Summertime and the living is definitely easy. This is the time of year when gardens really hit their stride. The bright sunshine and long warm days result in an almost overnight explosion of vigorous annual growth and brilliant colours. Warm-season annuals, from angelonia to zinnias, come into their own.

This bountiful buffet of summer-blooming flowers can be overwhelming to choose from. Here are some varieties, with amazing annual flowers.

Angelonia

During the heat of summer, when many other annuals take a break, this snapdragon look-alike keeps right on blooming. Angelonia can be massed as a bedding plant, used as pathway edging, or planted in a container with other annuals. These flowers are grown as an annual in most climate zones. They do, however, prefer full sunlight.

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Dahlia

These mid-to-late season bloomers are a summertime favourite, with hundreds of varieties in every colour and form imaginable. Grown from tubers or seeds, the flowers are exceptionally long-lasting, making them one of the best for summer bouquets. Just plant your dahlias in containers, borders or mass in your garden landscape.

Hydrangea

Few summer bloomers are more beloved than old-fashioned hydrangeas. These sturdy shrubs come in a wide range of colours and sizes. From dwarf varieties suitable for small spaces and containers to stately tree forms that make a stunning statement in the landscape. Plant as a stand-alone focal point, in a mixed border, as hedging, or mass along a slope for erosion control.

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Sea Holly

Sea holly adds an element of surprise and drama to the garden. With blue cone-shaped flowers surrounded by spiny bracts in shades of white, silver, green or even blue. These short-lived annuals or biennials are especially attractive to bees and other insect pollinators, bringing in wildlife to your garden.

Sunflowers

Nothing says summer like a field of statuesque sunflowers. Though annual forms are most commonly grown, there are perennial types as well. There are even dwarf forms that are well-suited to small urban spaces and containers. Grow them in a cottage-style border, kitchen garden, or other sunny site in your yard.

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