Summer Container Flowers

Zinnia

• Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) is a popular choice for summer containers. Belonging to the Aster/Daisy family, each bushy annual comes in a variety of bright and pastel shades that dress up the container and add a cheerful note to the surrounding. Each 2- to 4-inch wide daisy-like bloom features single or double rows of petals around a yellow or deep brown/black disc-like center. Plants grow 5 to 35 inches high, depending on the variety selected. Zinnia prefers well-draining, slightly dry soil and full sun.

Impatiens

• These popular troopers flourish in summer containers and hanging baskets while adding a touch of beauty to the spot. Easy-to-grow impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) belong to the Balsamineaceae family and appear in a variety of colors including rose, pink, lavender, white, orange and violet. Also called patient Lucy, busy Lizzie and touch-me-not, the trouble-free annuals feature 1 to 2-inch wide single or double blooms that prefer full to partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. Depending on the variety selected, impatiens grow between 8 inches to 2 feet tall and add color to a container from early summer through till fall.

Petunias

• Petunias are popular summer annuals grown as garden bedding or container plants. The easy-to-grow flowers appear in upright or cascading varieties that dress up the area from spring through fall while emitting a pleasant aroma. Three main types are grandiflora with 4-inch wide blooms, compact multiflora petunias with smaller blooms and 6-inch tall spreading petunias that serve as attractive ground covers. Petunias prefer full sunlight and a container filled with good quality, well-draining soil.

Pansies

• Cheerful annuals that appear in shades of yellow, purple, pink and white, hardy pansies (Viola wittrockiana) add vibrant color to a container garden and continue until the first frost. Each easy-to-grow, happy-face like bloom features yellow or cream-colored markings toward the center. Pansies liven up the fall landscape in areas with mild winter climates, decorating a container garden with attractive blooms from autumn till early or mid spring. The annuals prefer partial sun to shade and well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Deadheading regularly encourages plants to produce bushier and fuller blooms.