When the weather becomes more favorable, you’re bound to spend plenty of time outdoors, and what better way to enjoy these periods than with the delightful color, scent, and beauty of patio plants?!
It’s best to consider the amount your patio receives before deciding what flower to adorn it with. Plants may prefer full or partial sun; the same applies to shade. The time of day your patio receives sunlight will also be essential. Also, ensure you check your USDA Hardiness zones for the correct climate for your plants.
For season-long color, combine annuals and perennials and swap them season to season, year to year, for a fresh, new look. With that said, here’s a list of some of the best flowers that will bring a satisfying presence to your patio.
Take a look!
1. Ivy Geraniums
Just as their name suggests, ivy geraniums use their smooth, ivy-shaped foliage and vine-like growth habit to create a cascading effect. These prolific bloomers grow fast in warm weather and come in a variety of colors, including white, salmon, red, and pink.
Ivy geraniums grow best as annuals in USDA Cold Hardiness zones 10 – 12 and look especially great in hanging baskets. Depending on the variety, when planted in the ground, they can grow dense and shrubbier or spread as ground cover. Ivy geraniums thrive in full sun and should be planted in well-drained, moist soil.
2. Agapanthus
Agapanthus, commonly referred to as the African lily, can be evergreen or deciduous, depending on the cultivar. The plant’s flowers bloom for at least six months, from early summer until fall, and, as its name suggests, are somewhat lily-like.
Flowers in shades of blue, pink, purple, and white bloom on tall stalks, with strap-like leaves spreading out wide and long from the base to provide texture and volume. The tender perennial is hardy, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 8 – 11. It thrives in full sun and prefers well-drained, fertile, light, sandy loam.
3. Pair it Up
One way to curate a beautiful composition is to pair two bold flower cultivars for a creative palette. This container garden utilizes planters filled with geraniums and petunias in a range of delightful colors, such as pink, red, purple, violet, and orange, brightening the patio with bold colors and soft blooms.
Grouping them creates even more interest, so feel free to use as many containers as you’d like.
4. Zonal Geraniums
Zonal geraniums are easily recognizable by their distinctive features, such as flower clusters that resemble spheres standing atop sturdy stems and kidney-shaped leaves. These clusters form upright bushes that provide a burst of color, from salmon, pink, red, rose, white, cherry-red, and bicolor.
Zonal geraniums are timeless in containers, whether by themselves or mixed with other flowers, blooming through winter in sunny windows. They thrive in full sun and well-drained, moderate to rich, moist soil. The plants will also appreciate a slow-release fertilizer during planting time.
5. Petunias
Petunias come in dozens of colors and varieties, and they’re sure to brighten your patio no matter where you place them. The beautiful plants bloom continuously throughout the summer season, featuring trumpet-shaped, medium-sized flowers in white, orange, green, red, purple, yellow, pink, and bicolor.
Petunias thrive in well-draining, fertile soil and are annuals in most USDA zones. Maintain a regular watering regimen to keep the plants moderately moist as a substitute for annual rainfall.
6. Wax Begonias
Wax begonias are easily identifiable by their bronze or dark green leaves, loose clusters of flowers, and a compact, bushy shape with fleshy stems. They bloom continuously without deadheading until a hard frost and come in various saturated shades of red, pink, white, or bicolor.
Wax begonias are usually planted in masses, used as bedding plants, or as edging. They are versatile plants that thrive in full sun or part shade and can even be grown as indoor plants—they’ll need more light indoors than outdoors.
They prefer rich, moist, well-drained soil and are usually grown as annuals in USDA Hardiness zones 10 – 11. You need not worry much about care and maintenance—the hardy plants are almost impossible to kill!
7. Marigolds
Tagetes spp., commonly known as marigolds, are annuals that thrive on neglect and come in warm shades of red, orange, yellow, and bicolor. They bloom from late spring until the first frost and have a warm, green, bright, and somewhat spicy fragrance.
The one featured here is the Janie Spry, a dwarf French marigold with double carnation-like florals boasting red and deep yellow-orange at the center. It thrives in full sun, prefers moist to slightly dry soil that’s neutral or acidic, and only grows eight inches tall.
8. Impatiens
With four vibrant petals on billowy blooms, impatiens are cheerful flowers that have been popular in the United States for years. The classic warm-weather flowers are available in a broad spectrum of pink, yellow, purple, orange, red, and white.
They bloom from spring through summer and fall and are often found in containers and flower beds. They prefer partial to full shade since too much sun will burn their leaves. They grow best in well-draining, moist, nutrient-rich soil.
Even though impatiens are grown as annuals almost everywhere (mostly USDA Hardiness zones 10 – 11), they can also be grown as perennials in warmer climates.
9. Spanish Lavender
Lavandula stoechas, commonly known as Spanish lavender, has tiny flowers that are outshined by its tall, pinkish-purple bracts, just like French lavender. The plant has upright petals that appear atop the flower heads, giving it a rabbit-like appearance.
This compact, low-growing plant tolerates heat better than other lavenders and thus requires warm temperatures and lots of sun to flourish. Grow your plants in well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil, preferably in USDA Hardiness zones 8 – 9. Oh, not to forget, the leaves and flowers of Spanish lavender are edible!
10. Roses
Roses (Rosa spp.) are well known for their fragrant blooms of pink, yellow, red, white, apricot, and variations. There are trailing roses, ones that stand erect, and others that even climb. They have woody stems that are studded with sharp thorns, and they deliver flowers with a perfect form for cutting.
They love plenty of sun and well-draining, loamy soil. If you plan to grow roses in pots, ensure your planters can withstand freezing temperatures over the winter. Go for wood and plastic pots, and avoid materials such as ceramic and terracotta.
11. Fuchsia
Fuchsia is famed for its dozens of teardrop-shaped, brightly-colored, dangling flowers that bloom from spring through fall. The plant thrives in USDA Hardiness zones 10 – 11 and is often grown in hanging baskets.
The plant needs only partial sunlight and regular watering to flourish, making it an easy-to-care flower during the warm season.
Fuchsia is a tropical plant, so grow it in a spot with mild temperatures (between 60 – 70℉) and low-level humidity. Indirect sunlight is also essential to prevent the tender leaves of the plant from burning.
12. Fuchsia ‘Rapunzel’
Fuschia ‘Rapunzel’ gets its name from the vibrant purple and pink-white hues it displays, and you get to experience these beautiful blooms from when spring starts until the end of fall. The plant thrives in humid environments and prefers partial shade.
Still, Fuchsia ‘Rapunzel’ can flourish even in full shade. They bloom from virtually all seasons (spring, summer, fall), and their trailing habits make them perfect for mixed containers and hanging baskets—their stems can trail as much as two feet.
If you live in a cold climate, bring your plant indoors to overwinter, or it will not survive the winter.
13. Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are characterized by massive, fluffy clusters of blooms that command attention all summer long. The abundant blooms come in pretty pastels like blue, purple, white, red, pink, and green. Blooming starts in early spring, and the plants keep producing new flowers until fall.
Hydrangeas thrive in well-drained and moist soil and prefer full or partial sun. Even though they grow well in various climates, just as their name suggests, they need consistent moisture.
The fast-growing plants do well in USDA hardiness zones 5 – 9, increasing in size by at least two feet each year. This means your patio will be engulfed in color within a few short seasons!
14. Pansies
Typically blooming from April to June, pansies are adored for their bright and cheerful colors. They come in a wide array of hues, including yellow, white, red, purple, pink, blue, orange, maroon, apricot, solid, and bicolor. These fast-growing flowers are seasonal perennials but normally grown as annuals.
They can handle chilly winds and light frosts in spring and fall. You might notice older varieties fading away in the summer heat, but they tend to perk up once again during fall. Also, modern cultivars tend to handle heat much better.
Pansies do well in USDA growing zones 6 – 10, thrive in full sun or partial shade, and prefer well-draining, moist, humus soil. Water your plants regularly to extend the blooming period and give them some fertilizer; avoid overfertilization, or else they’ll become leggy.
15. Zinnias
Zinnia elegans are fast-growing annuals that will fill your garden with hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Their beautiful, vibrant, and cheerful flowers come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and hues, including purple, orange, green, red, pink, white, and yellow, adding bursts of color to any space.
Their double-layered petals are simply breathtaking! The numerous petals will keep the glorious colors going strong from summer to the first frost. Zinnias thrive in hot weather, so if you plan on using them on your patio, it would be best to grow them in a spot that gets full sun.
They also aren’t picky about your planting medium. All it needs to have is proper drainage, and you’re good to go.
16. Mix it Up
A container garden with different types of flowers is an excellent way to add color and depth to your patio. This container planter has a diverse and somewhat inspired blend of shapes and textures, with some plants that are vibrant and eye-grabbing, like the Petunia ‘Supertunia Honey’ and the airy and delicate Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Dreamsicle’, among the grass-like Astelia banksii.
17. Snapdragons
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are usually regarded as annuals, with some varieties reseeding and becoming perennials, while others grow a woody root that returns in the following years.
Nonetheless, these bright, cool-season flowers will give you continuous blooms, so long as you provide the plants with adequate water and light afternoon shade during the heat of summer. Purple, orange, red, pink, yellow, and white blooms cover their tall stems, opening slowly from bottom to top.
They thrive in moist but well-drained soil and are usually grown in USDA Hardiness zones 7 – 11. To encourage the side stems to bring forth buds and flowers, cut the central flower stalk back once it starts to fade, and watch as your plants offer autumnal color that lasts well into the frost season.
18. Ornamental Peppers
The name for these colorful peppers says it all. These spicy plants are usually grown for their beauty rather than their taste. Nonetheless, they still offer gorgeous summer colors to a space using their colored peppers.
The annuals are available in a range of seasonally appropriate colors, including burgundy, purple, red, orange, and yellow. Ornamental peppers undergo several color changes as they ripen, just like peppers grown in vegetable gardens, with some having multiple colors at once. They thrive in full sun and prefer well-draining, loamy, fertile, and slightly acidic soil.
19. Coleus
Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides) are shade-growing plants that can be found on almost every Victorian bed. However, when sun-loving coleus cultivars came into the picture, they captured the hearts of gardeners.
They’re famed for their interesting and unique leaf colors rather than their blooms, with new leaf forms and colors being constantly available for cultivation. The multicolored foliage has variegated, intense, and patterned colors.
They prefer full shade, but as mentioned earlier, some new varieties flourish in partial shade and even in full sun. Pinch the plants to make them fuller and bushier, with more wonderful colorful foliage to enjoy.
20. Sweet Alyssum
Not only does sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) provide clusters of flowers that form a beautiful carpet, but the diminutive plant also has a unique honey-like fragrance that will stimulate your sensory nerves.
The cool-season annual flowers bloom from spring to fall, gracing gardens with tiny purple, pink, and white four-petal flowers and gray-green leaves. Sometimes, they bloom during winter since they do well in cool temperatures.
Sweet alyssum does well in USDA Hardiness zones 5 – 9, flourishing in full sun or partial shade and in well-drained, moist, neutral to acidic soil.
21. Gerbera Daisy
So pleasant was the shape and luminous color of this flower that the National Garden Bureau announced 2013 as the Year of the Gerbera. Gerbera jamesonii, also known as Gerbera daisies or Veldt Daisies, are tender perennials native to South Africa and, unlike some daisies, only hardy in warm climates.
Still, the plant produces phenomenal cut flowers in shades of violet, orange, red, pink, white, yellow, lavender, violet, salmon, and bicolor that thrive in container gardens. They prefer full sun and should be watered at soil level to keep leaves dry and prevent fungal diseases.
22. Verbena
There are numerous verbena cultivars (Verbena peruviana), but the perennials have more striking blooms. They are trailing plants with colorful flowers and dark green elongated foliage. They prefer well-drained, moderately moist soil, eight to ten hours of full sun, and will do well in USDA Hardiness zones 8 – 11.
Since they expend so much energy on flowering, verbenas tend to be short-lived. On the plus side, they bloom quite profusely, with blooming begging in their first year!
23. Sweet Potato Vine
Sharing the same family as edible sweet potatoes (Convolvulaceae), the sweet potato vine (Ipomoea x batatas) is grown for its ornamental value rather than the harvesting of the tuber.
The plant features long tendrils that droop down the side of container planters, creep across the ground, or wind around structures.
The plant thrives in full sun and well-drained, moist soil, especially in USDA Hardiness zones 9 – 11. Light prune the plant frequently to help keep the medium green foliage looking tidy and healthy.
24. Lantana
Lantana camara is an excellent nectar source for butterflies. The fast-growing plant features tiny, rounded blooms consisting of multiple small flowers in solid or two-tone hues of pink, white, yellow, blue, orange, and red.
They thrive in warm temperatures and full sun, acting as annuals in most USDA zones and hardy, perennial vining shrubs in zones 7 – 11. They flourish in well-draining, moist soil and look beautiful in containers or hanging baskets. Lantanas can also be grown as ground covers.
