What flowers bloom in summer in the UK?

As summer ripens, hedgerows, meadows, and garden beds are awash in colour and scent. Whether you’re planning your garden, picking blooms for a hand-tied bouquet, or simply wandering your local park, here’s a guide to what flowers bloom in summer in the UK.

A season of colour: British blooms in summer

Summer in the UK is a time of abundance. Many native and cottage garden favourites reach their peak, offering vibrant hues. Here are just a few of the flowers you’ll find blooming between June and August:

1. Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea)

These tall spires of tubular blooms bring lofty elegance to gardens and woodlands. Bees adore them, and they add a nostalgic charm to any planting scheme.

2. Lavender

A sensory favourite, lavender gives not only fragrance but also calm. Its dusky purples and silvery foliage are well-suited to dry, sunny corners, where they hum with bees and summer stillness.

3. Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus)

With their rich blue petals, cornflowers bring a pop of vivid colour to wildflower meadows and natural-style borders. They symbolise hope and remembrance.

4. Sweet Peas

Few flowers say “British summer” quite like sweet peas. Their gentle fragrance and papery blooms are perfect for picking.

5. Poppies (Papaver rhoeas)

Found in fields and waysides, poppies are fleeting but powerful. Their tissue-like petals dance in the breeze, a gentle reminder of beauty’s transience.

6. Roses

Classic and deeply rooted in tradition, roses are in full bloom by midsummer. From rambling climbers to heritage shrub varieties, their scent and softness capture the heart of English garden romance.

7. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

With its flat, ferny-topped blooms in soft pinks, creams and yellows, yarrow is beloved by pollinators.

Creating quiet connection with summer blooms

At Bramble & Olive, I believe in celebrating the still beauty of the natural world. Whether you press petals into journals, sketch blossoms onto handmade cards, or simply pause to admire a border in bloom, summer flowers offer moments of calm and inspiration.

Bring a sprig indoors. Tuck a bloom behind your ear. Let nature remind you of its slow, thoughtful rhythms.

Looking for more inspiration?

Explore my cards that celebrate summer, with each design lovingly painted to bring the essence of this British season into your everyday life.

Shop summer cards