The Best Flowers To Plant During Spring For A Garden Full Of Colorful Blooms

When winter begins to give way and that warmer weather begins to sneak in, spring is just around the corner. With it you may have noticed some blooms and sprouts beginning to pop out of the ground and branches — signs that you may want start thinking about which garden ideas you want to try this spring. 

Whether you have an expansive tiered garden or just a few window boxes, there are some flowers that you may want to start planting before spring truly sets in. Not only will this get your garden looking great even sooner, but if you plan everything just right, you can keep a steady rotation of blooms that will outlast both the frosty and feverish days of the mercurial season.

If you research "the best flowers to plant in spring," you may end up feeling overwhelmed by all the possible options, or get a bit discouraged if you're only finding home garden ideas to plant in the fall. mostly bulb options that need to be planted in the fall. To help narrow it down, here are some of the best and brightest flowers, like pansies, tulips, and snapdragons, to plant in the spring that will make your garden beautiful and vibrant. These options that will appeal to everyone from the inexperienced gardener to the Martha Stewart protégé.

If you missed planting bulbs this fall, you don't have to forgo these quintessential spring blooms. Instead of purchasing a bulb, get a tulip (Tulipa spp.) that has already sprouted when spring rolls around. The good news is that you should be able to find these everywhere from your local grocery store to flower shop. Once they reach the end of their bloom cycle for this season, they may continue to bloom for the next three to 10 years. In the right conditions, tulips can self-propagate with bulblets from the larger bulb. They grow in zones 3 through 8.

If you don't consider yourself to have a green thumb, pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) are the flower for you. Incredibly hearty and low maintenance, these biennial flowers come in a variety of vibrant colors and can bloom from early spring through late fall. They also pair well with bulbed plants like tulips, as they will bloom both earlier and later, helping to bridge those seasonal gaps. Since these only require shallow planting, they also make a great choice for window boxes and individual pots in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 9.

Contrary to the majority of flowering bulb plants which are ideally sown in the fall, gladioli (Gladiolus spp.) prefer a slightly warmer entrance to the world and thrive in zones 8 through 11 as perennials. However, don't panic — they will grow in colder areas as annuals. You will want to plant gladiolus bulbs roughly two weeks before the last frost of the season, and you can expect to see their luscious, fragrant blooms around the middle of June, but it will depend on your climate.

For a carefree and colorful feel, consider the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) flower. This plant not only has a sweet signature scent, but it also grows well in cooler climates. While southern regions do best planting this flower in the fall, more northern areas (zones 7 and below) can start seeds in late winter or early spring and maintain blooms into early summer. They also come in a wide range of colors including purples, whites, reds, and corals, and they make simply gorgeous arrangements all on their own. 

Another low-maintenance plant, phlox (Phlox spp.) prefers to be planted after the threat of frost has gone, so no worries — you're right on track. They can grow to be anywhere from 6 to 48 inches tall depending on cultivar, with options for both full and partial sun. Phlox flowers are also attractive to wildlife, from birds to bees to butterflies, so they are a great option if you are looking to support and view pollinators. These grow in hardiness zones 3 through 9. Most varieties hold up well as cut flowers.

Not only do these bright flowers have an adorable puppet-like feature that allows you to pinch the bloom open and closed like a mouth, but snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) come in a stunning range of bright colors including pink, orange, purple, yellow, white, and red. They can take quite a while to germinate from seed to flower — two to three months even — so if you need them on the fly, get them pre-sprouted. They will thrive in zones 7 through 10.

Sometimes the best things in life are short-lived. While morning glories (Ipomoea spp.) bloom from early summer to early fall, you can only enjoy these blossoms for a couple of hours each morning in zones 2 through 11. This climbing vine plant will provide entertainment for watching nature in action. To plant from seed, you can start these inside or wait until the ground reaches about 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Though technically annuals, not perennials, they may reseed themselves, so you could see them return next year — but make sure that they don't spread and take over.