Every gardener wishes to have beautiful flowers and is faced with the challenge that, when spring and summer end, they are often left with gardens which are brown and bare. Still, knowing which plants can bloom year round can offer lovely alternatives when the roses and lilies aren’t in flower. In your case, there is a little more difficulty in assisting you as I do not know what climate or zone you live in. Still, there are some suggestions I can make which may be of some help.
1. Euphorbia
This is an obvious choice as it blooms year round with flowers which can last for up to four months, sometimes longer. There are literally hundreds of different species of this plant so there is a good chance you could fine one which would do well in your area. It also requires little water and does not attract bugs. This is because the sap is poisonous (something to note if you have little kids running around) but that sap also makes a first-aid treatment for superficial wounds. Depending on the type of plant, some may have flowers which change colors as they age while others stay a more consistent shade. Ask your local nursery if this is one they keep in stock and if they have any planting suggestions. You might even be able to buy it on-line.
2. Hibiscus
If you live in a tropical or sub-tropical area (such as near the Gulf of Mexico), one of the easiest plants to grow is the hibiscus. Unless you over-prune them, they will often show off their delightfully large flowers year round. Hibiscus can be grown indoors and taken outside during summer but I have personally found they don’t quite bloom as well as the ones which stayed outside when I was living near the Gulf. As they hail from Hawaii, this is not going to work as a year-round outdoor plant if you live in, say, Minnesota. Also, keeping it inside most of the year defeats the purpose of having a garden of flowers which bloom year round.
Here’s the catch: If you live in tropical area (or any area which has very mild winters), it is relatively easy to have flowers which bloom most or all of the year. However, even more bloom-friendly and hardy plants such as the aforementioned Euphorbia will tend not to bloom during a harsh winter, assuming it will grow in your climate zone. An easy trick to have a blooming garden year round is to find some winter-blooming plants (often these are annuals which need to be replanted each year) and have them mixed throughout your garden. When I lived in Houston, pansies were strictly a winter flower. In Colorado, they only bloomed in warmer weather. Even as such, if you live in a very frigid climate you might not have options which will bloom in winter. Ask your local nursery what he or she would recommend as they will be the best experts for what will grow in your zone. If nothing else, you might be able to get away with planting things which are often used as hedges or border plants, such as lavender, which may or may not bloom year round but can still show some beautiful foliage even during winter.
Hope this helps.
