Summer Bloom Guide

Photography by Jim Bathie

Text by Hannah Jones

Summer is here and our gardens are in full bloom! While delighting in the splendor, be thinking ahead to prepare your garden for the next season and consider what to start planting now for autumn flowers. Find your planting zone below and keep reading to see how to care for your garden through the summer season.

Zone 3

Central Canadian border
Photography by Whistling Prairie Flowers

If you live in Zone 3, you should be seeing buds beginning on your spring plants. Now would be an ideal time to plant flowers you want to last through August and September, like dahlias, baby’s breath, goldenrod, and mums.

Zone 4

Upper Great Lakes and Northern New England
bloom
Photography by @karolinalansmansgarden on Instagram

Your garden is most likely in full summer bloom by now. When planning for autumn, consider annual varieties as Zone 4’s fall can see first frost early in the season. Mums, pansies, croton, and dianthus are wonderful plants to try.

Zone 5

Upper Midwest and New England
Photography by Jim Bathie

You should be enjoying your summer blooms! Remember to keep up with deadheading and trimming overgrown plants as yours have been growing longer than those in northern regions. Maintenance is key right now for your garden, but there’s no harm in getting a head start on fall planting.

Zone 6

Southern Midwest and Upper South
Photography by @jennywrendesign on Instagram

Zone 6 falls right in line with Zone 5, with a main focus on garden maintenance right now. Wait until mid-August to begin planting fall bloomers, though, as summer months are quite hot.

Zone 7

South
Photography by @kissmyprimrose on Instagram

Hopefully you are enjoying all your gorgeous summer blooms like hydrangeas and daylilies! Right now, hydration and maintenance should be your main garden priorities. It’s essential that your plants stay well-hydrated in the hot summer sun. It’s also easy for gardens in this zone to become overgrown during the summer, so don’t put off pruning and deadheading.

Zone 8

Deep South
Photography by Rob Cardillo

Similar to Zone 7, focus on hydration and maintenance! Fall planting should wait, if you’re able to do any at all. Southern gardens shine in the spring and summer, so it’s best to plant varieties that will keep blooming throughout September and October, since your actual fall season doesn’t last very long by weather standards.

Zones 9 and 10

Tropical areas in Texas, California, and Florida
Photography by Kindra Clineff

In Zone 9, you’re most likely getting ready to experience some pretty high heat over the summer months, so make sure your plants are ready. Opt for moisture-retaining soil and keep an eye on hydration levels throughout the season. Just as in Zone 8, your best bet is skipping fall varietals and opting for plants that bloom throughout the summer and fall, such as dahlias.

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