Summer Annual Bulbs

Are you looking to add some new colors and textures to your gardens this year? Check out some of our favorite annuals that can help you achieve your goal.

Dahlia: Nothing beats a dahlia for summer color. Growing these various colored, spiky flowers can be like having a box of garden crayons at your fingertips. These flowers bloom in mid to late summer and with several different colors. Pinch off the first budding of side flower to encourage larger flowers in peak season. These flowers will bloom until the fall and only stops at first frost, at this time you can dig them up and store them inside for the following year.

Elephant Ears: These big, dramatic, tropical-looking plants are grown for their bold foliage. Many have large triangular leaves that are leathery and uniquely textured. Elephant Ears enjoy the soft, watery soil around water gardens and also like to be grown indoors as house plants. The clumping foliage adds lush effects in the landscape and is especially effective in large containers. The plants sprout from large bulbous roots and achieve maximum growth in warm, humid, summer temperature.

Canna: These beautiful flowers bring tropical splendor to gardens in all regions.  They feature clustered, flag-like blooms in a brilliant array of colors on tall stems.  The Canna foliage is now even showier than the petals with varied leaf combinations of orange, yellow and greens that glow in the summer sun. These flowers can be taken inside during the fall and stored for the following year as well!

Allium:  These could be one of the most carefree bulbs you can grow! Alliums bloom in a wide range of colors, including shades of yellow, white, pink and purple. They bloom in different seasons and different sizes (from 1in wide flowers to flowers the size of volleyballs). They offer an unusual structure and great textural contrast to any garden. Make sure to plant alliums in well-drained soil in full sun during the summer or fall months.

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