Showcasing red, white, and blue vivid flowers in your landscape is a great way to accent your patriotism and a wonderful way to brighten up your neighborhood! Finding our national colors with just the right seasonal bloom is very easy if you know what to look for. You can display your flowers in mass planting beds, and around lighting, flagpoles and mailboxes. For smaller apartments, and Fourth of July parties, you can decorate by your front door, on the patio, and on balconies with container gardens, and window boxes.
Colorful
and patriotic clay, plastic, and ceramic, containers with decorative
accoutrements such as ribbons, gold stars or flags, are an easy way to get into
the independent spirit if it’s temporary, or if you only have a small area or
location to work with. Use a good
potting soil and make sure if you are using window boxes that you allow for
good drainage away from house walls.
Here
are my flag-waving suggestions for red, white, and blue annuals and perennials
with their height designations for placement in your garden bed or
container. As always — please check
online, with local nursery or extension office for sun and moisture
requirements before purchasing and combine plants only if they have similar
needs.
Tall (t – use in back), medium (m – use in middle), and
low (l- use as groundcover) or h (hanging).
Red Flowers
- Begonia, wax (l, m)
- Begonia, tuberous(l, m)
- Cardinal flowers (t)
- Celosia (m)
- Dianthus (m)
- Gerbera daisies (l)
- Geranium (l, m)
- Gomphrena (m)
- Impatiens (l)
- Kalanchoe (l)
- Lantana (m, h)
- Lobelia (m)
- Pentas (m, t)
- Pentstemon (m,t)
- Phlox (l)
- Porterweed (t)
- Salvia (m, t)
- Vinca (m)
- Verbena (l,m, h)
- Roses (see suggestions below)
- Zinnias (l,m)
- Begonia, tuberous (l, m)
- Begonia, wax (l, m)
- Catwhiskers (t)
- Chrysanthemums (l, m)
- Cosmos (l, m)
- Dianthus (l)
- Geraniums (l, m)
- Impatiens (l)
- Lantana (l, h)
- Lisianthus, (m, t)
- Marigolds, French (l, m)
- Moonflowers (vine)
- Morning glories (vine)
- Nemesia (l)
- Nicotiana (m, t)
- Osteospernum (m)
- Pentas (m,t)
- Phlox (l)
- Philippine violets (t)
- Roses (see suggestions below)
- Zinnias (l, m)
- Agapanthus (t)
- Ageratum (l)
- Ajuga (l - shade)
- Asters (m)
- Blue Daze (l, h)
- Centaura (m)
- Exacum (l)
- Lisianthus (m, t)
- Morning glories (vine)
- Salvia, blue (m, t)
- Scabiosa (m)
- Stokes Asters (m)
- Torenia (l)
- Porterweed (t)
- Philipine Violets (t)
- Plumbago (t)
- Russian Sage (t)
- Verbena (l, h)
- Veronica Speedwell (m)
- Alyssum (l)
- Chrysanthemums (l, m)
- Delphiniums (t)
- Forget-me-nots (m)
- Nicotiana (t)
- Pansies (l)
- Petunias (l, h)
- Poppy (m, t)
- Snapdragons (l, m, t)
- Statice (m, t)
- Stock (m, t)
Patriotic Roses:
Over 35 cultivars named
America or have American in their name, these are my favorites:
- America, large-flowered climber, orange-pink, fragrant
- American Beauty: climber, strong fragrance, deep pink, the national flower symbol of United States
- America, Climber, coral pink, strong fragrance
- Fourth of July, 1999 All American selection, climber, red flowers striped with white, apple-fragrance
- Memorial Day, 2004 All American selection, hybrid tea, dark pink, strong damask fragrance
- Americana, hybrid, strong fragrance, medium red
- Miss All-American Beauty, hybrid, pink, fragrant
- Mr. Lincoln, deep red, hybrid tea, long-stemmed rose, fragrant
- John F. Kennedy, white, hybrid tea, strong fragrance
- Veteran’s Honor, hybrid tea, dark red, raspberry fragrance
- American Pride, hybrid tea, large-flowered, dark red, strong fragrance
- Patriot, large flowered hybrid, dark red, mildly fragrant
- Peace, pink-yellow, hybrid tea, mild fragrance
- United States, pernetiana, yellow, rare
Have a great Fourth of July!
Reprinted from permission from Suite 101, Gardening with Soul, July 2004
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