Pet-friendlierZinnia
Zinnia elegans
A sun-loving annual that carries bright daisy-like flower heads from summer into frost.
Color through the seasons
Flowers
Build a longer season of color by matching bloom time, soil, and maintenance needs before choosing individual plants.
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What you'll find here
This collection is the permanent home for practical flowers profiles, planning guides, seasonal care, and problem-solving content.
Annual and perennial planningProfiles and practical guidance organized under this topic.
Bulbs and seasonal colorProfiles and practical guidance organized under this topic.
Cut flowers and pollinator valueProfiles and practical guidance organized under this topic.
Field notes
How to use this collection
Sequence matters more than any single variety. A border that mixes early bulbs, summer annuals, and autumn perennials stays interesting for months with the same square footage. Start a simple bloom calendar from the profiles in this collection, marking when each plant flowers in your zone, and fill the gaps first.
Most flowering plants trade directly between sun and bloom count. Six or more hours of direct sun supports the heaviest flowering for sun-loving species; in partial shade, choose plants listed for it rather than stretching a sun lover beyond its range. Deadheading, modest feeding, and steady water during bud formation do the rest.
Plant profiles
Plants in this collection
24 plants
Pet-friendlier
beginnerPurple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A central and eastern North American perennial with rose-purple rays around a spiny orange-brown cone.
beginnerZonal Geranium
Pelargonium × hybridum
A compact tender pelargonium with rounded zoned leaves and repeat clusters of bright flowers.
beginnerPanicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata
A cold-hardy woody shrub with large conical flower clusters on the current season's growth.
beginnerBlack-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A familiar North American wildflower with golden rays around a dark domed center, often grown as an annual or short-lived perennial.
beginnerWild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A North American mint-family perennial with aromatic foliage and lavender-pink flower heads that draw summer pollinators.
Pet-friendlierLanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A compact North American wildflower with narrow basal leaves and clear yellow daisylike flowers on slender spring-to-summer stems.
beginnerBlanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata
A western and northern North American perennial with bristly foliage and long-stemmed yellow to red-and-yellow daisylike flowers.
intermediateGarden Phlox
Phlox paniculata
A classic eastern North American border perennial with fragrant tubular flowers packed into tall midsummer panicles.
intermediateEnglish Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is an evergreen, woody subshrub prized for fragrant grey-green foliage and spikes of purple flowers. Native to southwestern Europe, it is grown worldwide as a drought-tolerant ornamental, culinary herb, and source of lavender oil.
Pet-friendlierFrench Marigold
Tagetes patula
French marigold (Tagetes patula) is a compact, bushy warm-season annual grown for fragrant, single to fully double flowers in yellow, orange, red, and bicolor. Native to Mexico and Guatemala, it is a long-blooming bedding, edging, and container plant whose foliage is valued for deterring some garden pests.
Pet-friendlierPetunia
Petunia × atkinsiana
Petunia (Petunia × atkinsiana, widely sold as Petunia × hybrida) is a tender warm-season annual grown for a long season of funnel-shaped, often fragrant flowers in nearly every color. A complex garden hybrid descended from South American species, it is a mainstay of beds, borders, window boxes, and hanging baskets from late spring to frost.
Pet-friendlierGarden Pansy
Viola × wittrockiana
Garden pansy (Viola × wittrockiana) is a cool-season bedding plant grown for large, flat, often 'face-marked' flowers in a wide range of colors. A hybrid derived from European violets, it is planted in autumn or early spring for spring and autumn bloom in beds, edging, and containers, and fades in summer heat.
Pet-friendlierCommon Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a tall annual grown for large, nectar-rich daisy flowers with golden ray petals and brown centers. Native to North America, it is a classic summer crop for cut flowers, seeds, and pollinator support.
intermediateDaffodil
Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) is a spring-flowering bulb prized for upright stems bearing trumpet or cup-shaped yellow blooms. Native to western Europe, it naturalizes readily and is valued for deer resistance and early-season colour.
intermediateGarden Tulip
Tulipa gesneriana
Garden tulip (Tulipa gesneriana) is a spring-flowering bulb grown for large, cup-shaped flowers in nearly every colour. A garden hybrid complex derived from Eurasian tulips, it is a staple of spring beds, borders, and forced pots.
intermediateDaylily
Hemerocallis fulva
Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) is a clump-forming perennial grown for showy, lily-like flowers that each last only a day but appear in succession through early to midsummer. Native to temperate East Asia, it is tough, adaptable, and long-lived in the border.
intermediateCommon Peony
Paeonia lactiflora
Common peony (Paeonia lactiflora) is a long-lived herbaceous perennial grown for large, fragrant spring-to-summer blooms in white, pink, and red. Native from eastern Siberia to China, it is prized in borders and as a cut flower.
intermediateCommon Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a fern-leaved perennial grown for flat clusters of small, often white flowers and aromatic, drought-tolerant foliage. Native across the temperate Northern Hemisphere, it is a durable pollinator and cut-flower plant.
Pet-friendlierSnapdragon
Antirrhinum majus
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) is an upright cool-season annual or short-lived perennial grown for spikes of snap-mouthed flowers in many colours. Native to the western Mediterranean, it blooms in spring and autumn and is a favorite for beds and cutting.
Pet-friendlierGarden Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Garden cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) is an airy warm-season annual grown for daisy-like flowers on fine, ferny foliage. Native to Mexico, it blooms from summer to frost and is a mainstay of cottage gardens and pollinator plantings.
intermediateGarden Dahlia
Dahlia pinnata
Garden dahlia (Dahlia pinnata) is a tuberous perennial grown for showy, many-form flowers from midsummer to frost. Native to Mexico, it is the parent species of most modern dahlia hybrids and is prized for cutting and borders.
Pet-friendlierWoodland Sage
Salvia nemorosa
Woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa) is a compact perennial grown for spikes of violet-blue flowers and aromatic grey-green foliage. Native from Europe to western Asia, it is a long-blooming, drought-tolerant mainstay of sunny borders.
intermediateCommon Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a biennial or short-lived perennial grown for tall spikes of pendulous, spotted, tubular flowers. Native to western and southwestern Europe, it is a classic cottage-garden plant that is also the source of the heart drug digitalis.
Seasonal note
A useful task for right now
Deadhead repeat bloomers and note gaps in the border while the season is still visible.
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