I like to place blue balloon flower beside red bee balm<\/a><\/strong> and white Montauk daisy for a patriotic July display.<\/p>\n White-petaled varieties also perform an essential function.<\/p>\n If you have an existing garden that contains a wide variety of colors, interplanting with white helps to unite and enhance such an eclectic mix.<\/p>\n Sow seeds or rootstock in early spring in Zones 3 to 8. If desired, deadhead to extend the bloom season.<\/p>\n \u2018Sentimental Blue\u2019 Balloon Flowers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ready to add balloon flowers to your garden?<\/p>\n You can find \u2018Sentimental Blue\u2019 which sports delightful bluish-purple flowers available in #1 containers from Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our complete growing guide here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia<\/em>) is a native wildflower<\/a><\/strong> that does best in full sun and organically-rich soil but tolerates average soil and even drought.<\/p>\n Varieties range from native Rudbeckia hirta<\/em>, with its yellow-orange petals and dark brown centers, to hybrids in shades of deep orange and red.<\/p>\n This garden classic blooms from June to September on stalks of up to three feet tall.<\/p>\n Black-eyed Susan provides continuous medium-height color saturation throughout the summer months. It self-sows, so either deadhead, or be prepared for seedlings to sprout next season.<\/p>\n If you have a large space to fill, this can be a bonus. However, unless you have a native variety, your seedlings may not replicate the disease-resistance of their forbears.<\/p>\n Try alternating black-eyed Susan with Montauk daisy and coneflower for an interesting grouping of medium-height flora with similar sun and soil requirements.<\/p>\n Place it in the middle position of borders and beds, with ground covers in front, and tall, structural elements like giant allium in back. Sow seeds or plants in early spring in Zones 3 to 9.<\/p>\n Rudbeckia<\/em> x \u2018Glitters Like Gold\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n If you want to get a jump on the growing season, you can find \u2018Glitters Like Gold,\u2019 a hybrid cultivar, available in #1 containers from Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Or pick up seeds in your choice of packet sizes at True Leaf Market<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our complete growing guide here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Blazing star (Liatris spicata<\/em>) is a native wildflower that attracts pollinators to the garden<\/a><\/strong>. It prefers moist, organically-rich, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n Spikes laden with blossoms of pink, purple, or white may reach four feet in height.<\/p>\n This linear design makes a bold impact from July to September. And, because it\u2019s sturdy and blooms from the bottom up, it lasts a long time in vase arrangements.<\/p>\n Interplant blazing star at mid-story for unexpected vertical drama, or at the back of beds and border for structural definition.<\/p>\n Sow seed or plants in spring or fall in Zones 3 to 8. Divide over time as needed.<\/p>\n Blazing star (Liatris spicata<\/em>)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n You can find seeds available at Eden Brothers<\/a><\/strong>. Plants in #1 containers are available from Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our complete growing guide here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Bugleweed (Ajuga<\/em>) is a fast-growing evergreen ground cover<\/a><\/strong> for sunny to partly shady areas with average to moist, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n Varieties range from blue to white with shiny green, purple, and variegated foliage, upright blossom spikes, and a height about six inches.<\/p>\n Sow it right over your daffodils<\/a><\/strong> and hyacinths<\/a><\/strong> for low-profile May to June color. Use it along walkways and in troublesome areas where you can\u2019t seem to get anything to grow.<\/p>\n Ajuga\u2019s key characteristics are its year-round interest and weed inhibition.<\/p>\n \u2018Chocolate Chip\u2019 Ajuga<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Sow seeds or plants in early spring in Zones 3 to 10.<\/p>\n You can find \u2018Chocolate Chip\u2019 Ajuga plants available at Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Clematis is a non-invasive flowering vine that grows in full sun to part shade in moist, organically-rich, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n There are spring and summer bloomers, and some are fragrant.<\/p>\n Large, showy blossoms range from velvety burgundy to downy white, strewn along vines reaching over 12 feet long.<\/p>\n Clematis functions as \u201cwindow dressing\u201d in the garden. Train it up and over lattice frameworks, arbors, and fences to create privacy.<\/p>\n Train it up a lamppost, over a wall, or anywhere you want a mass profusion of blooms. Dress up that boring window-less garage wall with a foundation planting and decorative trellis.<\/p>\n Regal\u00ae Diamantina\u2122 Clematis<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Plant rootstock in spring or fall. Do not prune until fully established, and then only on varieties that do not produce new shoots on old wood.<\/p>\n You can find Regal\u00ae Diamantina\u2122 clematis plants available at Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our complete growing guide here<\/a>, <\/strong>and to protect your vines from frost and freezing temperatures see our clematis winter care guide.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Coneflower (echinacea) is a garden staple in my family. It prefers full sun and organically-rich, sandy, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n Native purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea<\/em>) and its cultivars often outperform today\u2019s yellow and orange hybrids.<\/p>\n Prized for centuries for its medicinal qualities, coneflower blooms from summer to fall, and its seed heads attract songbirds like goldfinches.<\/p>\n Topping out at about three feet, its key feature is the ability to provide consistent, long-lasting mid-level color.<\/p>\n It is especially attractive interplanted with varieties of similar soil culture like black-eyed Susan.<\/p>\n Sow seeds or plants in Zones 3 to 9, in mixed beds, borders, or stand-alone drifts.<\/p>\n Echinacea<\/em> Coneflower Seeds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n You can find coneflower seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our coneflower growing guide here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Cranesbill geranium, or hardy geranium, is a mounding species that thrives in full sun<\/a><\/strong> in average, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n Reaching heights of up to three feet, it\u2019s a good middle-position filler in beds and borders, with shrubs behind, and shorter flora in front.<\/p>\n This voluminous foliage makes it useful as a camouflage for unsightly faucets, hoses, utility meters, and other foundation eyesores.<\/p>\n In autumn, it adds gold and umber shades to the landscape.<\/p>\n Cranesbill blossoms are showy and appear continuously from spring until frost. Choose cultivars in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white.<\/p>\n Hardy Geranium \u2018Rozanne\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Sow seeds or plants in early spring in Zones 4 to 9. Divide as needed in spring or fall.<\/p>\n Want to add hardy geraniums to your flower garden? You can find \u2018Rozanne,\u2019 a delicate light purple cultivar available at Burpee<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our guide to growing cranesbill geraniums here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Creeping thyme (Thymus serphyllum<\/em>) is a culinary herb that makes a stunning, color-saturated edible ground cover<\/a><\/strong> in full sun and average, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n Brushing past or stepping upon it releases a pleasant, minty fragrance.<\/p>\n It\u2019s drought tolerant and in mild climates, evergreen.<\/p>\n Topping out at about three inches, it\u2019s tiny pink-purple blossoms form a rich carpet of color as summer gets underway.<\/p>\n Sow or plant it en masse along walkways and driveways, at the very front of beds and borders, and in a drift of its own, to show off its primary asset, vivid color.<\/p>\n Sow seeds or plants in early spring in Zones 4 to 8.<\/p>\n Creeping Thyme<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Find creeping thyme seeds in a variety of different packet sizes available at Eden Brothers<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you prefer, you can buy plants ready for transplant in #1 containers from Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Learn more about creeping thyme in our growing guide<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Daylily (Hemerocallis<\/em>) is a clumping root plant with multiple bold, shapely blossoms per stem, each opening for just one day.<\/p>\n It grows heartily in full sun in organically-rich, well-drained soil. Cultivars are available in a vast array of colors including orange, pink, purple, red, yellow, and white.<\/p>\n The best features here are the elegant shape of the petals, and heights of up to four feet tall. It shows best en masse, with spring, summer, and fall bloomers<\/a><\/strong> for a continuous spring to frost display.<\/p>\n Use tall varieties to best advantage as standalones or back-of-border anchors in expansive beds with room for spreading<\/p>\n Shorter types may used to define border frontage with a swath of color. All types may be grouped en masse for vivid drifts.<\/p>\n \u2018Happy Returns\u2019 Daylily<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Bed plants in spring or fall in Zones 3 to 9. Deadhead spent blossoms to extend bloom time and divide as needed.<\/p>\n You can find Happy Returns daylilies in quart and #1 containers available at Nature Hills Nursery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Read our complete growing guide here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia<\/em>) is a shrubby herb used in medicinal and culinary applications.<\/p>\n If you have full sun and dry, sandy, somewhat acidic soil, this is the perfect choice for rockeries, beds, borders, and kitchen gardens.<\/p>\n Lavender\u2019s foremost asset is without a doubt its fragrance. Be sure to place it near bed and border perimeters to encourage brushing past and releasing its pungent aroma.<\/p>\n In addition to scent, the spikes of blue-purple blossoms add dramatic lines to the landscape.<\/p>\n With a compact form and one- to two-foot height, you may also use lavender to create a band of color and texture at the mid-story level.<\/p>\n Consider mingling it with yellow yarrow for an appealing contrast.<\/p>\n Sow seeds or plants in early spring in Zones 5 to 8. Enjoy color from June through August, and deadhead to promote optimal blooming<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Prune every few years to maintain a compact shape.<\/p>\n Lavender comes in several different species<\/a><\/strong> but the English variety and the French type are the two most common.<\/p>\n Common English Lavender<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n You can find English lavender seeds available at True Leaf Market<\/a><\/strong> in a variety of packet sizes.<\/p>\n Check out our guide to growing lavender<\/a><\/strong> for more information.<\/p>\n Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica<\/em>) grows from a root structure called a rhizome, in full sun to part shade. It prefers organically-rich, moist but well-drained soil.<\/p>\n Cultivars are available in a rainbow of colors including blue, pink, purple, white, and yellow, with heights up to four feet.<\/p>\n Iris grows in showy clumps that takes center stage as a focal feature, naturalizing into dramatic drifts of color in the spring garden.<\/p>\n Some varieties like to have \u201cwet feet,\u201d making them perfect solutions for dampish trouble spots. Slender stems with showy blossoms appear in late spring.<\/p>\n When the blossoms wither, prune away the entire stems. Leave the ornamental grass-like leaves intact to feed the rhizomes and add linear interest to the landscape right through fall.<\/p>\n \u2018Blue Moon\u2019\u00a0Siberian Iris<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Siberian iris is suitable for Zones 3 to 8, where it may be bedded in early spring or fall.\u00a0 While you may sow singly, placing several together makes for an attractive clump.<\/p>\n Plan to dig them up in about four years to remove withered rhizomes.<\/p>\n Find Blue Moon Siberian iris roots available from Eden Brothers<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n And read our guide to growing irises<\/a><\/strong> to learn more.<\/p>\n Giant Allium (Allium giganteum<\/em>) is a striking ornamental onion bulb that thrives best in full sun and moist, organically-rich, well-drained soil<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Large globes of purple blossoms perch atop bare stems that reach up to five feet in height.<\/p>\n This giant variety provides whimsical pops of color and texture that seem to float on air.<\/p>\n Sow it sporadically for a quirky accent, mass it in a drift, use it to define the back of a border, or make it a focal point in the center of a bed. Giant allium blooms in May and June.<\/p>\n Bed bulbs in fall in Zones 5 to 8. Excessive moisture or poor drainage may cause rotting.<\/p>\n Giant Alliums<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Pick up giant allium bulbs in packets of two, four, and 10 available at Eden Brothers<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sentimental-Blue-Balloon-Flowers.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n2. Black-Eyed Susan<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Black-Eyed-Susan-Flowers-1.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Black-Eyed-Susan-Flowers-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Black-Eyed-Susans.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n3. Blazing Star<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Blazing-Star-Flowers.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Blazing-Star-Flowers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Blue-Liatris-Spicata-Bulbs.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n4. Bugleweed<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bugleweed-Flowers.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bugleweed-Flowers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Chocolate-Chip-Ajuga.webp\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n5. Clematis<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clematis-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clematis-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Regal-Diamantina-Clematis.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n6. Coneflower<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Coneflowers-in-the-Garden.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Coneflowers-in-the-Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Purple-Coneflower-Wildflower-Seeds.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n7. Cranesbill Geranium<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Cranesbill-Geraniums-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Cranesbill-Geraniums-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Geranium-Rozanne.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n8. Creeping Thyme<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Carpet-of-Creeping-Thyme.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Carpet-of-Creeping-Thyme.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creeping-Thyme.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creeping-Thyme.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n9. Daylily<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Daylilies-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Daylilies-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Happy-Returns-Daylily.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n10. English Lavender<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Lavender-Growing-in-a-Border.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Lavender-Growing-in-a-Border.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Common-English-Lavender-Garden-Seeds.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n11. Siberian Iris<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Siberian-Iris.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Siberian-Iris.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Blue-Moon-Iris.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n12. Giant Allium<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Giant-Alliums-in-Bloom.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Giant-Alliums-in-Bloom.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Giganteum-Alliums.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hellebores-in-the-Garden.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hellebores-in-the-Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Hellebore-Phoebe.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/New-England-Asters.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gardenerspath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/New-England-Asters.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n