List of Flowers That Grow in the Summer

• Combine flowers of different types to add interest and contrasting colors. Theo Allofs/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Summer flowers are many gardeners pride and joy. They bring color, interest and fragrance to an outdoor space and make a scenic backdrop for backyard barbecues and summer parties. Choosing the right summer flowers helps you set the atmosphere for all your entertaining, as well as those sunny days spent outside, enjoying your garden. Flowers that grow in the summer prefer full sun or partial shade and moist, rich soil with good drainage.

Brown-Eyed Susans

• The brown-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba, is a biennial with small, long-lasting flowers. Growing up to 5 feet tall, brown-eyed Susans are yellow with brown or brown-black centers and a somewhat daisy-like appearance. Its wide butter yellow petals have three lobes, hence the species name "triloba." The plant's foliage is thick and bushy when mature and the stems are hairy and deep red.

Snapdragons

• Antirrhinum majus, snapdragons, bloom abundantly in summer and into the fall. They come in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, red, purple and bi-colored flowers. These flowers have rounded bodies with lipped edges, giving the characteristic "snapdragon" look. Snapdragon cultivars come in range of heights, from dwarf to intermediate and tall. Deadheading the blossoms will extend their blooming time.

Pansies

• Pansies belong to the genus Viola, which contains both pansies and violets. Pansies come in a rainbow of colors including pink, orange, blue, purple and even black. Some have singular colors, while others are bi-colored with high contrast. Their long-lasting blooms have a soft, rough texture and are known for their long blooming times.

Gladiolus

• Many species comprise the genus Gladiolus, which are known for their long, elegant stems along which spikes of star-shaped flowers grow. Gladiolas come in every color, from red to blue to yellow and even green, and also many bicolor varieties such as the scarlet and silver Gladiolus 'Atom,' or the pink and red Gladiolus 'Dauntless.' These easy-to-grow flowers also serve well in floral arrangements and bouquets.

Dahlias

• The genus Dahlia contains nothing if not variety. These versatile flowers come in many colors including shades of red, orange, yellow and white. They puff out in a profusion of bold spiked petals. Dahlias also grow to a range of sizes, including varieties that grow to be 7 feet tall.