Save Your Season With These 15 Quick-Blooming Flowers Perfect For Late Starters

If you got a late start this season, don’t worry—there’s still plenty of time to fill your garden with color. I found these quick-blooming flowers to be lifesavers when I planted them after the usual rush was over.

They sprout fast and don’t ask for much, making them perfect for squeezing in a splash of summer or fall. Watching your garden come alive in no time feels like a little victory every day.

These flowers are proof that it’s never too late to get growing.

1. Sunflowers

From seed to stunning bloom in just 60-80 days, these sunny favorites bring instant cheer to any garden space. Their towering stalks and massive flower heads create dramatic impact almost overnight.

Simply plant seeds directly in sunny spots after the last frost, water regularly, and watch them race toward the sky. Kids especially love tracking their rapid daily growth!

2. Marigolds

Bursting with fiery oranges and yellows, marigolds deliver color in just 8 weeks from seed. Their distinctive scent naturally repels garden pests while attracting beneficial pollinators to your late-season garden.

Plant them in borders or containers where you need quick color. As a bonus, they’ll continue blooming until the first frost, giving you months of vibrant flowers despite your late start.

3. Cosmos

Ready to bloom in just 7 weeks from sowing, cosmos create a meadow-like effect with their delicate, daisy-like flowers dancing on slender stems. They thrive in poor soil and actually bloom better with neglect!

Available in pinks, whites, and deep magentas, these drought-tolerant beauties keep flowering continuously through summer and fall. Simply scatter seeds and enjoy their effortless, cottage-garden charm.

4. Zinnias

Going from seed to spectacular in just 6-8 weeks, zinnias offer candy-colored blooms in every shade imaginable. Their sturdy stems make them perfect for cutting gardens, bringing indoor bouquets all season long.

Heat-loving and drought-resistant, they’ll flourish even during summer’s hottest days. Plant them in full sun, and you’ll be rewarded with non-stop blooms until frost, making them ideal for late starters.

5. Nasturtiums

Sprouting in days and flowering within 6 weeks, nasturtiums offer both beautiful blooms and edible treats. Their lily pad-like leaves and bright trumpet flowers in sunset hues create instant garden interest.

Trailing varieties spill beautifully from hanging baskets, while bush types make perfect border plants. Both flowers and leaves are edible with a peppery flavor, making them a practical addition to late summer salads.

6. Morning Glories

Climbing at astonishing speeds, morning glories can cover a trellis or fence within weeks of planting. Their trumpet-shaped blooms in blues, purples, and pinks open fresh each dawn, creating magical summer mornings.

Soak seeds overnight before planting for faster germination. Once established, these vigorous vines require almost no care, happily scrambling up any vertical surface to create a living privacy screen or garden focal point.

7. Petunias

Skip the seeds and grab ready-to-plant petunia seedlings for instant garden gratification. Their trumpet-shaped blooms in every color imaginable will fill beds, borders, and containers with waves of color in just days.

Modern varieties are self-cleaning and weather-resistant, continuing to flower without deadheading. A quick feed with liquid fertilizer every two weeks keeps the show going strong until frost, regardless of your late start.

8. Calendula

Also known as pot marigold, calendula races from seed to bloom in just 6-8 weeks. Their cheerful orange and yellow flowers have been used for centuries in herbal remedies and natural dyes.

Cool weather doesn’t faze these hardy bloomers, making them perfect for extending your garden season into fall. Petals are edible too – sprinkle them over salads for a pop of color and mild, slightly spicy flavor.

9. Sweet Alyssum

Creating a fragrant carpet of tiny blooms in just 6 weeks, sweet alyssum transforms bare spots into honey-scented clouds of white, pink or purple. Its low-growing habit makes it perfect for garden edges and container spill-overs.

Heat-tolerant and long-blooming, a quick haircut with scissors mid-season will refresh plants for a second flush of flowers. Butterflies and beneficial insects flock to its sweet nectar, bringing extra life to your garden.

10. Bachelor’s Buttons

These charming blue blooms appear just 7-8 weeks after sowing seeds directly in the garden. Their fringed, button-like flowers have an old-fashioned cottage garden appeal that belies their easy-growing nature.

Drought-tolerant once established, they’ll thrive with minimal care in full sun. The edible flowers make beautiful garnishes for summer drinks and salads, adding both color and a mild, clove-like flavor to your late-season harvests.

11. California Poppies

Germinating in days and flowering in just 60 days, these golden beauties bring a touch of sunshine to any garden space. Their silky, cup-shaped blooms close at night and open with the morning sun in a daily display of garden magic.

Drought-tolerant and pest-resistant, they’ll thrive in poor soil with minimal attention. Simply scatter seeds where you want color, press them lightly into the soil, and water occasionally until established.

12. Black-Eyed Susans

For quick perennial color, nothing beats these golden daisies with distinctive dark centers. While typically perennial, they’ll bloom their first year if planted in early summer, giving you both immediate and long-term garden rewards.

Tough and adaptable, they shrug off poor soil, drought, and neglect while flowering abundantly. Their sturdy stems make excellent cut flowers, bringing sunny cheer to indoor arrangements throughout late summer and fall.

13. Phlox

Annual phlox varieties like Drummond phlox burst into bloom just 6-8 weeks after planting. Their star-shaped flowers in candy colors create sweeping drifts of color perfect for filling bare garden spaces quickly.

Low-growing varieties make excellent ground covers, while taller types add height to borders. Many varieties offer sweet fragrance too, especially in evening hours when their scent intensifies to attract night-flying pollinators.

14. Snapdragons

Garden centers often offer snapdragon seedlings ready to pop into your garden for nearly instant vertical color. Their dragon-mouth flowers in jewel tones create spires of blooms that add architectural interest to any space.

Cool weather actually intensifies their colors and extends bloom time. Plant them where they’ll receive morning sun but afternoon shade in hot climates. Pinching spent flower spikes encourages additional blooms throughout the season.

15. Portulaca

Also called moss rose, portulaca delivers cactus-like flowers in tropical colors just weeks after planting. Its succulent foliage stores water, making it incredibly drought-resistant and perfect for hot, dry spots where other flowers fail.

The low-growing, spreading habit works beautifully in rock gardens and container edges. Flowers close on cloudy days but open wide in sunshine, creating a daily garden surprise as new blooms unfurl each morning.