Sunny Yellow Flowers for Your Summer Garden

Sunny yellow sunflowers add a pop of color to the garden.

By Jenny Peterson

Thinking about changing up your garden this summer? Don't worry—you don't need to rip out your perennial beds or completely revise your color scheme. Sometimes a little change is enough to kick it up a notch—like adding a different color. I've always been attracted to purples and pinks, but this year I decided to add some yellow. This is the most sunny, vibrant color around, and it complements many other colors that probably already exist in your garden. If you're thinking about adding some zingy yellow to your garden, you can consult your county extension service for suggestions of yellow-blooming plants suitable for your area, but check out my favorites to get you going. They're sure to brighten up your summer garden!

Sunflowers

Is there a flower out there that screams "summer" louder than sunflowers? These blooms grow easily from seed as well as transplants, and there's still time to sow some sunflower seeds right now if you haven't already done so. Choose from a variety of heights, from a dwarf 6 inches up to a towering 6 feet. And you know the drill: the more sun, the better.

Esperanza

Appropriately nicknamed yellow bells, this plant grows into a large bush (5 feet tall and 4 feet wide if it really likes its spot) filled with tubular yellow bloom clusters. It adores full sun (and a little afternoon dappled shade if you're in a very hot climate), lots of room, and, although it's fairly drought tolerant, regular watering.

Rudbeckia

Closely resembling the sunflower, rudbeckia will take the heat and sun, but will also reward you with its yellow blooms in part shade. Again, this one is drought tolerant but will appreciate some regular irrigation during the hot summer months.