Stunning Fall Annual Flowers: Best Picks For Your Garden

While most gardeners focus on their flower beds in the spring and summer seasons, don’t sell your garden short in autumn. A variety of stunning fall annual flowers are just waiting to call your garden home. They’ll reward you with amazing color when your summer flowers fade in the cooler temperatures.

Cosmos

This dainty bloom is one of my favorites that I like to grow from seed. It starts blooming in summer and lasts through mid fall. Cosmos come in a range of colors but I prefer orange because it lends vibrancy to the garden. They enjoy full sun and well-draining soil

 

 

Snapdragon

Snapdragons are another annual flower that easily transitions from summer into fall since it doesn’t mind cooler temperatures. Plant snapdragons in full to part sun with well-drained soil. Depending on the variety you choose, this beauty grows anywhere from six to forty-eight inches tall. Be sure to read the plant tag for height when choosing to add these to your garden. You’ll want to put short ones in front and taller flowers in back.

 

African Daisy

This cheery bloom adds a fun mix to fall annual flowers. Available in a variety of colors, their flat petals surround a dark center. Grab several colors to group together for a vibrant show. African daisies prefer full sun with moist, well-draining soil.

 

Pansy

I’ve always found pansies to be a uniquely intriguing flower. Their colorful petals form pretty faces on short, sturdy stems. When I was a child, my neighbor encouraged me to pick her pansies to encourage new blooms. It was a win-win situation for both of us. I got pretty bouquets and she got her flowers pruned. I always plant these in the spring and fall – they tend to fade in summer’s heat unless kept in the shade and watered often. Pansies prefer full to partial sun with moist, well-draining soil.

 

Chrysanthemum

No fall annual flowers list would be complete without beautiful mums. Although it’s tempting to choose flowering mums from the garden center, opt for those whose buds haven’t opened yet. You’ll get to enjoy the blooms longer. Also remember to keep the soil moist, so if you leave your mums in pots, you’ll need to water them frequently unless it rains and the pots are in an open area and not under a porch. Although hardy mums exist, I find it’s easier to simply move them to the compost pile at the end of the fall season. Chrysanthemums prefer full sun.

 

Mums come in an array of styles, sizes, and colors. My grandmother had a chrysanthemum and marigold garden on her property and would make the most beautiful bouquets from the variety of blooms available.

 

Marigolds

Speaking of my grandmother’s marigolds, they’re a great addition to today’s list of fall annual flowers. This is another bloom that thrives in summer and lasts through fall. My grandfather planted smaller versions around his vegetable garden to deter rabbits and pests, while my grandma kept the showier versions in her cutting garden. Depending on which types you choose, you can enjoy flowers from four to forty-eight inches tall. Marigolds love full sun and well-draining soil.

 

 

Nemesia

Nemesia are pretty, open-faced flowers that thrive in cooler weather. They have a pretty fragrance and attract beneficial bees to the garden. Available in several colors, this bloom prefers full morning sun with a touch of afternoon shade. Nemesia enjoys moist soil; water when the top inch of the soil is dry.

 

Gomphrena

This is one of my favorite flowers due to its unique charm. One-inch petaled balls sit atop sturdy stems creating an architectural appearance in flower beds and container gardens during both summer and autumn. Gomphrena is a prolific bloomer and needs very little attention. This charmer prefers full sun and grows from 12 to 24 inches tall.

 

One thing that’s nice about fall annual flowers is that you can pot them up and place them anywhere outside – on your front porch, on a deck, or even in a wooden wagon if you have one!

 

Do you have a favorite flower in this list of fall blooms?