July can be a hot month for many, and there are plants that bloom in July. Let's figure out what they are so you can have a little color in your garden this summer.

In my container garden I have some of the annuals I recommended in an earlier article, including Celosia Fresh Look Yellow and Lantana Yellow Gold, as you can see here. I also have Nicotania planted in there that has been blooming for months. In the background you can see both purple and white Salvia that has been blooming for at least a month and will continue to bloom through fall.

I also have Hollyhock that are in bloom and should bloom through the end of summer.

Here's some flowers I don't currently have in my garden, but should bring you color through July.

climbers:

Trumpet Vine: Deciduous Vine: Grows very large and high, so be sure you have something to support it and really want it where you are planting it. Yellow and Orange bloom varieties.

Trumpet Honeysuckle: Deciduous Vine: Climbs by twining, up to 10 to 15 feet high. Red Orange flowers, lovely smell. Fall brings berries the birds will enjoy.

Mandevilla: Tender evergreen, often grown as annual: This is also a twining climber and can climb as high as 15 feet per season. It has beautiful light pink blooms that turn dark pink as the season continues. It can be grown on a trellis, and is also lovely in a pot.

Annuals:

Vinca: Small Mound: blooms in shades of pink, white, lavendar and red. Long blooming from early summer until frost.

Petunia: Ground Cover: The "Purple Wave" variety is a wonderful ground cover blooming in purple. It also does nicely in pots as it will overflow down the sides of the pot. It grows in a mound, but will "trail" up to 5 feet.

Cosmos: bushy: grows to 3 or 4 foot high. Blooms from June to Frost. Feathery foliage, beautiful large blooms in pink, purple, and shades of orange and red.

Perennials:

Pin Cushion Flower: Low mound of foliage flowering on 12 inch stems. Long lasting pastel colors, Great for cutting. Will produce many blooms throughout the growing season. It also attracts butterflies.

Sedum "Autumn Joy": Clumps 18-36 inches tall. Light green flowers in early summer that turn pink in late summer. Will hold it's shape throughout the winter making it a nice feature in a winter garden.

Butterfly Bush: Shrub: Grows 5 to 15 foot high. Flowers on spikes in colors white, lavender, blue, pink, purple and yellow. They are sometimes sold with more than one color on each shrub. Should begin blooming in mid summer and will last until fall.