10 Annual Flowers You Can Still Plant In October For Colorful Garden Beds

As the seasons change and you lament your wilting summer garden, you can take solace in the many fast-growing flowers you can still plant in October. Use this time to plant these cool season-loving annuals, like calendula, pansies and sweet alyssum. They will have your garden exploding with a rainbow of colors. This selection of strong, cool weather-tolerant flowers can be planted in the garden bed or used in pots as a fun addition to your fall decor.

Annual flowers are those that only last for one season. There are hardy annuals, like pansies and snapdragons, that tolerate cold and freezing temperatures well. Semi-hardy annuals are flowers like the petunia, which can handle the cooler weather and a light freeze. There are also tender annuals that don't do well in cooler weather. You'll want to stick with hardy and semi-hardy annuals to plant in your fall garden so you can enjoy a colorful bloom through the whole season. Take care of your blooms with the fall garden maintenance task that helps protect plants from disease.

Calendula is a great flower for adding bright colors to the garden with its vivid yellow and orange blooms, sometimes with pops of red and purple in the middle. And this gorgeous variety of calendula is perfect for filling gaps in your garden. It's not only a great addition to the garden but to the kitchen as well, since the petals are actually edible. It has the added benefit of being a natural pest repellent. Cold weather isn't a problem for calendula, which makes it a great annual for fall planting.

With gorgeous pops of purple and yellow, violas will bring life to your fall garden. These little blooms might look dainty but they are tough and stand up to the cooler weather and fend off disease well, which makes them a fantastic flower to plant in October. A fun fact about violas is that the petals are edible and often used to add color and a fun garnish to your dinner plate.

The pansy is a cultivated violet, genus Viola, and is in the Viuolaceae family. Although similar to violas, pansies have larger petals. They are popular for their wide range of colors and color combinations, adding vibrant hues to your garden. When considering pansies, you might automatically assume they only grow in the spring but they thrive in cooler weather, making them great for planting in October and they can handle a light freeze.

The sweet alyssum, (Lobularia maritima), is full of cute little white (sometimes pink or lavender) flowers with a sweet scent (hence the name). In warm climates, the flowers will continuously bloom through winter and all the way to spring. Sweet alyssum grows well in both pots and garden beds. They attract bees and butterflies, which can be great for pollinating a vegetable garden. This flower is invasive in some areas, so check locally before planting.

Snapdragons, (Antirrhinum spp.), adds shades of yellow, orange, pink, and even some red to your garden, occasionally blending a few colors on the same flower. They can grow up to 36 inches tall with multiple flowers blooming along the green stem, making them a fun addition to vase arrangements of fresh cut flowers. Snapdragons are fairly easy to grow and they will be strong and steady through the winter. They pair well with pansies and sweet alyssum to create a colorful fall garden.

With a beautiful trumpet shaped flower, the petunia, is a popular annual to plant in October (or any time between September through November) to brighten up the garden. They are available in a vast array of colors and typically grow with ease, making them a gardeners best friend. For a striking visual, plant a large quantity of them together and watch the display bring a festive experience to the season.

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale, Brassica oleracea, might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of annual flowers. They will, however, adorn your fall garden with flashy shades of pinks and purples. Technically both are a kale, but a common differentiation between their appearance is to refer to them as kale or cabbage. The ornamental kale has curly or ruffled leaves and the ornamental cabbage grows flatter, smooth leaves.

Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) is a hardy annual, tolerating cold soil and light frosts. Its ability to grow in the garden or in a container makes it very versatile. It has a textured, grey appearance and produces small yellow flowers. If you're using dusty miller strictly as foliage, the flowers should be removed. Growing between 8 and 15 inches high, it makes a great bedding plant that helps the colors of other flowers in the garden stand out against its grey leaves.

The dianthus, also known as pinks, is a low-growing annual with flowers blooming in bright shades of — you guessed it — pink. They can be planted in both containers or garden beds, making them another very versatile option. They do well when planted in October, standing up to the cooler weather. Their petals have a unique serrated edge that makes their texture a stand out among the other fall beauties in your garden.

Chrysanthemums are also commonly referred to as mums. Their bright flowers make for exciting colors in your fall garden and are easy to care for both in garden beds and in pots. They are a hardy flower that can be planted in the fall as long as it's at least six weeks before the freezing temperatures set in. While many chrysanthemums can be grown as perennials, they are often grown as annuals for seasonal color.