Do cloudy, rainy days get you down? If so, did you know that you can actually plant your own sunshine using annuals and perennials that mimic the rays of the sun even when the weather is dreary? Blooming in spirit-lifting shades of yellow these glorious annual and perennial flowers look terrific planted in large drifts or clumps of their own hues or mixed with complementary red or blue flowering neighbors. 

Yellow-blooming flowers come in a variety of shades from pale primrose, to amber and vivid yellow. Although not a rule, the majority of  flowers that sport yellow petals are sun-lovers and require at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. For an even brighter prospect mix them with orange and/or red flowering plants for a traffic-stopping display.

Some of our favorite yellow annual flowers include: marigold (at left), nasturtiums, California poppy, calendula, pansy, annual sunflower, bidens, melampodium, lantana, snapdragon, impatiens, and zinnia. Use them in pots, planters, window boxes, hanging baskets or directly in the garden.

Reliable yellow-flowering perennial flowers include: coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, helenium, hybrid goldenrod, oenothera, lysimachia, daylily, helianthus, heliopsis, baptisia, columbine, bearded iris, and leopard’s bane. Although they look great in containers, most perennials look even better when planted directly in a flower border of their own.

One trait many yellow-flowering plants share is the fact that each flower may fade slightly as it matures. This means you can occasionally enjoy different shades of beautiful blooms on the same plant at the same

 

Written by Doug Jimerson