Spring Flowers?

What are the best kinds of flowers to plant in the Spring that will last all Summer long? What are those flowers called that look like long, skinny, purple lilacs, that grow tall and spike-like out of a bush? Sorry that second question was really vague! Any gardeners out there who can help?

Spring Flowers?
The flowers that you asked could be Liatris Blazing Star.





Perennials that last all Summer long:


Coreopsis, Reblooming Daylilies, Hydrangea, Hardy Hibiscus, Echinacea (Coneflower), some roses, Clematis, Rose of Sharon, Butterfly Bush, Honeysuckle, Astilbe, Scabiosa, Salvia, Sea Holly,





Annuals that last all Summer:


Marigold, Impatiens, Petunia, Zinnia, Cosmos, Begonia, Nicotiana, Vinca, Veronica, Verbena, Annual Phlox.
Reply:First off most spring time flowers will not bloom all year long hence the word spring time. Things like tulips, daffodils, and crocus are only seasonal. Now you can also plant Asiatic lilies, day lilies, astible and black eyed Susan's which will bloom into summer but then too die off. What I do with my bulbs like listed above I also add annuals which will bloom from roughly May15th till a heavy frost in Oct or Nov. That way while my perennials are not in bloom I still have color in the yard. As for the long spiky plant you speak of I think it is a butter fly bush, their flowers are lavender or white and attract butterflies and will bloom all summer long and into the fall. Happy growing.
Reply:I believe you are describing Buddleia davidii Butterfly Bush or Summer Lilac.





Self-seeding annuals are particularly attractive: They sow themselves, giving gardeners a terrific return on their


investment. Shirley poppies (Papaver rhoeas) pop up in pale pinks, roses and chiffon-thin whites, bloom for about a month and leave decorative little seed heads that pepper beds with next year's crop. Try hot-colored calendulas (yellows, golds and oranges) or the 'Lemon Gem' marigold, a variety with small single yellow flowers and ferny lemon-scented foliage. A mix of zinnias in vibrant pinks, reds, oranges and yellows will make your garden look like a Frida Kahlo painting. Star Hybrid zinnias make mounds of blooms to soften border edges. Also experiment with vine like magenta Petunia integrifolia by allowing it to scamper through maroon perilla, which looks like big purple basil.





Annuals for long bloom periods


Cerinthe major purpurescens


Spider flowers Cleome Sparkler Series


Ageratum ‘Florist Blue’ ‘Red Sea’ tall types


Larkspur


Papaver Poppy, Ladybird, Black and Danish Poppy.





Long blooming perennials or repeat bloomers





Nepeta (Catmint) 'Six Hills Giant' or Nepeta x faassenii 'Dropmore' (Sterile and doesn't need deadheading)





Centranthus (Red Valerian)





Coreopsis (Tickseed) Once the initial buds have completed blooming, sheer the plants back by 1/3 to encourage new growth.





Veronica spicata (Spike Speedwell) 'Sunny Border Blue'





Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) 'Goblin' (dwarf), G. 'Burgundy', G. 'Monarch'





Tradescantia (Spiderwort) somewhat grassy like leaves with clusters of 3-peteled flower heads. Each flower lasts only one day, but there are so many buds the bloom period is quite long. ''Carmine Glow', T. 'Snowcap'





Dicentra formosa %26amp; Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart) gray-green ferny foliage and abundant flowers
Reply:I'm not an expert but I love to garden. The tall, skinny purple flowers you describe could be lupines. They are very insidious (hard to control) so you might want to plant those in a container so they don't take over your whole yard. Hydrangeas are very easy to grow and bloom right through to the Fall. The Annabelle variety is a beautiful white hydrangea that is nearly indestructible. The white blossoms hang on into the winter and turn a lovely shade of champagne pink. You can even dry them and keep them indoors. Endless Summer and Nikko Blue hydrangeas provide pink and blue colors that are very dramatic. Roses are very easy to grow. Some varieties will bloom all summer. The old english David Austen roses have a wonderful scent but do not last a long time. Hybrid roses are disease-resistant and some bloom several times throughout the summer and into September but they don't usually have a scent. Peonies and azaleas are gorgeous inthe early May-June months. Check out www.waysidegardens.com. They have a wonderful selection of flowers and plants. Just make sure you purchase plants that thrive in your zone. Wayside Gardens has a zone map you can use to figure out which zone you are in. Also make sure you prepare the beds well before planting so the plants thrive well. If you have yucky soil, you will have to either amend the soil to make it richer and looser or you can build raised beds and fill them with loam. Raised beds are easy and inexpensive to build, although you can get as fancy and expensive as you wish. Hollyhocks, foxglove, sunflowers, irises, gladiolae, daylillies, echinacea, brown-eyed susans and sweetpeas are some flowers that last a long time. Its a little experimental figuring out what plants work best in your yard and look best together but its lots of fun and pretty soon you too will be calling yourself a gardener!!! Don't forget to protect your new plantings in the Fall with a layer of 1 or 2 inches of mulch otherwise you may lose some of your baby plants during the winter.