Your garden is one of the first things people will see when they come to your home. In fact, it’s what greets them and welcomes them to your abode. But, while your garden may look spiffy at in spring and the beginning of summer, by midsummer it looks like a nightmare. But if you want to keep your garden looking fresh and blooming all season, choose from annuals, perennials, shrubs, bulbs, vines and tropical plants which can withstand the heat of summer as well as keep blooming throughout the summer.

Here are some good plants to choose from to give your garden that blooming look throughout the summer.

Cosjos, marigold, sunflower, tithonia and flowering vinca are good in the summer heat. But there are many that thrive beautifully even during the hot days of summer. These include perilla, sun coleus, angelonia and million bells. You may even want to try the globe amaranth and coxcomb.

Some perennials are long blooming summer plants and will remain beautiful during the hot months.  Astilbe, daylilies, purple coneflower, Gaillardia, garden phlox, and Perovskia are among these. Some early blooming perennials can rebloom later in the season if cut back after the early bloom flush; these inlcude yarrow, Tradescantia, many cranesbills, veronicas and salvias.

When it gets hot, blooming vines are a great way to keep the garden looking fresh and colorful. Annuals such as morning glory, cardinal vine, purple hyacinth bean, black-eyed Susie, and the night blooming moonflower vine along with the vibrant summer blooming and perennial Campsis radicans or trumpet vine will definitely do the trick. Certain clematis vines will also rebloom in mid to late summer.

Quite a few bulbs and tubers tend to strive in hot weather and bloom effectively in summer. Dahlias, cannas, gladiolus and tuberose are great for sunny spots. For shade, try some of the terrific foliage plants such as caladiums and taro along with tuberous begonias.

Flowering shrubs can add a burst of summer color: rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) works well as a border if you have a big garden. Butterfly bushes are all time favorites for the summer flower garden as well.

You can really step up your garden for the summer by adding tropicals. These will definitely give nonstop summer performance. Mandevilla and dipladenia, lantana, hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), datura and brugmansia love the heat and stand upright in the face of humidity. These are arguably the best summer plants as it pertains to withstanding the heat.