We Reminisce About Beautiful Summer Flowers

The end of growing season can make us especially nostalgic for the flowers we enjoyed this summer. Summer flowers are powerful – they can get you through the summer doldrums when you feel it’s too hot and you can’t be tempted by anything outside. Summer-powered flowers get us excited about our gardens, allowing us to have those sweet memories of watering or clipping off spent blooms in warm early mornings. To remind you of last summer or get you ready for next, I have listed some flowers you can enjoy in your garden during the summer or cut for their beautiful blooms.

Some of these flowers start to bloom in the spring and continue in the summer; many bloom only in the summer and some in the late summer until the fall.

Dahlia

These colorful, flamboyant plants yield beautiful blooms from mid-summer to autumn. Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants belonging to the Asteraceae family; sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia are associated species. Dahlia grows from brown, small, biennial tubers planted in the spring. It’s like going through a button box when selecting a favorite dahlia. In addition to coming in a bright rainbow of colours, dahlia flowers will range in size from tiny, 2-inch lollipop-style pompoms to giant “dinner plate” blooms of 15 inches. Many varieties grow in height between 4 and 5 feet. They have a way of adding subtle elegance and color to all of your bouquets. So if you’re looking to add a simple yet beautiful flower to an arrangement, consider adding dahlia flower to the mix.

Gloriosa Daisy

Depending on the variety, gloriosa daisies grow to a height of 1 to 3 feet, and many dwarf varieties are just below a foot. The average width of the plant is 18 inches. The leaves are 2 to 4 inches long and shaped like a lance. The gloriosa daisy has smooth margins for the most part, but they may have slight serration. Generally, the lower leaves are larger than the top ones, and the leaves and stems are somewhat hairy. In a beautiful display of yellow, orange and red with brown centers, flowers reveal colors and look like zinnia. The most common are yellow flowers. Their bloom time continues into mid-autumn.

Marigolds

close-up of marigold - we reminisce about summer flowers

Marigolds are an annual, no-fuss favourite that can add sunlight to your garden and nostalgia and texture to your arrangements. Give them full sun and soil, and watch them bloom from late spring to fall. The seeds of Marigold germinate in just a few days and bloom in about eight weeks. This simple sense of satisfaction makes them a good project for kids and novice gardeners. Plus, marigolds are a great companion to vegetable gardens and can help protect your veggies against predators and pests.

Jasmine

There are nearly 200 species of fragrant-flowered shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). These plants are native to the Old World’s tropical and temperate zones. Many are cultivated as ornamentals. Very few true jasmines have branches that climb without tendrils. The yellow, white, or (rarely) pink flowers have a flaring, lobed, pinwheel-like shape; some double-flowered varieties have been developed and can look especially striking. Jasmine leaves can be evergreen or deciduous and typically consist of two or more leaflets, although some species have simple leaves that can add simplicity to your greenery.

Sunflower

Sunflowers (genus Helianthus) are native mainly to North and South America, and are cultivated as ornamentals for their impressively sized flower heads and their edible seeds. Its relative the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is cultivated for its edible underground tubers. In wild specimens, the sunflower’s attractive heads are 7.5–15 cm wide and in cultivated varieties often grow 30 cm or more. The flowers of the disk are brown, yellow, or purple, while the outer petals of the flower are yellow. They make a striking centerpiece and the smaller varieties can add some whimsy to fall decorations.

Lilies

I love lilies. With their large, showy blooms, lilies add striking elegance to the garden and to any bouquet. Cultivated from bulbs, lilies are flowers that come back year after year and require minimal maintenance, as long as you plant them in the right place. They have six flat or strikingly marked tepals (petals), often in the form of a trumpet, sitting on top of a tall, erect stem with long, narrow lance-shaped leaves. Lilies come in lots of beautiful shades, pink, red, gold, orange, and white, making them a versatile choice for arrangements, especially bridal ones.

featured image: David Jakab; image 1: Dids

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