Many of us who enjoy gardening find joy and relaxation in tending to the space we have cultivated at home. We devote time and effort into our gardens and hope to reap the rewards with an abundance of flourishing plants.
Unfortunately, some flowers in particular are quite stubborn and do not always grow or bloom the way we expect them to. This can be irritating, especially for those who have only brief growing seasons.
To help you make the best decision for choosing plants that deliver as promised, we have made a list of annual flowers that reliably bloom between spring and fall, giving you peace of mind and a beautiful garden.
Read on below for our top 25 picks.
1. Zinnias
Zinnias are prolific growers and produce abundant, colorful blooms very early on in the season. These flowers will continue to bring gardens to life right until the first frosts.
- Average size: Between 8 and 30 inches tall and 8-15 inches wide
- Available colors: Large range of mixtures including bright pinks, creams, yellows, oranges, purples, and reds
- Sun or shade: Full sun
2. Impatiens
Impatiens are an excellent choice for ground cover, especially in areas that receive little sunlight, like beneath existing trees, shrubs, or awnings. These plants will also reach maturity quickly and bloom in time for spring and continue into late summer.
- Average size: Between 6 and 34 inches tall, and 1-3 feet wide
- Available colors: Whites, pinks, lilacs, coral, violet, and reds
- Sun or shade: Partial shade
3. Geraniums
These flowers are well suited to growing in a number of different containers, provided these containers have plenty of drainage holes. Many gardeners have fun with this concept, utilizing old cooking pots (with holes drilled), woven baskets, and even old boots!
- Average size: 12-24 inches tall and wide
- Available colors: Pinks, purples, reds, and whites
- Sun or shade: Full sun
4. Petunias
Ah, the petunia — a flower that brings life, color, and joy to so many gardeners around the world. These incredibly easy-to-grow plants will bloom reliably and transform spring and summer gardens.
- Average size: 6-18 inches tall, 18 inches to 4 feet wide
- Available colors: A huge variety and mixture of crimson, white, coral, orange, pink, red, magenta, and yellow
- Sun or shade: Full sun
5. Four O’Clocks
These lesser-known flowers provide unusual, tropical looks with deep green foliage and a multitude of flowers. While these flowers are perennials in warm climates, they will die off in areas with frosts or snow.
- Average size: Between 1 and 3 feet in height and width
- Available colors: Yellow, red, pink, violet, and purple with solid and speckled flowers
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun
6. Marigolds
A must-have for gardeners hoping to attract many beneficial insects to the garden, marigolds are champions at bringing biodiversity to landscapes. They are equally as helpful in keeping away unwanted insects.
- Average size: 1 foot in height and width (American Marigolds can grow up to 4 feet high)
- Available colors: Oranges, yellow, and reds
- Sun or shade: Full sun to part shade
7. Vincas
One of the best attributes of this flower is its ability to withstand intense heat and short periods of drought. For this reason, it is a highly recommended to plant these in gardens located in the southern United States.
- Average size: 6-18 inches in height and width
- Available colors: White, peach, lavender, red, purple, pink
- Sun or shade: Full sun to part shade
8. Begonias
Begonias are really striking, unusual flowers that are a good addition for those wishing to add a different texture to their flower gardens.
- Average size: Highly variant, usually between 6 inches and 2 feet in height and width
- Available colors: Common colors include reds, oranges, pinks, and whites
- Sun or shade: Partial shade
9. Morning Glories
- Average size: Spread of 6-12 feet or more
- Available colors: Most common colors are hues of blue, purple, or pink
- Sun or shade: Full sun
These flowering vines are supercharged growers and will readily grow in many different soils, climates, and conditions — they are even considered invasive in certain environments.
10. New Guinea Impatiens
New Guinea impatiens are tropical, flowering plants with large, deep-green leaves. They are great for use in hanging baskets and to fill areas of the garden that receive too little light for other plants.
- Average size: 10-18 inches tall, 8-10 inches wide
- Available colors: Reds, whites, peach, and bright pink
- Sun or shade: Shade loving, tolerates full or partial sun
11. Cornflowers
Cornflowers are tough and are a go-to flower when it comes to reliable germination, growth, and long-lasting blooms. These meadow flowers are also great for attracting pollinators to the garden.
- Average size: 10-45 inches tall, 10-12 inches wide
- Available colors: Mostly indigo and violet, some reds and whites
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun
12. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums seem to find their way into the most unusual places and will bless gardens without any input from gardeners having overwintered in some inconspicuous spot. These flowers are also incredibly tasty with a sharp, peppery, and sweet taste.
- Average size: 1-3 feet in height and width
- Available colors: Red, orange, and yellow
- Sun or shade: Full sun to part shade
13. Celosias
Part of the Amaranthaceae family, the celosia provides unusual, richly colored flowers and foliage. For an abundance of blooms, be sure to give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Average size: 6-18 inches in height and width
- Available colors: Bright shades of reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and white
- Sun or shade: Full sun
14. Daisies
While there are many types of daisies, the most commonly known and recognized is the Bellis perennis, a cheerful, white-petalled flower that, for many, marks the coming of warm days and summer.
- Average size: 1-3 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide
- Available colors: Pristine white petals with yellow centers but also available in red, yellow, and mulberry
- Sun or shade: Full sun
15. Calendulas
Calendulas are, plain and simple, very pretty flowers. Who could resist those lovely, thick, orange flower heads? These plants are very fast growers, sometimes flowering in as little as six weeks from planting.
- Average size: 1-2 feet in height and width
- Available colors: Shades of orange and yellow
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun
16. Sweet Williams
As their name suggests, Sweet Williams are highly fragrant, sweet-smelling flowers that have a scent reminiscent of cloves that can perfume an entire area of the garden in the afternoon sun.
- Average size: 1-2 feet tall, 10-30 inches wide
- Available colors: Crimson reds, whites, pinks, and mixtures of multicolor
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun
17. Common Mallow
Common mallow has a long history of human cultivation as a food source, and all parts of the plant are edible, although this plant should only be collected from areas without pollutants, and positive identification is always necessary.
- Average size: 10-20 inches in height and width
- Available colors: Common mallow is pale mauve with purple stripes
- Sun or shade: Full sun to partial shade
18. Sweet Alyssum
These dainty, adorable little flowers are fantastic for use in mass ground cover plantings and can transform sad, empty patches of the garden into a true spectacle.
- Average size: 4 10 inches tall, 3-6 inches wide
- Available colors: Traditionally white, though purple, pink, and red varieties exist
- Sun or shade: Full or partial sun
19. Pentas
These wonderful, delicate flowers have the advantage of being suitable for all US Hardiness Zones and are ideal for attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.
- Average size: Around 1-3 feet in height and width
- Available colors: Red, maroon, purple, and flamingo pink
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun
20. Phlox
Phox constitutes many varieties, all with different applications ranging from tall, reaching flower clusters to blankets of tightly packed ground covers.
- Average size: 2-4 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide
- Available colors: Deep reds, pinks, magenta, white, purple, and even light blue
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun, heavily shaded areas
21. Calibrachoas
With a dazzling array of singular and multi-colored flowers, calibrachoas make any home look welcoming and are a favorite for hanging baskets and patio container growing.
- Average size: 4-12 inches tall, 1-2 feet wide
- Available colors: Many colors exist, popular varieties include gold, coral, and dark violet
- Sun or shade: Full sun
22. Torenias
Torenias are great for gardeners who want a gorgeous plant that blooms right through from spring to fall and makes attractive flowers to use in covered areas like patios and window sills.
- Average size: 1 foot in height and width
- Available colors: Dark amethyst, light purple, yellow, white, peach, pink, blue, and red
- Sun or shade: Part shade
23. Ageratums
These fuzzy, orb shaped flowers have a lovely, contrasting color to use in gardens abundant in reds and yellows, making for a striking palette.
- Average size: 6 inches to 1 foot in height and width
- Available colors: Light to dark lavender, light blue
- Sun or shade: Full sun
24. Angelonias
Adding both shape and height to flower gardens, angelonias have a very aesthetic, upright structure, and make a good addition next to more traditionally shaped flowers.
- Average size: 1-3 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide
- Available colors: Eggplant, lilac, purple, whites, pinks, and reds
- Sun or shade: Full sun
25. Scaevola
These unusual, semi-circle flowers will engulf containers and hanging pots, giving beautiful color to forgotten corners around the house.
- Average size: 8-12 inches high, 1-3 feet wide
- Available colors: Baby pink, orchid purple, whites, and reds
- Sun or shade: Full to partial sun
Conclusion
The listed flowers above should give you plenty of choices to add color, shape, height, and cover to your garden, and we are sure that there are a few in there that catch your eye.
Having reliable, long-blooming flowers in the garden is a real pleasure, and any of the plants listed here will meet this criterion.