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Plant in April for a Colorful Garden in May

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Sandra Nickel REALTORS

Spring seems to fly by so fast. Especially in years when the temperatures stay cool longer.  Before you know it the end of April is here, and you haven’t even started your spring planting.  But even if you miss the early spring planting period, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a yard full of fragrant, colorful flowers in late spring and through the summer. There are several types of plants that grow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8-10 that thrive in the summer months when planted in April.  And luckily, Montgomery falls right within those zones!

Here is a handy list of plants that are ideal for planting in late spring:

Bare Root Perennials

These plants are perfect for April planting because they are fast growers and will fill your landscape with radiant color during the summer. Bare root perennials are sold by nurseries and online catalogs after they have grown for a year and had their growth trimmed to about an inch above the crown. When purchased they are ready to be transplanted outdoors after removing soil from the roots. 

Some examples of bare root perennials are Daylily Plants, Astilbe, and Clematis.


Annuals

There are several, easy to grow, summer-blooming annuals that can be planted in April. Sunflowers are quite sturdy and don’t require a lot of attention once planted. They will thrive in a variety of soil conditions, and they include short ones that grow a few feet tall, to tall plants that can grow to be 8 feet and taller. “Cosmos” are easy to grow flowering plants as well and provide brightly colored blooms for your garden.

Flowering Shrubs and Citrus

Choose drought-tolerant shrubs to plant in April and they will do well through the summer. Ceanothus, otherwise known as the California Lilac, produces blossoms of delicate, tiny blue and purple flowers. Because there are so many, the entire bush looks blue or purple. Another good bush to plant in April is the Common Flannel Bush. Also a California native, this bush produces vibrant yellow flowers that bloom all at once. Rosemary Bushes have fragrant leaves that can be used for cooking and little blue or purple flowers for color. Citrus Trees come in many varieties that have sweetly scented blooms.

So, if you didn’t get a chance to plant flowers in early spring, it’s not too late to add a garden full of vivid colors to your landscape!

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home or both, let me, Sandra Nickel, and my Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs! Call us today at 334-834-1500 and check out https://www.homesforsaleinmontgomeryalabama.com for more information.

Comments(2)

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Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thanks for your suggestions. I need to select some new plants for our garden.

Apr 16, 2025 11:07 AM
Dennis Neal
Exp Realty of Southern California, Inc. - Big Bear Lake, CA
Your Home Sold in 21 Days or We Sell It For Free

Sandra, this is such a cheerful and timely reminder that it's not too late to get a vibrant garden going for the summer! Your list of bare root perennials, annuals like sunflowers and cosmos, and drought-tolerant shrubs and citrus trees perfect for April planting in zones 8-10 is incredibly helpful, especially for those of us in Montgomery. Thanks for these great tips for adding color to our landscapes!

Apr 16, 2025 11:21 AM