Looking for florals to add to your garden or landscape that can take full sun and the California summer heat? Amy Marella of The Hidden Garden, in Los Angeles, California, shares her favorite summer varietals of native flowers and more!

Roses

Hydrangea

Peonies

Herbaceous peonies: require very little care and are sturdy and long-lasting.

• ‘Coral Charm’—coral-peach blossoms fade to a subtle, lemon yellow.
• ‘Gardenia Peony’—humongous! with white blooms, full sun to part shade. Mid season blooms during late May- early June.

Itoh peonies: these are a cross between the herbaceous peony and the tree peony. Since they are hybrids, they come in a wide variety of beautiful and eye-catching colors! 

• 'Bartzella' — with charming yellow blooms streaked crimson red at center. Each unusual bloom carries a sweet, citrusy fragrance.
• 'Cora Louise'— semi-double white blooms that feature a dramatic burst of cranberry-pink at center and surround vibrant, golden frills.

Dahlia

Cactus and semi cactus dahlias: Both of these varietals have double flowers with long, pointed ray petals that give them a spiky look.

• ‘Dahlia Surprise’— a breathtaking bloom that displays peachy blossoms that melt into cream towards the end of their long petals. They bloom from July to the first frost! 
• ‘Alfred Grille’— an award winning double flowered bloom who's petals start yellow and turn salmon towards the velvety tips.

Pompon and ball dahlias: globe shaped heads, their short petals form an illusion of infinite swirls.

• ‘Jowey Winnie’— soft pink surrounded by dark greenry, this bloom looks straight out of a dream, growing from midsummer until frost. 

Poppies

'Poppy' refers to a large number of species in at least 12 different genera in the subfamily Papaveroideae, most recognized by their papery, tissue-like blossoms in bright warm colors.

• ‘Oriental Poppy’— one of the most familiar of all poppies, this varietal is a common sight with its feathery foliage and orange, red, or salmon flowers that bloom in June and July.
• 'Flanders Poppy'— this species grew wild on World War I battlefields, becoming a symbol of the war and a similar cultivator, the Shirley Poppy, is a popular landscaping choice that comes in color ranges of orange, pink, violet, white and yellow.

Lavender

Depending on where you live, you can most likely enjoy lavender blooms all year long! There are three varietals, each with a different bloom season and usage. 

• True Lavender
• Spanish/French Lavender
• Lavandin

All three varietals are used for their high quality oil, flowers and silvery leaves. Seen in massive fields across Europe and Western USA, they make a fantastic addition to any size gardens. Lavenders are summer blooming with blooming seasons varying between varieties and cultivators. 

Rosemary 

Rosmarinus officinalis, an easily identifiable evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean with dark green, needlelike leaves that have a unique aroma.

You can use any varietal cooking, but upright kinds with broader leaves contain more aromatic oil, such as

• ‘Tuscan Blue’ - is the favorite of many chefs, due to wider than average aromatic leaves and dark blue leaves.
• ‘Blue Spires’ - resembles a miniature Italian cypress tree, it stands very vertical with clear blue florals.
• ‘Spice Island’ is the varietal you normally see sold in your local herb section.