Popular flowering garden shrubs are a great way to enjoy growing flowers for long periods of time. Even when not blooming, shrubs can add beautiful greenery to your garden. Here are some popular flowering garden shrubs that are easy to grow.
Popular Flowering Garden Shrubs
Below are eight popular flowering garden shrubs that are easy to grow. If you haven’t, add some to your garden and enjoy them as they bloom colorful flowers for you!
Make sure to check your USDA growing zone to see which of these flowering garden shrubs will grow best in your area. Many of these plants have varieties that can grow in all kinds of climates.
You can also ask the grower or supplier where these plants grow best. You don’t want to purchase a plant and find out that it does not grow well where you live. Always do some research before you purchase plants unless you already have experience growing them.
Camellias
Camellias bloom beautiful flowers similar looking to roses and bloom their flowers in the winter and spring. They bloom flowers in all kinds of colors and smell similar to roses. You can also train camellia bushes to grow as tall and shaped like trees!
Below are some beautiful varieties of camellias you can add to your garden right now:
Shrub Roses
Who doesn’t love roses? I know I do! I have several and can’t wait to add more to my patio garden!
Shrub roses come in all shapes, types, and sizes and will grow well in any garden. They are a cross of old roses and current roses. You can choose from a variety of shrub roses, such as miniature and ground cover roses.
I have a miniature rose plant, and ground cover rose in my patio garden. Even when my roses are not blooming, they still produce beautiful green leaves that I get to enjoy most of the year.
Below are some common shrub rose types you can add to your garden:
- Ground Cover Roses
- Drift Roses
- Miniature Roses
Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon are some of the best flowering bushes for full sun. They bloom huge flowers similar to hibiscus that need plenty of sun so that you can enjoy them for a day or so until they close up and are spent.
Rose of Sharon bushes bloom flowers in pinks, purples, whites, and other colors. There are plenty of varieties available that will grow in any sized garden. Add some of the varieties below to your garden:
- Minerva Rose of Sharon
- Lucy Rose of Sharon
- Blue Satin Rose of Sharon
- Blue Chiffon® Rose of Sharon
- Pink Chiffon® Rose of Sharon
Hydrangeas
Some of the best flowering bushes to add to your garden are hydrangeas. Why? They grow well in just about any climate, based on the types that you grow.
Hydrangeas come in a variety of sizes, colors, and types to fit any sized garden. I think they are some of the best flowering plants in pots since both of mine are currently growing beautiful flowers in pots!
Here are some hydrangeas to consider adding to your garden:
- Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea
- Annabelle Hydrangea
- Limelight Hydrangea
- The Original Endless Summer Hydrangea
Butterfly Bush
The butterfly bush gets its name since it attracts butterflies to its colorful flowers. These flowering bushes come in all kinds of colors, such as white, purple, and pink. They are great in borders and other areas that receive partial shade.
Get some in several colors and enjoy as butterflies and other pollinators visit your garden and plants!
Here are some great varieties of butterfly bush to add to your garden:
- Perfecta Trifecta Butterfly Bush
- Buzz™ Hot Raspberry Butterfly Bush
- Bicolor Butterfly Bush
- Lo & Behold® Purple Haze Butterfly Bush
Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons are some of the best flowering shade plants to add to your garden. These flowering bushes bloom flowers in shades of pink, yellow, white, and purple. They look striking against their dark green leaves.
Rhododendrons grow well as a partial shade hedge plant. Some great varieties include:
- P.J.M. Rhododendron
- Cornel Pink Rhododendron
- Nova Zembla Red Rhododendron
Lilac Bushes
Lilac bushes bloom clusters of tiny flowers in all kinds of colors such as purple, white, and pink. Lilacs love the sun, making them the best flowering bushes for full sun to add to your garden.
Make sure each plant has plenty of space to grow if you buy more than one. If you plant your lilacs near your house, they need space to grow on all sides for good air circulation and to prevent powdery mildew.
Here are some great lilac bushes to add to your garden:
- Sensation Lilac
- Dwarf Korean Lilac
- California Lilac
- Miss Kim Lilac
- Common White Lilac
- Ludwig Spaeth Lilac
- Japanese Lilac Tree
Azaleas
What are some of the best flowering bushes for shade gardens? That would be azaleas.
Azalea bushes bloom bright colored flowers in white, and varying shades of peach, purple, and pink. Certain varieties are deciduous or evergreen. Their leaves also add a pretty green touch.
Azaleas make great hedge plants or grouped together in a specific part of your garden in the shade. Below are some varieties of azaleas you can add to your garden this year:
- Bloom-A-Thon® Red Reblooming Azalea
- Bollywood® Azalea
- Bloom-A-Thon® Lavender Reblooming Azalea
- Hot Shot Girard Azalea
- Hino Crimson Kurume Azalea
Caring for Your Flowering Bushes
Below are general tips to follow when caring for your popular flowering garden shrubs to give them the longest life with the most blooms. Keep the tags of your plants so that you can see what each of their specific needs are.
Soil
You want to get your flowering garden shrubs the right soil, based on where you plant them.
Most of my plants are in containers on my patio, so I use potting soil. I place some in the bottom of my container and then place my plant in the container so that it will be level with the amount of soil I add on the side.
For in ground planting, I use a combination of the native soil and in ground garden soil. Check out my post about soil to see what kind is in your area and what you should add to yours.
Water
Watering your popular flowering garden shrubs should be done on a regular basis to keep them healthy and happy. Generally, give plants more water when you first plant them, then you can space out watering. When you do water your flowering plants, make sure they get a nice, deep soak so that the roots can grow deep and strong.
I had a garden instructor once tell the class to water deep, but not too often. I try to follow this same mantra when watering my own flowering bushes.
Sun
Most of these flowering bushes need half to full sun. Plant them in specific areas of your property so that they get 4 to 6 hours of sun daily to keep them flowering and growing for you to enjoy.
If you just moved to a new place, you will want to study the patterns of the sun to figure out where the sun falls in your new gardening area. I go into more detail on how to plan out a new garden and sun patterns in my How to Start a New Garden post.
Fertilize
Most flowering plants should be fertilized when they are first planted, and one more time during their blooming season. Follow the guidelines for each plant, as well as what kind of fertilizer you use.
If you go with a synthetic fertilizer like Miracle-Gro, your plants will need to be fertilized often, based on the instructions. If you use an organic fertilizer like Dr. Earth, your plants only need to be fertilized several times during their growing season.
I’ve used both in the past. Make sure to read and follow what the labels say for the best outcome on your popular flowering garden shrubs!
Prune
To get your flowering shrubs for you to bloom over and over again during their growing season, you will want to prune the plants. Invest in some nice pruners and snip the flowers when they start to wilt. This will help the plant keep blooming more beautiful flowers for you to enjoy!
Remember for the above is just a general guide on caring for your flowering garden shrubs. Make sure to read their labels since each may require specific care.
I use to be hesitant about pruning my flowering plants, but now I do it all the time since it helps them to keep reblooming beautiful flowers for me!
Conclusion
These are 8 popular flowering shrubs that are easy to grow. Do you grow these or others in your garden? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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