Gaillardia
Gaillardia is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, native to North America and South America.
The name comes from Maître Gaillard de Charentonnea, a French magistrate who lived during the 18th Century, who had a particular passion for botany.
Most types of Gaillardia come in tender perennial or annual forms, perfect for adding summer color into your garden.
You can easily recognize them by their daisy-like flowers available in warm shades, such as red, yellow, orange, maroon, and white, usually in a combination of these.
Gardenia
Gardenias are beautiful shrubs which provide a plethora of color in either white or yellow, contrasting nicely against the deep green, glossy leaves.
They have been used as hedges and screens since ancient times, but are also popular in modern gardens because they’re easy to grow and maintain.
Another benefit of growing gardenias is the fragrance of the flowers, often planted around seating areas to make the most out of these stunning plants.
Garden Angelica
Angelicas are tall, graceful perennials with long stems that bloom in clusters of small, delicate blooms.
Their foliage is dark green, shiny, and bushy, making it an ideal plant to add height to your landscape.
It has a strong scent like ginger, and is commonly found in many different varieties.
While Angelica archangelica or wild celery is edible, it’s important to only eat the plant if you’re absolutely sure that is what it is.
Unfortunately, this plant can frequently be confused with several toxic plants such as Conium heracleum, so be careful.
Garden Balsam
Balsams are wildflowers that produce large, fragrant white or pink blossoms that last for weeks.
While they provide a lot of color into any garden, it’s worth noting that they are prolific growers, and if left unchecked, they will take over your garden in no time.
Garden Phlox
Phlox are some of the easiest perennials to grow, and are well known for providing a bright splash of color throughout the year, without needing a lot of attention.
There are hundreds of varieties of phlox, each one offering a unique look and perfume.
While they will die back to the ground in winter, they will soon emerge once the weather warms up in spring, usually in combinations of pink and white, baby pink and magenta, or purple.
Garden Rock Cress
Rock cresses are low-growing, hardy, herbaceous plants that are great additions to your garden.
They’ll brighten up any area of your garden, with their pure-white flowers.
As they grow naturally in canyons and rocky soil, these plants are perfect for rockeries, containers, or tough soil with very little water retention.
To get the best out of this plant, grow it in either full sunlight or dappled shade, in well-draining soil.
Geranium
The Geranium family is composed of more than 400 species of flowering plants, all of which are easy to grow and care for.
The Geraniums have a wide range of colors, including red, blue, pink, lavender, violet, and white.
These plants are extremely versatile, and can be grown indoors or outdoors, in pots or beds.
They are also known to attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, so they’re great for attracting wildlife.
Just ensure that you pick the right variety for your garden. If you live somewhere that doesn’t see a lot of rainfall, you should go for a Mediterranean geranium, or the tender geranium.
Gerbera
Gerberas are popular because they come in a wide array of colors, from deep red to light pink, and even yellow.
They are also incredibly easy to grow, and require minimal maintenance.
You can grow them indoors or outdoors. It’s worth noting that indoors, some of them do smell, and not pleasantly.
If you want to use them in your garden, make sure you choose the right variety for the space you have.
They will provide color from spring all the way through to fall.
Gerberas are often used as cut flowers, but they can also be planted in containers or hanging baskets.
Gladiolus
Gladiolus is an easy-to-grow perennial flower that comes in a wide range of colors, such as green, purple, pink, red, yellow, and white.
They are commonly found growing in gardens across Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and Australia as an ornamental plant.
This plant has been cultivated for hundreds of years, and new varieties are being created all the time.
You’ll also see it labeled under the name sword lily (see also Gladiolus Grow Guide), referring to its foliage, which are shaped like swords.
Depending on the type you go for, gladiolus plants may flower in spring, summer, or fall.
The variety also dictates the height of the plant, which can be anywhere from 2 to 6 feet tall.
Gladiolus plants are not fussy, but you do need to keep them out of reach of high winds, as this will snap the flower stems.
They also like an abundance of sunlight, and well-draining soil.
Globe Amaranth
Globe amaranth, or Gomphrena globosa, (see also Gomphrena Grow Guide) is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae.
It is native to Central America, and you can easily recognize it by its globe-shaped flowers, drawing many pollinators into your garden.
While it is an annual plant, and a tender one at that, it will self-seed vigorously.
This means that it will reseed itself wherever it goes, making it ideal for areas that need more color.
They also make good cut flowers, in shades of purple, pink, white, orange, and red.
The globular flowers themselves are actually false flowers, and the true flowers sit inside them.
Globe amaranths will produce lots of flowers in summer, continuing until the weather gets too cold in fall.
While this plant can tolerate both drought and heat, it will be at its best with regular watering, in a position of full sunlight.
Globe Flower
A Globe flower is a type of ornamental flower which is grown across the world.
Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a large globe.
There are many types of globe flower to choose from, forming part of the Trollius genus, which is a close relative of the ranunculus.
These plants do well in wet, clay soils that other plants simply would not thrive in.
Globe flowers can be found in a wide range of colors and sizes, and while they are easy to grow, they are vulnerable to frost and overwatering.
Globe Thistle
Globe thistles are members of the Echinops genus, which includes over 100 different species.
They are native to parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Many people think of them as weeds, but they have their own following for people who like true blue or white flowers, contrasting well against spiny leaves.
Godetia
Also known as Clarkia amoena, or farewell to spring, godetia is a wonderful annual found in western parts of North America.
Its bright pink blossoms bloom in late spring, and continue on throughout summer and autumn.
They attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds alike, so if you’re looking for something colorful to add to your garden, then godetias may be the next plant to try.
Grape Hyacinth
Grape hyacinths bloom during spring, with tiny, spherical flowers that grow in clusters. Like true hyacinths, the grape hyacinth is incredibly fragrant, and easy to grow.
This plant has recently been reclassified. It was part of the hyacinth clan in the Liliaceae family, but the grape hyacinth is actually now part of the asparagus plant family.
Great Periwinkle
Great periwinkle, or Vinca major, is a member of the dogbane plant family.
You’ll find these plants growing wild in the western parts of the Mediterranean.
These perennials are vigorous growers, often used to suppress weeds as a ground cover, though they can spread well past this and become a complete nuisance.
It is classed as an invasive species in some areas, so you will need to be careful where you plant it. It has been known to kill native plants to ‘weed’ out the competition for nutrients, water, and light.
Periwinkle spreads very easily, even through garden waste or broken plant parts in rivers.
Grevillea
The grevilleas are also known as spider flowers, due to their colorful, spider-like blooms.
They belong to the Proteaceae family, and are usually grown as ornamental shrubs, ranging anywhere from half a meter to six meters tall.
The flowers cluster in as few as three flowers, or more than thirty, depending on the variety.
