There are few things as enthralling in summer, as the warm fragrance of jasmine, champak, gond, champa and so many more flowers, that waft through the warm evening air. Summer’s flowers brighten up our spaces and our spirits, and keep reminding us to surrender completely in the moment.
Summer flowers are warm-season flowering plants, meaning they prefer warm weather and longer day’s length for their growth. These flowers require full sunshine for at least for 6-8 hours and a warm soil temperature.
Some flowers adapt to particularly hot weather conditions to bloom naturally. All flowering plants need ideal climatic factors such as sunlight, soil temperature, and humidity for their growth and development. Hence based on their adaptability, flowers should be grown in a particular season.
There are plenty of flowers you can choose to nurture during summer, here’s our list of just a few of them:
Cosmos – Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of cosmos, consisting of flowering plants in the sunflower family
You don’t have to do much in terms of planting this flower – just sprinkle seeds around your garden and then wait two months. So ideally March is a good time. The result will be a star-like flower – hence the space-themed name. You won’t have to travel for millions of light-years to see them either since they will be in your garden in the most beautiful hues!
Catharanthus roseus – Common Name(s): Annual Vinca, Madagascar Periwinkle, Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Running Myrtle, Vinca
You might have seen these beautiful flowers in your surroundings. Although vincas are shade lovers, they can be the perfect choices for sunny locations and they bring sparks of joy and colour to any garden or balcony. Vincas are popularly known as periwinkle in many locations of our country. The leaves are dark green and leathery. Five petalled periwinkles can bloom in various contrasting shades including pink, purple, red, white, magenta, and bi-colours.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis – Known colloquially as Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow, and shoeblack plant, it is a species of tropical hibiscus, a flowering plant in the Hibisceae tribe of the family Malvaceae
In India, you will find at least 70 varieties of hibiscus flower. Known as Lord Ganapati’s favourite flower many women wear them in their hair. Bright and beautiful hibiscus brings a vibrant energy to your garden l during the summer season. Red hibiscus symbolises love, devotion, and passion while white hibiscus stands for beauty and purity. Yellow hibiscus symbolises sunshine, energy, happiness, and good luck while pink hibiscus refers to romantic love. Just make sure you keep the hibiscus plant under direct sunlight to enjoy the lovely blooms.
Marigold – They are among several groups of plants known in English as marigolds. The genus Tagetes was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753
You won’t have to spend too much effort when it comes to growing Marigolds. They don’t need a lot of sunlight, thriving even if there is partial sunlight. Mosquitoes tend to stay far away from them too due to their strong scent. This flower grows fast and you don’t have to water it too much – only on its base.
Rose – A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars.
Roses need no introduction; a flower most loved that represents love. You have to pay close attention to them, though, since their scent attracts pests. If you pair them with Marigolds, though, that can keep some of them away. You can grow them in so many colours – which will make your garden truly eye-catching. Try to let it only get morning sunlight since the midday sun can be too harsh on it.
Bougainvillea – Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o’ clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina.
When you look closely at this flower, it looks like paper. The riot of colours that Bougainvillea offer are truly eye- catching and pleasing to one’s senses. Even if the temperatures are soaring, they grow pretty well in the heat. You have to have them in direct sunlight for roughly 5-7 hours, and they need to have moist soil. This can be solved by mulching it often. If you plant them around your home, you will see how fast they bloom.
Petunia – Petunia is a genus of 20 species of flowering plants of South American origin. The popular flower of the same name derived its epithet from the French, which took the word pétun, ‘tobacco’, from a Tupi–Guarani language. A tender perennial, most of the varieties seen in gardens are hybrids.
These flowers do not need constant attention once you have planted them. You have to expose them to the sun, so you should do this during the summer. While they can tolerate cooler weather, they won’t survive a harsh winter.
Sunflower – The common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae
The Sunflower has “Sun” in its name, so it definitely needs to be in a lot of direct sunlight. Consistently drain the soil, otherwise, it can get too much water and keep it from growing. They love hot and dry conditions, so summer is usually the best time of the year to grow them.
Zinnia – Zinnia elegans (syn. Zinnia violacea) known as youth-and-age, common zinnia or elegant zinnia, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
These are the easiest flowers to grow for beginners. When you get Zinnias, you are getting something that can be left on its own for a lot of the time – you won’t have to be constantly checking on it to see if it has to be maintained. All you have to do is plant the seeds and then wait for them to grow pretty fast. They come in a variety of fabulous colours, too.
Daisy – Bellis perennis, the daisy, is a European species of the family Asteraceae, often considered the archetypal species of the name daisy
When it comes to summer flowers, people often think of daisies. You will love growing them since they are very easy to maintain and they also are very pleasing to the eye with their variety of colours. You can cut them add them to a vases and take care of them inside, so they are excellent both indoors and outdoors.
Jasmine – Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania
Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers. There are many varieties of the jasmine flowering plant available today. Whichever you choose, you are sure to enjoy this gorgeous flower however, remember while you love how Jasmine looks and smells, you need to be careful when maintaining it since it is very delicate. It will be worth the effort, though, since it is stunning when it does bloom and its fragrance is delectable.
Morning Glory – Morning glory is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae
You might have to wait for a bit for Morning Glory to first germinate. After that, though, you can expect it to bloom pretty quickly after that. The only thing is that you have to be very attentive to how you maintain it, though, since if you are off with how much moist or dry the soil gets it may falter – but if you are diligent, you will love the rewards.
So folks…
While summer can be a sweltering time of year, you can take a page from the plant lovers of India who grow flowers which survive even the harsh rays of the sun. Your reward – your balcony, flower bed or garden will look beautiful and you will feel joy and peace as you walk around in it. The scents and sights of summer flowers can be a delight on even the hottest days.
