7 Fast-Flowering Plants That Will Fill Gaps In Your Garden In Weeks

Did you know it’s just six short weeks until the start of summer…? The month of May – once the soil warms and the frosts have passed – marks the perfect time to get planting, as seeds can be sown straight outdoors.

Whether you’ve got a bare patch left by spring bulbs, need to refresh raised beds or borders, add colour to vegetable patches or create a pollinator paradise, these quick-growing annuals are some of the best to sow now for beautiful blooms from late June and July onwards.

Just be sure the soil is kept moist, allowing seeds to germinate, thin out seedlings so they’re not overcrowded and deadhead once flowers make an appearance to keep the display colourful and consistent, and it won’t be long until you can stand back and admire the fruits of your labour.

1. Nigellaalisa24//Getty Images

Nigella is a winner with its pretty petals and delicate foliage

Also known as love-in-a-mist, this fuss-free flower with delicate blue, white or pink petals, is happiest directly sown into the soil. Perfect for a cottage-garden style, sow it in a sunny, well-drained spot where you want it to bloom, as it dislikes being moved. Try weaving between roses, perennials or other annuals.

2. Sunflowersmbbirdy//Getty Images

Sunflowers bring a change in height to the garden

Visibly growing week by week, these big, blousy blooms bring a satisfying sense of optimism to a garden. They’re a brilliant choice for kids and wildlife (sunflower heads are an excellent, highly nutritious food for a wide variety of birds), as well as bringing height to your plot.

Sow them in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil, and keep young plants protected from slugs and snails. Tall varieties work well at the back of borders, along fences or beside sheds, where they can be staked if necessary. Dwarf varieties are better for large pots, patio containers and smaller gardens.

3. California poppiesSHA GAN / 500px//Getty Images

These pretty poppies grow in poor, free-draining soil

These silky, cup-shaped flowers open up in the sunshine and bring a bright, informal splash of orange. They are especially useful where other plants struggle, as they dislike rich, wet ground and do not need to be made a fuss of.

Sow them directly into sunny gravel gardens, dry banks, path edges, cracks in paving or low-maintenance borders. They also work well in wildlife-friendly annual mixes. Avoid transplanting if possible, as they prefer to establish where they have been sown.

4. Ammi majusPhotographed by Victoria Phipps ©//Getty Images

This dainty bloom is perfect for adding to floral arrangements

Also known as False Bishop’s Weed, this is a quick and elegant annual to sow or plant in May, especially if you want a naturalistic or cut-flower effect. Its frothy white umbels resemble cow parsley and bring lightness to borders, helping to soften stronger colours and more solid planting.

It is attractive to pollinators and useful for flower arranging, where it acts as a delicate filler. Plant it in full sun or very light shade, in reasonably fertile, well-drained soil. It works best in the middle or back of a border, among perennials, grasses or roses. Give plants space so their branching stems can develop properly.

5. CornflowerFlorismart//Getty Images

Cornflowers were once considered a weed

Cornflowers are excellent May sowings because they are fast, uncomplicated and happy to grow directly where they’re planted. Their slender stems and vivid blue, pink, white or purple flowers bring a relaxed, meadow-like quality to the garden.

They are also valuable for pollinators and make lovely cut flowers. Sow them in full sun, in open soil that is not too rich, as overly fertile ground can produce lush growth at the expense of flowers. They look best scattered through cottage borders, wildlife patches or annual meadow mixes. Thin out seedlings so each plant has enough space to develop strong stems.

6. Cerintheundefined undefined//Getty Images

Cerinthe bring a variation in shape with their tubular flowers

Honeywort is a distinctive, quick-growing annual that responds well to May planting, especially once the soil has warmed and conditions are settled. It produces blue-green leaves and nodding purple-blue bracts, giving it a slightly exotic look while still fitting beautifully into cottage and wildlife gardens.

Grow it in a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil, either in borders or containers. It looks especially effective near paths, patios or doorways where its unusual colouring can be appreciated close up. It also pairs well with calendula, grasses and soft pink annuals.

7. NasturtiumsJacky Parker Photography//Getty Images

This pollinator-friendly plant has edible leaves and petals

These forgiving, cheerful plants are a good choice for beginners or for filling gaps where spring displays have faded. Their bright, open flowers are attractive to pollinators, while the leaves and petals are edible, adding a peppery note to salads (they look so pretty, too).

Plant them in full sun and poor, free-draining soil, in containers, window boxes, raised beds or along the edges of a vegetable patch. Trailing varieties look lovely spilling over walls, steps or pot rims, while compact forms suit smaller spaces.

Gardening must-havesFilberts of Dorset Gardeners Hand SalveHaywards Garden Bee and Butterfly Water Stations, Garden Décor, set of three colourful bee water cups .

Now 17% Off

Home Sussex Handmade Peg ApronPainted Garden Label/MarkerThe Fae Potter Wild Bird Feeder ceramic hangingWhinnyPoo WhinnyPoo Box of 3 Plant Feed