8 Bright and Bold Flowers for Your Garden
By Chris Edmunds
The bold and the beautiful: try these bright blooms in your garden this year.
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Can you ever have too much color and vibrance? We don’t think so. In fact, we think you should go big this year and add pops of color all throughout your landscape! If you’re hoping to have the brightest and boldest yard yet, consider these high-impact annuals for your garden beds and containers.
Angelonia
These gorgeous flowering spikes come in many unique shades and are some of the best annuals for container planting. They look a bit like baby snapdragons and are usually found in purple hues but also come in blues, whites, mauves, and pinks. Angelonias are also some of the best annuals to choose for full sun areas––they can take the heat! However, they are thirsty plants, so make sure they are getting plenty of water. Cool tip: Water plants early in the morning to avoid boiling them in the hot summer sun. Finally, remember to cut back dead and dying stalks so new flowers can emerge.
Petunia
The tried-and-true petunia is not to be underestimated! They are still one of the best and most-loved annuals in America because of their amazing range of varieties. There are hundreds of petunia varieties to choose from, so there’s something for every aesthetic preference! They can be vivid solid colors or in unique dual- or tri-colored pinwheel patterns. They are the perfect addition to any hanging basket, container garden, or bed. Petunias provide incredible blooms until the first frost arrives; just be sure to give them plenty of light for maximum blooming power. Try varieties like ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ or ‘Itsy Magenta’ which have loads of blooms that almost completely hide the foliage.
Verbena
Verbena bonariensis ‘Meteor Shower’ are tall spindly flowers with clusters of purple, lavender, and magenta blooms. They make a great thriller plant in containers and are also quite useful as border flowers. These beauties thrive in ample sunlight. Bees and butterflies love verbena, so if you like to keep an eye on your local pollinators, plant them somewhere that gives you a stellar vantage point. Verbena is also available in many other colorful hybrids, so shop around until you find your perfect match.
New Guinea Impatiens
New Guinea Impatiens are not only vibrant blooming annuals, but they are suitable for shade gardens, a place where many gardeners long for vibrant color options. These bold bloomers aren’t just for the shade garden as many varieties can take some sun compared to traditional impatiens. Variety colors range from white, oranges, pinks, purples and shades of red, with varying foliage color as well. New Guinea impatiens are pest and disease resistant. Give them plenty of water and they will thrive in containers or the garden.
Zinnias
Zinnias are a stunning choice for your garden beds and containers. These annuals come in so many bold colors, and their petals come in a papery-ruffled texture. Zinnias are one of the best annuals for your garden this year because of their prolific blooms and low-maintenance needs. Zinnias are great for garden borders, planting in window boxes, or as a bold addition to any container garden.
Mandevillas
Looking for a bold focal point in your garden or container? The Mandevilla, or rock trumpet, is the best annual for you! These tropical beauties have a few particular needs, but with proper care, they will treat you to tons of vibrant blooms. They enjoy bright indirect light—too much sun, and they could get scorched! Keep them fertilized during peak growing times to get the most of the warm summer days. They do well growing on a trellis or pole, and deadheading them will help the plant bloom even more.
Pentas
With delicate, jewel-toned, and star-shaped flowers, pentas are a bright and beautiful addition to your garden beds and containers alike. Find a color that tickles your fancy, and let this low-maintenance plant treat you to some of the sweetest florals around. Fertilize them in early spring for a bounty of blooms, which you should deadhead regularly to keep them coming.
Purslane
If you're looking for a tough but vibrant plant to make a statement in a spot where other plants perish, it’s time to try portulaca. These low growing annuals create a beautiful carpet of vibrant orange, yellow, pink, red, magenta, and multicolor blossoms. Purslane plants are sure to stir up conversation as the blooms seem to vanish during cloudy weather only to surprise once again with their exciting color when the sun returns. The Colorblast® series holds its blooms open for longer than other varieties and offers vibrant double blooms that look like pom-poms. Great for containers, hanging baskets and garden beds, purslane is heat and drought tolerant and needs full sun.
If you’re looking for inspiration for new annuals in 2021 for your garden, contact or visit us. We would love to help you find the best, brightest, and boldest flowers for you.
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