Home and Garden

Choosing flowering plants that bloom in stages is one way to keep flowers blooming for long periods in your landscape design project. Alternatively, you could choose flowers with long bloom periods. Select from the perennial flowers and annual flowers listed below. All are for full sun. Like an idea for a flowerbed? Plant pink pincushion flower in the center of the flower bed and then surround those flowers with blue flax. Add a border of moonbeam coreopsis.

Ox-eye chamomile

Ox-eye chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria), also known as golden Marguerite, is a perennial that reaches up to 3 feet tall. Yellow daisy-like petals surround its yellow center. Cold hardy in USDA planting zones 3 through 7, this sun loving flower blooms all summer long.

Pincushion flower

Pincushion flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea) is an annual flower for full sun. Growing up to 3 feet tall, pincushion flower offers blooms of red, yellow, pink, white, blue, or violet. Suitable for cutting, the blooms display from early summer into late fall.

Coreopsis

Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata or Tickseed) grows 12 to 36 inches tall depending on the variety, like 'Moonbeam' or 'Golden Showers'. Coreopsis is a perennial and grows in full sun in USDA planting zones 3 through 9. Blooms may be pink or yellow and display all summer into fall.

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is an annual flower, though for some, the flower returns on its own in warmer areas. A self-seeding plant that grows up to 3 feet tall, black-eyed Susan can be grown in sunny locations of most of the continental U.S. The brown cone center of black-eyed Susan is surrounded by yellow daisy-like petals. Expect the blooms to display from June to August.

Blue flax

Blue flax (Linum lewisii) is a perennial plant that grows up to 24 inches tall. Blue flax, which is cold hardy to USDA planting zone 4, offers pale blue flowers that blooms from May to September. Plant in full sun.

Sweet William

Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is a mauve colored perennial grows to about 12 inches tall. Cold hardy to as far north as USDA planting zone 4, sweet William is a good choice from floral bouquets. Sweet William blooms from April to September.

Blanket flower

Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata) is a self-seeding perennial cold hardy in USDA planting zones 3 through 8. This drought tolerant flower grows 12 to 24 inches tall. Blanket flower's red and yellow daisy-like blooms display from May to September.