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Garden Advice

Bountiful Blooms: 7 Easy Flowers to Succession Plant

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We’ve often discussed succession planting vegetable crops like sweet corn, zucchini, and bush beans to avoid gluts and shortages here on the blog, but it’s also an excellent technique for flower gardening. Whether you’re growing cut flowers for market, to provide food for pollinators, or just to enjoy their beauty, succession planting flowers can help you achieve your goals. In today’s post, we’ll dive into why succession planting is important, how to do it, and our favorite flowers for succession planting.

Why Should I Succession Plant Flowers?

Succession planting ensures that you have fresh blooms all summer long and into autumn, whether you want them for bouquets, bees, or beautiful landscaping.

Even when you have flower varieties that say they bloom all season, that may not be the reality. In the Southeast, annual flowers can stop blooming early as the plants weaken under the stress of hot summer days, drought, and prevalent fungal diseases.Pink cosmos in bloom

How to Succession Plant Flowers

Succession planting is simple. It means you’re dividing up your plantings into smaller groups, rather than sowing all of your flowers at once. Typically, we plant a new succession every two to three weeks.

To determine when to start sowing, you’ll need to know your last spring frost date and your variety’s ideal growing conditions. For warm-weather annuals like zinnias, you’ll need to wait until all danger of frost has passed, but you can sow cool-weather loving flowers like sweet peas much sooner. Once the conditions are right, you can begin sowing every two to three weeks.

For cool weather loving crops, sow a couple of successions in spring and then another in late summer for fall. For warm-weather crops, you can usually sow successions all summer.

To determine when to stop sowing, you’ll need your first fall frost date. Using your first frost date for fall, you can count backward with a chosen variety’s days to maturity. To account for slow growth in the dwindling light of autumn, add an additional 15 days. That will be the last date you can sow that type of flower.

Example: Let’s say my average first fall frost date is October 20th and I want to grow successions of Mexican Cosmos all summer. Mexican Cosmos take 68 days to bloom. I’ll add an extra 15 days to 68 to account for slow growth for a total of 83 days. Then I’ll count backward 83 days from October 20th, which would be July 29th. This is the last possible date I can sow a succession to get blooms before a frost.

You don’t have to use a calendar to count by hand; try a time and date calculator like this one.

You can also stagger your flower season by choosing species and varieties that have different days to maturity. This will naturally help to spread out your blooms.

Whenever a bed of flowers fades or dies, pull it immediately, look at your planting list and sow a new succession. This can happen when cool-weather flowers like violas succumb to the summer heat, or you harvest all of your early sunflower blooms for market.Muli-colored zinnias in bloom

7 Easy Flowers for Succession Planting

Easy to grow and quick to bloom, these are the workhorses of the continuously blooming flower garden.

Zinnias

Zinnias are colorful, easy to grow, prolific, and versatile. Most zinnia varieties take between 60 and 80 days to bloom, meaning you can usually get several successions in before fall. For extra early blooms, you can start zinnias indoors in trays about four to six weeks before your last spring frost. Transplant them out into beds once all danger of frost has passed.

Cosmos

Like zinnias, cosmos are easy to grow, colorful, and prolific. Some varieties, like Sensation Mix, begin blooming in as little as 45 days, making them ideal for getting the most out of a small flower garden. You can start cosmos indoors in containers about four to six weeks before your last spring frost and transplant them out after danger of frost has passed.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are some of our favorites at Southern Exposure. These cheerful blooms are great for cut flowers and enjoyed by pollinators, songbirds, and humans alike. Unlike cosmos and zinnias, sunflowers don’t offer continuous, prolific blooms. If you want to enjoy fresh sunflowers over a long season, you need to succession plant. Multi-headed sunflowers offer the most blooms and are usually ready to harvest in just 50 to 60 days.

Most people direct sow sunflowers, but you can also start them indoors about 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost. Transplant them outdoors when all danger of frost has passed.Orange calendula blooms

Calendula

Calendula doubles as both a beautiful flower and a medicinal herb. You can also use calendula petals to decorate baked goods or add pops of color to salads and garnishes. Its short days to maturity and attractive blooms make it ideal for succession planting. The two calendula varieties we carry each take about 85 days to bloom.

You can begin sewing calendula indoors about 4 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date, then transplant it out when all danger of frost has passed.

Amaranth

Amaranth varieties like Love-Lies-Bleeding, Mayo India, and Golden offer so many benefits. In addition to working well in cut flower arrangements, they’re highly nutritious, fully edible plants that are drought-resistant, easy to grow, and attractive to pollinators. They typically bloom in about 60 to 90 days.

If desired, start amaranth indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost and transplant them out when the danger of frost has passed.

Marigolds

Most articles about succession planting flowers focus on cut flower market farming. While marigolds may not be a popular flower for bouquets, they are great for succession planting. Succession planting marigolds ensures you have a steady supply of beautiful blooms that will attract pollinators and deter pests.

Start sowing marigolds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost and transplant them out when all danger of frost has passed.

Celosia

There’s a lot to love about Celosia. It offers fun colors and unique shapes, and it’s long-lasting in the garden and in the vase. Celosia is also an excellent candidate for succession planting. However, most varieties take 90 to 100 days to bloom. Even when you start your successions early, you will only get in a couple.

To start Celosia indoors, sow it in flats or containers about 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. It will be ready to transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.Purple and blue Larkspur blooming in front of a building

Other Options for Spring and Fall Successions

There are many other flowers you can succession plant. Some, like larkspur, thrive in spring’s cool weather, and others, like rudbeckia, take longer to bloom, making them ideal for fall.

  • Larkspur
  • Sweet peas
  • Snapdragons
  • Poppies
  • Rudbeckia
  • Bells of Ireland
  • Dara
  • Queen Anne’s Lace
  • Bachelor’s Buttons
Garden Advice

Annual Flowers that Bloom All Season + Tips for Continuous Blooms

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Annuals may only last one season, but they are an easy way to add tons of color to the garden. They are easy to grow, affordably started from seed, and are great for filling in gaps in a perennial bed or attracting pollinators to vegetable gardens. These annual flowers also offer the advantage of continuous blooms. With a bit of maintenance, you and the pollinators can enjoy them until they’re killed by frost.

Black Ball Bachelor’s Button in bloom
Black Ball Bachelor’s Button

Bachelor’s Buttons

Bachelor’s buttons are easy to grow from seed. They’re a hardy, low-maintenance option, which is why they’re often included in “wildflower” mixes. Bachelor’s buttons also make wonderful cut flowers for fresh or dried arrangements. Plus, they’re also edible and make adorable natural decorations for baked goods.

We carry three varieties of bachelor’s button:

Bachelor’s buttons thrive in well-drained soil in full sun. It will tolerate partial shade but may not bloom as well. Bachelor’s buttons are also tolerant of poor soils.

Tall Menagerie Mix Celosia
Tall Menagerie Mix Celosia

Celosia

Celosia is a good flower for beginners that makes excellent borders or cut flowers. It blooms throughout summer and fall and offers a wide selection of bright colors. Celosia has unusual flower shapes that add fun texture to fresh and dried arrangements.

The variety we carry, Tall Menagerie Mix, that includes mostly “cockscomb” or “coral” type blooms with some spikes. Menagerie Mix produces sturdy, heat-resistant 3 to 4½ foot tall plants.

Celosia thrives in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun.

Memories of Mona Cosmos
Memories of Mona Cosmos

Cosmos

Cosmos offer some of the biggest bang for your buck. They’re super easy to grow from seed and provide tons of colorful blossoms over a long season. Their large flowers look stunning on their light, feathery foliage.

Cosmos are also great for attracting butterflies and come in a range of colors like white, pink, magenta, orange, and yellow. We carry six cosmo varieties.

Cosmos grow well in full sun in well-drained, average soil.

Naughty Marietta French Marigold
Naughty Marietta French Marigold

Marigolds

Marigolds are the classic companion plants for vegetable gardens. Their bright blooms attract beneficial insects all summer long. There’s some evidence that they deter pests. One study found that a particular variety we carry, Golden Guardian, reduces the presence of nematodes more effectively than chemical insecticides.

We carry nine marigold varieties in a range of patterns and colors, including yellow, orange, golden, red, and red-purple.

Marigolds thrive in moist, well-drained soil where they receive full sun.

Balcony Petunia
Balcony Petunia

Petunias

Petunias are incredibly popular though most people only find the over-priced containers of petunias at big box stores. Thankfully, petunias are easy to grow from seed in the garden or containers. Homegrown petunias will offer blooms over a much longer season and are more affordable.

We carry two petunia varieties and both will bloom until frost.

Petunias like full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Pink Zinnias
Pink Zinnias

Zinnias

Zinnias are among the easiest flowers to grow and offer a near rainbow of colors. They bloom from early summer until frost, especially with a little care. They also make excellent cut flowers and cutting theoccasional bouquet will encourage them to branch out and create more blooms.

We offer nine zinnia varieties with a range of shapes, sizes, and colors, including white, light pink, magenta, red, yellow, and light purple.

Zinnias thrive and offer the most blooms in well-drained soil and full sun.

Tips for Continuous Blooms

Here are a few tips to keep your garden blooming until frost.

  • Space your plants appropriately. Adequate space and airflow makes for healthy plants that will bloom over a longer period. Zinnias in particular are susceptible to Downey mildew. Providing good air circulation is key to reducing the risk of mildew and other fungal diseases.

  • Follow sunlight requirements. Unfortunately, all of these plants bloom best in full sun. If you don’t have a garden bed that receives plenty of sunlight, you can grow many of these like marigolds, petunias, and zinnias in containers on a sunny patio, balcony, or even window box.

  • Add compost to the bed. Flowers aren’t heavy feeders, but they benefit from moderately fertile soil. Adding finished compost is a great way to ensure you provide nutrient-rich soil without over-fertilizing.

  • Water consistently. These annual flowers are fairly tolerant, but for the best blooms, they’ll likely benefit from some watering, particularly during dry spells.

  • Regularly deadhead your flowers. Most annual flower benefits from deadheading every one to two weeks. When you deadhead flowers like zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds it encourages them to keep blooming to try to produce seed. If you want to save seed, let some blooms go to seed at the end of summer.

Garden Advice

Do I Really Need to Deadhead My Flowers?

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We all want to keep our flowers looking healthy and blooming for as long as possible. One way you can do this is by deadheading. What is deadheading? What flowers should be deadheaded? How do I deadhead flowers? We’ll answer all these questions to help you keep your flower garden thriving this season.

Should I Deadhead All of My Flowers?

First, deadheading flowers is ultimately a personal choice. You can make gardening work for you. If you’re busy with summer family events, work, or other commitments, the world won’t end because you don’t deadhead your peonies. 

However, deadheading indeed encourages some flowers to bloom for more extended periods. When you remove spent flowers, it enables the plant to more energy into producing more flowers rather than producing seed.

Many people also find it keeps their flower beds looking tidy. Below are some of the flowers you can deadhead but a quick google search should give you an answer for any species.

Celosia (deadhead)Annual Flowers to Deadhead

  • Zinnias
  • Cosmos
  • Coreopsis
  • Calendula
  • Celosia
  • Violas
  • Morning Glories
  • Petunias

Perennial Flowers to Deadhead

  • Daylilies
  • Peonies
  • Roses
  • Irises
  • Echinacea

There are also reasons not to deadhead flowers. These reasons center around the fact that spent flowerheads develop into seed pods.

When you remove a spent flower, you’re not allowing the plant to produce seed. In many cases, this is a fine thing. However, it is nice to let some flowers go to seed. 

You may want some of your flowers to self-seed. Hollyhocks, for example, are biennial, meaning that they bloom the second year. Allowing your plants to go to seed each year ensures that you’ll have a steady supply of blooming flowers in the coming years. Other species that will readily self-seed include rudbeckia, coreopsis, and echinacea. Allowing them to go to seed means you’ll have more flowers next year with little effort.

If desired, you can also share some of these seeds. Swap seeds with friends or find an online or local seed swap. You can help preserve biodiversity and get some new flowers or vegetables to try in return!

Seed pods also bring beauty of their own. Seeds pods from poppies, Job’s Tears, and Jewel of Opar look lovely in the garden and dried arrangements. 

Another reason to leave those spent flowers to produce seed is wildlife. Songbirds love to feed on seeds from various flowers, including zinnias, echinacea, asters, and coreopsis. Leaving these flowerheads alone, especially as we head into fall, can be a great way to give birds a helping hand.

How to Deadhead Flowers

Decided to deadhead some of your flowers? Deadheading flowers is simple and easy. Thankfully, it’s a much easier task than weeding! You can easily deadhead some flowers like petunias with just your fingers, but for tougher, larger flowers like roses, you’ll want a small pair of snips or shears. 

Pinch or cut off any spent flowers below the flower and above the first set of healthy leaves. Flowers with long stems can be cut just above the first set of healthy leaves. For tough stems you’re cutting with shears, snip them at a 45° angle to encourage proper healing. While you’re doing this, it’s also an excellent time to remove any dead, diseased, or damaged foliage. 

Avoid deadheading perennial shrubs and trees in the late summer and fall. Trimming them late in the season can accidentally trim new growth, which is where many species flower the following season.

Do you deadhead your flowers? Let us know why or why not on Facebook! Keep your flower gardening looking great this season with these deadheading tips.