Central Florida’s tropical climate makes it possible to fill your landscape with beautiful flowers that put on a show all year long. So, no matter the season, you’ll have fun watching a wide variety of butterflies, birds, and pollinators enjoying your colorful garden!
Flowers that Provide a 12-month Palette of Blooms in Central Florida Gardens
- Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Named after the 18th century French patron of botany, Madame Gaillard de Charentonneau, Gaillardia’s common name, the blanket flower, pays tribute to the colorful blankets woven by Native Americans.
This lovely plant is easy to grow from seed and is one of the few perennials that blooms during its first year. Reaching heights of one to three feet, it has a mounding growth habit with a spread of one to two feet. Blanket flower must be planted in an area where it can soak up the sun’s rays for at least six hours a day. Gaillardia is disease and drought resistant; however, it needs well-draining soil to prevent root rot during Central Florida’s rainy season.
While there’s been recent controversy about whether blanket flower is native to Florida or Texas, native plant nurseries and botanical experts agree that it’s indispensable to Florida’s pollinators and ecological landscape.
- Knockout Rose (Rosa “Knock Out”)
If you’re looking for a bush that flowers profusely throughout the year without much maintenance, you’ll love Knock Out roses!
Knock Out roses are a perfect addition to every Central Florida garden because they love the heat and their bloom cycle is approximately every five to six weeks, so their flowers can be enjoyed all year long. This rose hybrid is ideal for the lazy gardener because it’s considered to be a “self-cleaning” rose meaning there’s no need to deadhead them or trim dead wood.
Very disease resistant, Knock Out roses can reach a height of three to four feet and grow just as wide. Fertilize them with organic or chemical granular rose food in the spring, then again in the fall to keep them nourished. Knock Out roses need at least six hours of full sun and require regular waterings during the summer months.
If you’re not sure your irrigation system is running like it should, call us or complete our request service form and we’ll come take a look.
- Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii)
Named for the 1700s naturalist Traugott Gerber, the Gerbera daisy is a perennial that’s available in a rainbow of colors. These beauties can grow ten to eighteen inches tall and nine to twelve inches wide. However, Gerberas need the right growing conditions to thrive.
Gerberas don’t like intense heat, so it’s best to plant them in your Central Florida garden where they’ll get full sun in the morning and receive dappled sunlight to shade in the afternoon. To keep your Gerbera daisies healthy and blooming, plant them in moist, organically rich soil and give them some TLC, which includes deadheading and thinning out their foliage when it gets too thick. They also need space to breathe. For example, if Gerberas are planted too close together or beside a wall, powdery mildew will develop on their leaves due to a lack of air flow.
- Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)
If you’re looking for flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators all year long, growing pentas will suit your fancy!
Commonly known as starflower, pentas have attractive flower clusters and dark green foliage that’s slightly fuzzy. Pentas come in a wide array of colors and are beloved for their ability to lure butterflies and hummingbirds. An evergreen perennial, they can grow to a height of three feet and perform best in sunny locations with well-draining soil. To keep pentas thriving, irrigate regularly and fertilize during the spring and fall.
Landscapes with Year Round Color are a Treat for the Eyes and Wildlife!
Living in Central Florida provides garden lovers the opportunity to enjoy plants that flower all year round. The fact that many of these brilliant bloomers help pollinators and wildlife is icing on the cake!
Plants that bloom continuously will give your landscape amazing beauty and ecological potential as they fill it with yearlong color and an abundance of wildlife! Just remember to use natural fertilizers and avoid toxic pesticides to keep your garden and its native visitors happy and healthy.
Remember to keep your Central Florida garden and landscape properly watered, and if you ever need assistance with sprinkler repair or irrigation in the Orlando area, we’re here to help!