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As a seasonal flower gardener, there’s something absolutely magical about the arrival of July. It’s the time when the garden comes alive with the vibrant hues and intoxicating scents of some of the most beautiful flowers. It’s also the time that you can see all your hard work come to fruition.
If you’re wondering what flowers are in season in July, you’re in for a world of abundance and delight.
The magic of July in the garden: Flowers in season in July
July is a magical time in the garden. The days are long, the sun is warm, the light is softer and the garden is alive with colour and life. It’s the perfect time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But what flowers can we expect to see in July?
The answer: an abundance of everything!
Three questions. Two minutes. A flower list chosen for your actual garden, not some idealised one.
Let’s find your flowers.
July is when the flower garden is just getting into it’s stride. All those spring sown annuals will be starting to flower. Last year’s biennials should still be in flower, and many will continue to be in flower for the rest of the month. And of course perennials in the garden could be in season in July.
Let’s take a closer look at the flowers in season in July.
Sweet peas
Sweet peas, with their delicate tendrils and multi-coloured blooms, are a sight for sore eyes. Their sweet fragrance is a treat for the senses, making them a popular choice for many flower gardeners.
Gathering all the sweet pea flowers weekly, will not only produce many more flowers the following week, but will also fill your house with their delightful fragrance.
Nothing compares to a jar of sweet peas on your bedside table on hot July nights.
Poppies
Poppies, with their papery petals and bold colours, add a touch of drama to the landscape. Their vibrant shades of red, orange, and pink can liven up any garden. I let them pop up wherever they want in my garden, they are never unwelcome.
However, I don’t tend to pick them for a vase as they are just so short lived in a vase. I prefer to enjoy them for longer in the garden. And that way I also get the bonus of the wonderful seed heads to decorate my home in the winter.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons, also known as the sophisticated antirrhinums in the cut flower world, with their fascinating shape and diverse colour palette, are a favourite in the flower garden in July. Their vertical growth adds height and variety to your garden.
If you can get a straight stem from them, these make perfect cut flowers. Staking them before they start producing their flowering stems is critical if you are cutting them, this is because they are both geotropic (grows in response to gravity) and phototropic (grows towards the light). So it doesn’t take much to create a crazily bent stem.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers, the quintessential summer flowers, stand tall and proud, bringing joy and warmth to the garden. Their large, cheerful faces are a sight to behold, and they no longer need to be bright yellow, as they now come in various shades of sunset reds to lemony yellows.
Again, staking is a must for sunflowers. I love a simple vase of sunflowers sitting on the kitchen table. However, as they tend to be a single stem flower I can no longer justify the growing space for them. I much prefer to use the space for something that is more productive. And my kitchen table vase is never empty!
Roses
Roses, the timeless symbols of love and beauty, add elegance and romance to any garden setting. From the classic red roses to the delicate pink ones, there’s a rose for every garden and everyone.
However, if you have a cutting garden, then the less thorns you can have the better. I have found that the Queen of Sweden is a vigorous flowerer, in a lovely blush pink, and has very few thorns to worry about. It is one of my favourites.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas, with their large, globe-shaped flower heads, create a stunning visual impact. Their clusters of flowers in shades of blue, pink, or white are truly spectacular.
If you want plenty of flowers without turning gardening into a second job, The Flower Files might be just what you need.
I mention these because if you have a shady border these are perfect. The flower heads are great dried and so can decorate your house all year long.
These are just a few examples of flowers in season in July. But really you can include any spring sown annual to the list, so don’t hold back and make your garden filled with flowers in July.
What to flower seeds to sow in July
As a nature lover, there’s an indescribable joy in sowing seeds and watching them grow into beautiful plants. It’s a process that teaches you patience, perseverance, and resilience. It’s a gentle reminder of the precious beauty of life and the fleeting nature of time.
However, if you want my honest opinion, I think July is one of the few months in the year that you can take a break from sowing seeds. If you are up to date with your biennials, and are not succession sowing then take this time to enjoy the flowers rather than growing more.
However, if you feel the urge to sow seeds, here are some that you could try.
Biennials
Biennials, plants that take two years to grow from seed to fruition and die, can be planted now to ensure a beautiful display next year. I like to get mine sown by mid June, but if you are running a little late then you still have time, up to mid July, to get them sown.
Campanula and foxgloves are popular biennials that you can consider.
Annuals
Succession sowing annual flowers involves planting seeds at intervals to ensure a continuous supply of flowers right through the season.
If you sow annuals in July, then you are looking at them flowering late September/October. However, you also run the risk of an early frost knocking out the lot of them. If you are happy to take this risk then feel free to sow anything, although I would avoid antirrhinums as they take so long to get started.
If you are simply looking for plants that are in flower in autumn, then you could take advantage of cosmos, zinnia, nicotiana, china aster, rudbeckias. All of which flower later in the season, especially if you sow them late in spring.
And of course let’s not forget dahlias, feverfew and achillea. Dahlias will continue flowering until the first frosts. If you cut back feverfew and achillea hard in July they will be flowering again in the autumn.
Perennials
Perennials, with their ability to return year after year, are a great choice for sustainable gardening. Growing them from seed may seem unusual but many are easy to grow from seed and can even be flowering by the next year.
Lupins are a good example of this. They are so easy to grow and I can honestly say that my seed sown lupins flowered so much better than shop bought ones.
Perennials can be sown at any time in the year, so it’s not essential to sow them in July, but if you feel the need to sow something then these are a good choice.
If you are looking for some seeds to sow then I have a selection of easy to grow seeds in my shop.
Sustainable seasonal gardening
I’d like to leave you with a quote by Claude Monet, the famous impressionist painter who was deeply inspired by the beauty of flowers and nature:
“I must have flowers, always, and always.” Claude Monet
This is a sentiment that resonates deeply with me, and I hope it does with you too. July is a testament to the timeless beauty of flowers, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than immersing yourself in the joy of them and flower gardening.
Happy gardening!
A quick aside: I built a little app for flower growers who want gentle reminders about what to do and when - without it turning into another thing to feel guilty about. It's called the Flower Grower Companion. You tell it your location and your flowers, it tells you what actually needs doing this week (and just as importantly, when there's nothing to do at all)
Have a look
