Colour in your garden all year round

Having your garden in full bloom all year round is not only a feast for the eyes, it’s also good for biodiversity and therefore life in your garden – from cheerful spring bloomers and sultry summer stunners to autumn awe-inspirers and winter wonders. A garden in bloom all year round may sound challenging, but it’s not that hard as long as you use the right flowers and plants and put them in the ground at the right time. Our favourites can be found below, conveniently listed by month.

January

While we’re often still waiting for frost and snow, some plants are already on the rise: viola (pansy), witch hazel or winter jasmine for example. You can sow these plants all year round unless the ground is frozen. These winter bloomers really brighten things up while it’s grey and drab outside.

February

The first daffodils appear in this month, as do snowdrops and botanical crocuses (not to be confused with the “normal” crocuses). You can plant these February flowers at the beginning of autumn, as the first leaves fall from the trees.

March

Nature gets going spectacularly during this month in which spring really begins. Real March bloomers include the wonderfully scented hyacinth, the little grape hyacinth and the always cheerful tulip. Make sure you’ve sown these spring rascals before the night frosts start between September and December.

April

While it can still be quite cold at night, the temperature often rises considerably during the day. We can see this in nature. The beautiful flowers of the prunus triloba appear at this time, for example, as do the flowers of the bleeding heart (dicentra spectabilis) and those of the crown imperial. You can also plant these spring bloomers in the autumn before the night frosts start.

May

May is all about the spectacular rhododendron. This colourful friend to all has many variations and starts flowering in May. Just like the azalea, magnolia and geranium. You can actually plant these strong bloomers all year round, as long as it’s not too hot or too cold. Still, early autumn is often the best time to plant.

June

As summer approaches, the fragrant lavender blooms the best in this month. Dahlias are also starting to bloom now, as is the perky Annabelle hydrangea. It’s best to sow both plants from the end of April or the beginning of May when there’s no longer a chance of night frost. June was still the month of roses around twenty years ago, but nowadays they often start blooming in May.

July

In the middle of summer, our attention often turns to water. And anything can bloom there too! In the month of July, for example, many types of water lilies and water plantain are in bloom. You can plant aquatic plants once the water has warmed up in May, and they will often start growing immediately.

August

When you think of late summer, you think of the beloved hydrangea. This beautiful, bulbous plant flowers in August. The cheerful coneflower and garden phlox are also real August bloomers and come out beautifully in this late summer month. It is best to plant them all in the month of April.

September

Anemone provides a wonderful romantic atmosphere in every autumn garden. Sometimes they appear as early as August, but September remains the principal month for these softly coloured bloomers. The aster novi-belgii also blooms in September and brings colour to nature. You can plant both in the spring and enjoy their beautiful bloom the same year.

October

The viburnum changes throughout the year and is a spectacular bloomer in the autumn. Pink and white buds appear at that time, from which beautiful flowers emerge in winter. Another notable bloomer is the woodland vine, some varieties of which bloom in the spring and others in the fall. Both can be planted all year round, as long as it doesn’t freeze.

November

November is a real berry month. Plants that flower then include the skimmia with its beautiful red buds. Or wintergreen, with its well-known berries packed with the substance methyl salicylate. You can plant these strong bloomers all year round, and you can enjoy them throughout the year as they keep their leaves.

December

Real winter plants are the hellebores, also known as Christmas rose, and the viburnum tinus. There are many varieties of the hellebores, including purple, pink, yellow, white, or mixed. Viburnum grows from December to April and produces beautiful white-pink flowers. You can sow these plants all year round, except when the ground freezes.

The poster

Do you like this article? Then you might also like this poster ‘Colour in your garden, all year round’!