How to Plant Flowers So They Bloom Longest

Are you jealous of your neighbor's flower garden, which is colorful until late autumn? The secret is in proper planting and care.

I'll tell you how to make your flowers bloom longer than anyone else, turning your garden into an endless summer.

Selecting hardy varieties

Betting on longevity means choosing the right plants. Rudbeckia, verbena, lavender and coreopsis bloom from June to October if they are happy.

The University of Florida advises planting them in sunny areas with good drainage—puddles after rain are harmful to them (edis.ifas.ufl.edu).

For example, rudbeckia ‘Golden Ball’ or verbena ‘Buenos Aires’ can withstand heat and light frosts without losing their brightness.

Landing with a reserve

Sow or plant flowers in several stages. Start with early varieties (petunias, marigolds) in May, and after 2-3 weeks add mid-season varieties (zinnias, salvias).

This will extend the flowering throughout the season. The distance between plants is 25-35 cm so that they do not interfere with each other. The depth of the holes is 10-15 cm, add a handful of compost to each to get started.

Flowering care

• Pruning : Regularly snip off spent blooms to encourage new blooms. For petunias and verbenas, pinching the tips with your fingers is sufficient.
• Top dressing : Apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (10 g per 1 m²) every 3-4 weeks. Don’t overdo it with nitrogen – it drives leaves, not flowers.
• Watering : 2-3 liters per 1 m² once a week, in hot weather - once every 3 days. Pour under the root, avoiding the leaves.

Protection from weather surprises

If the summer is rainy, add ash under the plants - it will absorb excess moisture and protect against fungus. In drought, mulch the soil with mown grass in a 5 cm layer so that the roots do not dry out

Gardener Monty Don writes in The Complete Gardener (2021): “Flowers need light and care like actors need a stage.” Give them that, and they’ll shine until frost.

Approximate plan of a flower bed

• June–July : Petunias and marigolds set the tone.
• July-August : Zinnias and salvias come into play.
• August–October : Rudbeckia and verbena hold the final stage.

With these tricks, your flowers will survive the heat, rain and even the first cold weather, pleasing the eye longer than all the neighboring flower beds!