Spring may be in full swing, but there’s still time to get your garden summer-ready. The right flowers planted now will deliver vibrant colour for months — and give your outdoor space an instant lift. To narrow it down, we asked gardening experts which varieties genuinely go the distance, and five stood out for their long-lasting blooms.
These reliable flowers suit a wide range of gardens and growing conditions, making them an easy win to grow and care for. Here are the five that will keep your garden looking good from late spring right through to summer.
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Nasturtiums
Plant expert, author, and social media creator Huw Richards recommends planting 'cottage garden-style plants' like nasturtiums. These cheerful blooms deliver an instant hit of colour and are well suited to spring and summer. Easy to grow, nasturtiums thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making them a reliable choice for borders, beds and containers alike.
Starflowers
Huw also recommends planting borage now to enjoy its striking, star-shaped flowers in summer. Also known as starflower, borage prefers moist, well-drained soil but will happily tolerate drier conditions, making it a forgiving choice if you occasionally forget to water. Low-maintenance and easy to grow, it’s a great addition to any garden for effortless colour and interest.
Zinnias
Florist and owner of Florist Empire, Gloria Sims, recommends planting zinnias (Zinnia elegans) in spring for long-lasting colour. 'They come in nearly every colour imaginable – from deep magenta to buttery yellows. Keep them deadheaded (which means just removing the spent blooms), and they will repay you with a continual crop of flowers throughout summer to the first frost of autumn,' Gloria explains.
African Marigolds
Tagetes erecta, more commonly known as the African marigold, is a wonderful spring flower. 'I plant them in the full sun from April to May, spacing them around 10 to 12 inches. They bloom profusely, they repel pests such as aphids and nematodes, and they are a great companion plant to vegetables or other flowers,' Gloria explains. 'These warm orange-golden blooms shine next to some cool colours, such as blue salvia or purple petunia.'
Coneflowers
Gloria also recommends planting coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) in spring. They're wildlife-friendly, they thrive in full sun and they offer long-lasting colour and late-season structure. Give them plenty of space — around 45–60cm apart — so they can properly establish and flower from late spring through to the end of summer. As the season shifts, their blooms will naturally fade back, but they continue to add interest in other ways. Gloria notes, 'They will survive drought on their own, attracting butterflies and bees, and weigh in with seedheads for birds at summer's end.'
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