Seasonal Flowers & Container Planting in Atlanta: What to Plant Each Season

Color for your Atlanta flower beds and pots in every season, with the plants that actually grow well in our heat, humidity, and red clay.

Atlanta has a long growing season and mild winters, which means you can have flowers blooming almost all year if you plant the right thing at the right time. The trick is switching your beds and containers as the seasons change. Plants that thrive in July will quit in January, and the reverse. Below is what we plant in each season, along with a few tips for our local conditions. Dates are typical for the Atlanta area and vary a little from year to year, so use them as a guide and watch the forecast for frost.

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Spring (Late March Through May)

Wait until the danger of frost has passed, usually early April in and around Atlanta, before planting tender flowers. Soil is warming and plants establish quickly.

• Petunias and calibrachoa (million bells): bloom heavily in sun, great in pots and hanging baskets.
• Geraniums: reliable in containers and a classic front-porch plant.
• Begonias: wax begonias handle both sun and shade and keep going into fall.
• Snapdragons and dianthus: if planted last fall, they bloom now. They fade as the heat arrives.
• Coleus: colorful foliage for shady beds and pots.
• Perennials to plant now: coneflower, black-eyed Susan, salvia, daylilies, and hostas for shade.
• Roses and hydrangeas: spring is a good time to plant them, and azaleas put on their show in April.

Tip: Pansies and violas wear out as temperatures climb into the 80s. Pull them in late April or May and replace them with warm-season color.

Summer (June Through August)

Atlanta summers are hot and humid, so choose flowers bred for heat and water them deeply in the morning. Containers dry out fast and may need water every day in July and August.

• Lantana: loves heat and sun, attracts butterflies, and blooms until frost.
• Vinca (periwinkle): handles heat and drought well in full sun.
• Zinnias and marigolds: easy, bright, and long-blooming in full sun.
• Angelonia and pentas: tall, heat-tolerant bloomers that pollinators love.
• Portulaca and melampodium: tough, low-water choices for hot, dry spots.
• Caladiums, torenia, and sweet potato vine: bring color and texture to shady areas.
• Impatiens: a classic for shady beds and pots. They bloom until the first frost, so don’t count on them past early November.

Tip: Mulch your beds. It holds moisture and keeps roots cooler. Water at the base of plants in the morning so the leaves dry during the day.

Fall (October Through November)

Fall is one of the best planting seasons in Atlanta. The soil is still warm, the air is cooler, and cool-season flowers settle in and bloom through winter. This is also the time to replace summer annuals that are fading.

• Pansies and violas: the standard for Atlanta winter color. They tolerate frost and bloom for months.
• Ornamental kale and cabbage: bold foliage that looks better in cold weather.
• Snapdragons, dianthus, and sweet alyssum: they fill beds and pots now and bloom more in spring.
• Calendula and cyclamen: bright color for pots near an entry. Protect cyclamen from hard freezes.
• Mums: great fall color for a few weeks in October and November.
• Hellebores and sasanqua camellias: plant now for winter blooms for years to come.
• Spring bulbs: daffodils and narcissus can go in the ground from November into December.

Winter (December Through February)

Atlanta winters are mild, but we get hard freezes, and some cold nights drop into the teens or low 20s. The plants you set out in fall carry your color through winter.

• Pansies, violas, ornamental kale, and dianthus: still blooming, and tougher than they look.
• Cyclamen: bring pots under cover or against the house during the coldest nights.
• Hellebores (Lenten rose): bloom in late winter, often when little else does.
• Camellias: japonica camellias bloom in winter and early spring.
• Late winter planting: in February you can set out fresh pansies in pots and beds to refresh tired color.

Tip: Water containers during dry spells and before a hard freeze. Well-watered plants handle cold better. Remove faded blooms to keep pansies flowering.

Tips for Flower Beds in Atlanta Clay

• Loosen the soil and mix in compost or planting mix. Atlanta’s red clay drains slowly and can drown roots.
• Plant at the same depth the flower was growing in its container, with the top of the root ball level with the soil.
• Add a thin layer of mulch or pine straw, and keep it off the stems.
• Pick plants that match the light: sun, part shade, or shade.

Tips for Pots and Containers

• Use potting mix, not soil from the yard, and make sure the pot has drainage holes.
• Combine something tall in the center with trailing or low plants around the edge.
• Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Containers dry out quickly in summer and stay wetter in winter.
• Swap out the plants as the seasons change so your pots always look fresh.