Quick Answer
If your garden feels a little flat in midsummer, adding long-blooming perennials can provide months of color while attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial pollinators. Plants like Agastache, Echinacea, Coreopsis, Yarrow, Veronica, and Sweet Woodruff help create a garden that stays vibrant throughout the season.
We received a message from your garden. It said:
"Thanks for the sunshine, water, and attention... but I could use a little more color." 🌞🌸🦋
If you've looked outside lately and felt like your garden could use a little extra excitement, you're not alone. Early summer is actually one of the best times to add colorful perennials that will continue blooming for months. Whether you're hoping to attract pollinators, brighten a flower bed, or fill gaps in your landscape, there are plenty of plants ready to help.
How Can You Add More Color to a Summer Garden?
The easiest way to increase summer color is by choosing plants known for long bloom periods, vibrant flowers, and pollinator appeal. These garden favorites continue performing even during summer heat and help create a landscape that's full of life and movement.
Best Long-Blooming Plants for Summer Color
🧡 Guava Lava Agastache: A Magnet for Butterflies and Hummingbirds
If you're looking to attract pollinators, Guava Lava Agastache is hard to beat. Its tropical-colored blooms provide months of color while drawing hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees into the garden.
Why gardeners love it: Long bloom season, pollinator favorite, fragrant foliage, and excellent heat tolerance.
❤️ Salsa Red Echinacea: Bold Summer Color
Some flowers quietly blend into the landscape. Salsa Red Echinacea prefers to make a statement. Its rich red blooms stand out in garden beds and provide valuable nectar for pollinators throughout the growing season.
Why gardeners love it: Bold flower color, pollinator friendly, excellent cut flowers, and an easy-care perennial.
💛 Hot Paprika Coreopsis: Color That Keeps Coming
Hot Paprika Coreopsis is known for its extended bloom season. Its cheerful flowers continue producing color through much of summer, making it an excellent choice for borders, containers, and sunny planting areas.
Why gardeners love it: Long flowering season, easy to grow, heat tolerant, and an excellent border plant.
🤍 Sweet Woodruff: A Colorful Solution for Shade
Not every garden space receives full sun. Sweet Woodruff thrives in shady locations where many flowering plants struggle. Its attractive foliage and delicate white blooms help brighten areas beneath trees, along woodland edges, and around shrubs.
Why gardeners love it: Excellent shade groundcover, low maintenance, attractive foliage, and a natural woodland appearance.
🌹 Vintage Red Yarrow: Reliable Summer Performance
Some plants earn their place in the garden year after year. Vintage Red Yarrow is one of them. It provides dependable blooms, attracts pollinators, tolerates summer heat, and makes an excellent cut flower.
Why gardeners love it: Long-lasting flowers, pollinator magnet, heat tolerant, and great for bouquets.
💜 Very Van Gogh Veronica: Cool Tones for Summer Gardens
One plant that continually catches attention is Very Van Gogh Veronica. Its vivid blue-violet flower spikes create beautiful contrast against warmer flower colors while attracting bees and butterflies throughout the season. It adds a cooling effect to summer garden designs and pairs beautifully with Echinacea, Coreopsis, and Yarrow.
Why Plant Perennials in Early Summer?
Many gardeners assume they missed their opportunity to plant. In reality, early summer is an excellent time to add perennials that provide immediate color and seasonal enjoyment.
Planting now means you'll enjoy:
🦋 More butterflies
🌸 More blooms
🐝 More pollinators
☀ More enjoyment of your outdoor space
Every week you wait is another week of blooms you won't get to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What flowers bloom all summer long?
Agastache, Coreopsis, Yarrow, Veronica, and many Echinacea varieties are known for extended bloom periods throughout summer.
What plants attract butterflies and hummingbirds?
Agastache is especially attractive to hummingbirds, while Echinacea, Yarrow, Veronica, and Coreopsis are popular with butterflies and bees.
Can I plant perennials in summer?
Yes. Early summer is an excellent time to plant container-grown perennials, especially when they receive adequate water while becoming established.
What plants grow well in shade?
Sweet Woodruff is a popular shade-loving groundcover that performs well beneath trees and shrubs.
How do I make my garden more colorful?
Choose a combination of long-blooming perennials with different flower colors and bloom times. This creates continuous interest and helps support pollinators throughout the growing season.
At Greenwood Nursery, we believe gardens should be enjoyed. Sometimes all it takes is a few well-chosen plants to transform a good garden into one that makes you smile every time you walk outside.
Written by Cheryl Jones, owner of Greenwood Nursery since 1978.
👉 Ready to transform your space? Browse our full selection of Summer Perennials at Greenwood Nursery today!
