Spring is the most common time to want flower beds. You have just come from a long and cold winter. The blooming flowers are a welcome sight for people and animals. To get an early start for your spring flower beds you'll need to start planning in the fall and even plant bulbs in early to late fall. Daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, crocuses, and irises are some of the bulbs to plant for spring. They are considered hardy bulbs and will be the first to bloom for you. When you buy bulbs the package will tell you when to plant. Most will want you to plant before the ground is frozen. Read the directions and follow them. For non-bulb flowers you can look to the greenhouses in your area. Most of the time when they start carrying a certain type of flower it is o.k. to plant it in your home garden. These types of non-bulb flowers would include pansies or daisies. These often come in seed form or planted and blooming in containers, much like what you find at greenhouses. Most plants have directions of where to plant and when if you are unsure ask a specialist or look it up on the internet.

Summer gardening follows the same rules as spring. Pay attention to the weather. Get flowers that are hardy for that time of year. When temperatures heat up you don't want to risk a flower because you under water it. Most summer flowers will be heat hardy though so pay attention to the care instructions before buying flowers. Some greenhouses will still be carrying spring flowers that may not be able to hold up to the summer heat. Some summer hardy flowers include marigolds, petunias, impatiens, and many covering plants.

Fall planting is a little more challenging. The weather is starting to cool and the days are getting shorter. Plants that may need heat and lots of sun may not survive. You can plant most flowers until the ground freezes. This is also the time to plant your spring bulbs for next year and to start looking forward to winter planting. This is a great time to divide some other plants you may have like irises or peonies. Some flowers for fall would include ornamental cabbages, mum or snapdragons. Once again take clues from the greenhouses of what is newly stocked and pay attention to the plant care instructions.

Winter gardening can be done. The most popular winter flowering plant is a poinsettia. Winter bedding plants should be planted in the fall for winter blooming. You can ask your local greenhouse what flowers they recommend. Some good choices include ornamental grasses or cabbages, chrysanthemums, or shrubs with winter berries.

What time of year you plant your flower gardens widely depends on what kind of flower you like. You can have a flowering and colorful flower bed all year long if you do some research into your area climate and pay attention to plant care instructions.