very similar to lavender, nepeta has small lavender-blue flowers (although some varieties are white or yellow) which appear from late spring through to late summer, and attractive greyish-green leaves."
For best results, Lucie advises planting it in soil which has good drainage and where it will get full sun. Keep them well-watered at first. "Once established, these hardy plants can pretty much look after themselves."
Try planting the award-winning "Walker's Low" variety from Crocus to soften the edges of pathways.
Top tip: These plants can be given a "Chelsea chop" to encourage flowering later on in the year.
8. Repeat-flowering roses
“David Austin Roses are renowned for their repeat-flowering varieties, offering an abundance of blooms from early summer right through to the first frosts," says Liam Beddall, senior rose consultant at David Austin Roses. "These English roses combine the beauty and fragrance of old-fashioned roses with the reliability and performance of modern breeding, making them an easy yet elegant choice for vibrant summer colour."
One of his favourites is the "Olivia Rose Austin®", which he says is an exceptional repeat-flowering variety known for its delicate, soft pink blooms and strong fruity fragrance. "It features beautifully cupped petals that open into a classic rosette shape, making it a favourite for both borders and containers.”
"Gertrude Jekyll®" is another of Liam's favourites, which he says is one of the earliest English roses to bloom, producing large, rosette-shaped flowers in a glowing pink for an uplifting display. "This vigorous variety grows into a medium-sized, upright shrub, or can be trained as a climber offering both beauty and structure.”
Our guide on keeping roses flowering for longer will help you get the most from your plants.
FAQs
What are some easy flowering plants for pots?
Many of the easiest flowering plants for summer listed above can happily grow in containers – look for compact varieties for the best results. Just remember to ensure each pot has drainage holes and that each plant has enough space to grow. Water them more often than those in the ground, too, as pots tend to dry out quicker.
For another plant option, consider agapanthus. "This semi-evergreen perennial forms tidy clumps of lush green foliage, topped with rounded heads of trumpet-shaped flowers," says Charlotte. She also notes how it flowers over a long period. Our guide on deadheading agapanthus will help you keep yours neat.
What are some other ways to create a low-fuss summer garden?
One of the best gardening tips to remember is that different plants have different preferences in terms of soil type, spacing, and sunlight. So, it's always worth checking the label before you buy, to ensure you have somewhere suitable where they will easily thrive.
Watering is the other big thing to bear in mind throughout the summer months. Choosing drought-tolerant varieties is beneficial for a low-maintenance garden, although even these often need plenty of water to start with, as they settle into their new home. Mulching your flowerbeds will help keep the soil moist (and also suppress weeds).
On the topic of weeds, note that a carpet of dense ground cover plants can be useful at preventing them from taking a foothold, and there are lots of lovely, flowering options.
Looking to add more beautiful blooms to your garden this year? Our guide to late-summer flowers has plenty of colourful picks to inspire you.
