Don’t let spring time have all the fun: create a garden that flowers all-year-round, including summer. In warmer weather, the key is to choose flowering plants that can withstand heat without withering away.
For this reason, Australian native plants are a popular choice, particularly banksia, bottle-brush and kangaroo paw. That’s because they’re not only beautiful, but are drought-resistant, accustomed to harsh temperatures, and work to attract both bees and birds to your garden.
Whether you’re looking to buy cut flowers or start the summertime garden of your dreams, try these 10 hardy summer flowers that bloom through the season.
10 of the best summer flowers
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Frangipani
Frangipani trees flower from December to April, and thrive in well-drained soil, plenty of sun and frost-free conditions. They love growing by the beach in sandy soils and are one of the best trees for tolerating salty air along the coast.
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Gardenia
The beautiful perfume of gardenia blooms can permeate an entire garden. Be sure to keep up the fertiliser each season and water in well, they are heavy feeders and will reward you with plentiful flowers and lush green growth for your efforts.
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Kangaroo Paw
The flowers of native Australian plant Kangaroo paws sit high atop strappy foliage from spring to autumn. They love well-drained soil and being cut back well at the end of the flowering season for regenerative growth for next year.
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Grevillia
The firework-like inflorescence of grevillea and the muted greens of its’ foliage make this a favourite in many gardens. They blend well with other native and exotic plants and attract plenty of birds and pollinating insects.
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Bougainvillia
Bougainvilleas are quintessential tropical vines, known for their drought-tolerance and lavishly brilliant flowers. They do well in pots and more confined courtyard gardens. If you have the space though, nothing says summer like a scrambling, cerise bouganvillea.
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Echinacea
Echinacea ‘Sundown’ was developed by Richard Saul as a hybrid of E. purpurea and E. paradoxa. It has tones of copper and rosy coral that vary in strength with the season and flower age. It features a flat-topped cone in the centre of the bloom, has a honey scent and will grow to around 60–90cm.
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Lavender
Lavender is an easy-to-grow flower that instils peace, creates a blanket of colour and has a serene fragrance that is unsurpassed. Lavender prefers hot summers and dry winters and is best grown in neatly clipped hedges, in pots, in a herb circle, knot garden or courtyard.
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Bottle Brush
Bird attracting and garden brightening, bottle brush require just a little attention once established. Annual feeds with a native fertiliser in spring, and weekly watering will keep this bright spark happy in your yard.
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Dahlia
Loved for their vibrant blooms and lush foliage, dahlias are a part of every florist’s arsenal but they are also surprisingly easy to grow in your own backyard. Dahlias require full sun with and miniature varieties are suitable for growing in pots. They have fleshy roots called tubers that require well-drained, compost-rich soil.
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Banksia
Banksias are among the most generous of Australian native plants. They flower for months and provide colour as well as nectar for insects, birds and even small animals.