Best Flowers for Every Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

The best flowers for every season are the ones that are actually growing well at that time of year. Roses and carnations are around all year, but a June peony or a September sunflower is a different thing from the same flower forced out of season. This guide goes season by season, with what to look for and what to expect once it's in the vase.

It's handy for planning a wedding, picking birthday flowers, sending sympathy flowers or just buying something nice for the table. A quick note on us: we design every order by hand in our studio in Oak Ridges, at the north end of Richmond Hill, from that day's flowers.

Why choose seasonal flowers?

Flowers in season tend to look better, last longer and cost less, because they're plentiful and haven't been pushed to bloom at the wrong time. A few specifics:

• They're usually fresher when they reach a florist, so you get more days in the vase.
• There's more to choose from, in more colours.
• Local and in-season flowers travel less, which is easier on the planet.
• More supply generally means better value for the same budget.

They also just feel right. Tulips in April and dahlias in September match what's happening outside the window.

Spring flowers: fresh starts and bright colours

Spring flowers are the first colour after a long grey winter in Ontario, and people are hungry for them. Expect soft pastels, bright yellows and a lot of scent.

Tulips

Tulips are the flower most people think of first in spring. They come in nearly every colour and traditionally stand for love and fresh starts. They keep growing after they're cut, often a couple of centimetres, and they bend toward the light, so turn the vase every day or two if you want them standing up straight. Our tulips are a good spring pick for Mother's Day, birthdays and thank-yous.

Daffodils

Daffodils are often the first flowers to show up after winter, and their bright yellow traditionally means hope and renewal. One thing to know before you mix them with other flowers: cut daffodils release a sap that shortens the life of other stems. Florists stand them in their own water for several hours first. They make a cheerful housewarming gift or a simple spring centrepiece.

Hyacinths

Hyacinths have dense clusters of small flowers and one of the strongest scents of any spring bloom. They come in purple, pink, white and blue. A few stems will fill a room, so put them somewhere you'll enjoy the smell rather than right beside the dining table.

Peonies

Peonies are the flower everyone waits for. Ontario peonies usually arrive in late May and June, which lines up nicely with wedding season. They start as tight round buds and open into huge, soft flowers over a few days. Couples often want them for bridal bouquets, engagements and anniversaries. If you see peonies in season, don't wait, because the local window is short.

Summer flowers: bright, bold and beautiful

Summer flowers are bigger and brighter. They also have to deal with heat, so keep summer arrangements out of direct sun and away from car dashboards.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are the easy summer favourite. Traditionally they stand for positivity, strength, happiness and loyalty, and it's hard to be in a bad mood near a bunch of them. Ontario-grown sunflowers peak from mid-summer into early fall. They drink a lot, so top up the water daily. Sunflowers are a natural fit for birthdays and congratulations.

Roses

Roses are available all year because most cut roses are grown in places where it's always mild. Summer is still a lovely time for them. The colour meanings hold whatever the season:

• Red: love and romance
• Pink: appreciation and admiration
• Yellow: friendship and joy
• White: purity and remembrance

Gerbera daisies

Gerberas have big, flat, cheerful faces in orange, red, pink, yellow and white. Their stems are soft and tend to droop, which is why you'll often see them supported with wire or a straw. Plain white daisies with yellow centres give a similar happy feel with sturdier stems.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas add fullness like nothing else. One big head can fill a third of a vase. They're popular for weddings, baby showers, corporate events and at home, and they pair well with roses. The catch: hydrangeas are thirsty and wilt quickly if the water runs low. If a head flops, submerge it in cool water for half an hour and it usually comes back. Have a look at our hydrangeas.

Fall flowers: warm colours and cozy arrangements

Fall arrangements lean into rust, burgundy, gold and deep orange, the same colours the trees are doing outside.

Chrysanthemums

Mums are the backbone of fall. They traditionally stand for friendship, long life and happiness, and they come in a huge range of colours and shapes, from small buttons to big spidery heads. Cut chrysanthemums are also among the longest-lasting flowers you can buy, often going well past two weeks.

Dahlias

Dahlias bloom from late summer until the first frost in Ontario. Their layered petals and deep colours suit fall weddings, Thanksgiving centrepieces and anniversary bouquets. They don't last as long in a vase as mums do, so enjoy them quickly.

Marigolds

Marigolds come in gold, orange and rusty red. They're used more as garden and garland flowers than in bouquets here, but they show up in fall celebrations and cultural festivals, and they suit a rustic harvest table.

Asters

Asters are small, starry flowers in purple, pink and white that soften richer fall colours. Traditionally they stand for wisdom and faith. They work best as a filler around bigger blooms.

Winter flowers: colour during the coldest months

Winter takes a bit more planning. Fewer flowers are growing locally, so florists work with greenhouse stems and long-lasting varieties. Remember that flowers can be damaged by cold on the way in from the car, so get them inside quickly.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis has huge trumpet-shaped flowers on tall, hollow stems, usually red or white. It's a classic around Christmas, at holiday parties and in winter weddings, and you'll see it both cut and as a potted bulb.

Poinsettias

Poinsettias are plants, not cut flowers, and the red "petals" are actually leaves. They're the most familiar holiday plant in the GTA. Keep them away from cold drafts and don't let them dry out.

White roses

White roses suit winter well. They look clean next to evergreen and work for holiday events, winter weddings, sympathy arrangements and corporate gifts.

Orchids

Potted orchids are a long-lasting winter gift, especially for offices and people who don't want to deal with vase water. They're not something we sell, but they're worth knowing about. Give them bright, indirect light and very little water.

Choosing flowers for special occasions throughout the year

Birthdays

Pick what's in season for their birthday month: tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, mums in fall. Our birthday flowers are a good place to start.

Weddings

Choosing flowers that are in season for your date makes everything easier, from availability to price. A rough guide:

• Spring: peonies and tulips
• Summer: roses and hydrangeas
• Fall: dahlias and chrysanthemums
• Winter: amaryllis and white roses

If you're getting married, have a look at our weddings page.

Sympathy arrangements

Lilies, white roses and soft greenery are the traditional choice in any season. Orchid plants are sometimes sent to the family as a lasting gift.

Corporate and professional gifts

Clean, simple arrangements work best: hydrangeas with roses, or one colour of seasonal flowers. Skip anything heavily scented for a shared office.

What seasonal flowers do for an arrangement

When a florist builds around what's in season, the flowers tend to be in better condition, the colours sit together more naturally, and there's more texture to play with. In-season stems usually last longer too. And the arrangement looks like the time of year, which is hard to fake.

Seasonal flowers from Laris Florist in Toronto and the GTA

We design every arrangement by hand from that day's flowers, and if a stem isn't good enough we swap it for one of equal or higher value in the same colours. We deliver seven days a week across York Region and Toronto, including Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Markham and the city itself. Order by 1 pm for same-day delivery to most postal codes, or book a future date at checkout. Questions about what's in this week? Call the studio at (437) 291-5605.