What flowers are there that flower for a long time?

The flowers that I have planted seem to be there for about three weeks then die off, some for longer. What could I plant that will give a flower for a long time ?

 

There are lots Paterson. It is an interest of mine as I believe that flowers should work hard and long to justify a place in the garden, so I record how many weeks they flower for. The weakest links get booted! Having said that, some plants are worth their place by virtue of their overall shape or foliage or as a foil to others.

There was a thread on this subject here http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/fo...als-1259.html?t=1259&highlight=long+flowering In it I gave some results from one year. In all I had 42 different plants that flowered for over 10 weeks. The numbers refer to the number of weeks in full flower :-

26 weeks Cuphea ignea - not hardy
24 Astrantia Buckland
23 Bacopa, Geranium Ann Folkard
22 Argyranthemum Machio
20 Astrantia Hadspen Blood
19 Verbena bonariensis
18 Pelargonium unique (thats a type) Bolero
17 Campanula porscharskyana, Geranium Russel Pritchard, Persicaria amplexicalis Firetail
16 Salvia leucantha, Salvia patens, Verbena rigida, Verbena Homestead Purple
15 Geranium Patricia, Pelargonium Patens Unique, Salvia microphylla
14 Dahlia Arabian Night, Diascia Little dancer, Salvia involucrata

The results alter from year to year according to the weather, but the same ones are always at the top. Many long flowering plants are non hardy, such as Pelargoniums, Dahlias, Osteopermums, Argyranthemums etc.

Of the hardy ones I would look at :-

Salvia microphylla, Astrantia, Centranthus, Verbena bonariensis and various perennial Geraniums - there are loads of others. My prize at the moment is a species (ie naturally occuring) Salvia splendens, which has been in continuous flower for 9 months.

 

Thats a good list there from Pete. I will add:

Dicentra formosa, flowers from April to September if given light shade.
Antirrhinums flower from about mid summer to first frosts if the old flower spikes are cut off.
The hardy perennial osteospermum seems to flower all summer.
I find the shrubby potentillas flower for a long time too.
The welsh poppy never stops flowering and seeding itself everywhere

Many flowering plants like lupins, geraniums etc will flower a second time if dead-headed before they set seed.

 

hi there mr paterson i would try skimma japonica
its a rounded shrub large clusteres there are tiny white flowers bight red berries appear in autumn :thumb:

 

My Erysimum Bowles Mauve has been in flower for about 11 months non stop

Some of the Euphorbias flower for months though for most of this time it's bracts not true flowers which make the display

 

I planted about 60 petunias in my beds about 3 months ago now (bought for £3 from homebase!) after a feed once a week and lots of nice rain and sun they are still blooming and are now huge with no signs of dying out just yet. I have been deadheading them and removing the pesky greenfly but they are doing fab and were fantastic value for money