What’s Blooming This Month at The Grove: August Edition

August may be one of the hottest months of the year in the Florida Panhandle, but there is still plenty of color to enjoy in the landscape.

The key to successful late-summer planting is choosing varieties that can handle the heat, humidity, and strong Florida sunshine. Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful options to keep your landscape looking fresh as we move toward fall.

What to Look For in August

Pentas: A summer favorite for good reason. Pentas produce clusters of colorful flowers and are a great addition to pollinator-friendly landscapes.

Angelonia: Sometimes called summer snapdragon, angelonia provides upright blooms and a polished look in beds and containers while tolerating our summer conditions.

Celosia: If you want something a little different, celosia brings vibrant color and unique texture to the landscape. It makes an especially eye-catching addition to mixed containers and seasonal beds.

Vinca: August heat doesn't stop vinca. These dependable summer bloomers provide continuous color in sunny locations and work beautifully along borders or in mass plantings.

Zinnias: Zinnias continue providing big summer color and are an excellent choice for sunny areas where you want an informal, cheerful look.

Start Thinking About Fall

It may not feel like fall outside yet, but August is a great time to begin thinking ahead.

For North Florida gardeners, late summer begins the transition toward fall vegetable gardening. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, kale, beans, carrots, cucumbers, squash, and other crops can begin entering the conversation depending on how and when you plan to plant them.

It’s also a good time to walk around your landscape and take note of areas that struggled this summer. A plant that consistently wilts, receives too much sun, stays too wet, or simply isn't performing may be telling you that something needs to change.

August Landscape Tips

Keep newly installed plants consistently watered while they establish.

Watch containers closely, since they can dry out considerably faster than plants growing in the ground.

Continue refreshing mulch where needed and pull weeds before they have an opportunity to spread.

Most importantly, choose plants based on your property's actual conditions rather than appearance alone.

Staff Pick: Pentas

For colorful summer blooms with the added benefit of attracting pollinators, pentas are hard to beat. They work beautifully in beds, borders, and containers and pair well with many other warm-season plants.

Visit The Grove Nursery in Freeport, Florida to see what's looking its best right now. Our team can help you find plants suited for your sun exposure, space, soil, and overall landscape goals.

Summer isn't over yet. Make the most of it with plants made for Florida.