Planting flowers that bloom in the spring is a fun way to bring a little color to your yard. Factors like sun exposure, soil type, and space will all affect which flowers flourish best in your yard, but there are still plenty of plants to choose from regardless of your parameters.

Perennial vs. Annual vs. Biennial

The best way to ensure that your garden looks how you expect it to is by understanding differences in blooming patterns. If you’re mindful and stagger the flowers you plant each year, you should have a colorful garden in every season. There are three different plant life cycles to consider when planning your garden:

1. Annuals: A plant that blooms annually means that it will live for a single season, then you’ll need to replant it each year to ensure a consistent appearance. Some annual flowers shed their seeds at the end of their growth cycle, but they may not reappear the following growth cycle in the same place you’d originally planted it.
2. Perennials: Perennial flowers live for several seasons, blooming each year without requiring additional planting or planning. If you’re trying to keep your garden low-maintenance, year-over-year, perennial plants may be your best choice.
3. Biennials: Biennial plants grow every other year. Keep in mind that the first year that you plant a biennial won’t produce blooming flowers, but the year after that will. Biennials can bring variety to your garden, every year.

Flowers that Bloom in the Spring

If you’re prepared to plant seeds, you’ll want to get them in the ground very early in the spring to see annual or perennial blooms within the same season. If you don’t want to wait for seeds to grow, buying flowers that are already growing is a smart alternative.

Spring annuals:

• Viola
• Petunia
• Snapdragon
• Pansy
• Larkspur
• Lobelia
• Ranunculus

Spring perennials:

• Candytuft
• Forget-me-not
• Iris
• Catmint
• Lupine
• Tulip
• Daffodil

Spring biennials:

• Foxglove
• Sweet rocket
• Canterbury bells
• Hollyhock
• Black-eyed susan
• Honesty

Tips for Caring for Spring Flowers

Not all flowers are created equal, but all of them require watering in some capacity. Newly planted flowers typically require watering once a day, and, after they’ve established their root system, you might be able to scale back. It’s a good idea to monitor your garden until you’ve developed a solid routine for its needs. This will also help you keep an eye on weed growth. Pulling weeds, including their roots, helps ensure that the nutrients and space in the soil are reserved for your flowers.

After the spring season and your perennial flowers have faded, be sure to clip the stem down to leaf level. This process is called deadheading and helps your perennial flowers conserve energy to bloom again next season.

If you’re just getting started on your gardening journey, our gardening guide for beginners also has some pointers to get you going and our Gardening Vibes playlist has music to keep you company while you work outside.