Plants That Give You More Than Just Flowers
The best plants in the garden do more than simply bloom.
Some attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Others help pollinators thrive, tolerate heat and drought, save time with low maintenance care, or even support important causes in the community.
If you’re looking for plants that work harder in the garden this summer, here are five outstanding choices for 2026.
1. Beacon® Impatiens
Beacon® Impatiens are one of the biggest success stories in modern gardening.
After traditional impatiens struggled with downy mildew for years, Beacon® Impatiens were bred for improved disease resistance — allowing gardeners to once again enjoy vibrant colour in shady spaces.
Why gardeners love them:
- Thrive in shade and part shade
- Massive colour impact
- Excellent disease resistance
- Great for containers, baskets, and garden beds
But Beacon® Impatiens do more than brighten gardens.
Supporting Roots for Youth
A portion of Beacon® Impatiens sales helps support Roots for Youth, a charitable foundation established right here in Simcoe County in 2018 that helps teens and young adults facing family tragedy or financial hardship pursue post-secondary education and build brighter futures.
The organization was inspired by a desire to support local youth during difficult life circumstances and help provide opportunities through education, mentorship, and community support.
Today, Roots for Youth continues to support students across Ontario by helping reduce financial barriers and encouraging young people to “plant roots and grow.”
In 2026, Roots for Youth was selected as the official charitable partner for the international Beacon® Impatiens “Shine the Light” campaign through PanAmerican Seed — helping bring additional awareness and support to the initiative worldwide.
Why it matters:
Beacon® Impatiens prove a garden can do more than simply look beautiful — it can help create opportunity, hope, and community too.
2. Lavender
If you want fragrance, colour, and pollinator power in the garden, Lavender delivers all three beautifully.
This sun-loving perennial produces fragrant purple blooms from late spring into summer and creates a calming, cottage-style feel in garden beds, borders, and containers.
Why gardeners love it:
- Extremely drought tolerant
- Pollinator friendly
- Fragrant foliage and flowers
- Deer resistant
Bonus benefit:
The blooms are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while the soothing scent can make patios and outdoor spaces feel like a spa retreat.
Why it matters:
Lavender thrives in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soil and brings long-lasting beauty, fragrance, and biodiversity to the landscape with very little maintenance.
3. Fuchsia
Few plants attract hummingbirds quite like fuchsias.
Their dangling, bell-shaped blooms are loaded with nectar and naturally draw hummingbirds into patios, hanging baskets, and shaded garden spaces throughout the summer.
Why gardeners love them:
- Incredible trailing colour
- Excellent for baskets and containers
- Thrive in morning sun or part shade
- Continuous blooms through summer
Tips for attracting hummingbirds:
- Add multiple nectar-rich flowers
- Include water sources nearby
- Avoid pesticide use where possible
- Plant in layers to create shelter and feeding zones
Why it matters:
Fuchsias help create lively outdoor spaces full of movement, colour, and visiting hummingbirds all season long.
4. Echinacea (Coneflower)
Echinacea — also known as Coneflower — may be one of the hardest working perennials in the garden.
Its brightly coloured blooms attract bees and butterflies all summer long, while the sturdy flowers also make excellent cut flowers for indoor arrangements.
Why gardeners love it:
- Drought tolerant
- Long blooming
- Pollinator friendly
- Excellent cut flower
Beyond the garden:
Echinacea is also widely recognized for its traditional medicinal uses and immune-supporting properties.
Why it matters:
It’s a plant that delivers beauty, biodiversity, and usefulness all in one.
5. Wave® Petunias
Wave® Petunias changed gardening forever.
Known as one of the world’s best spreading petunias, Wave® varieties create incredible colour in hanging baskets, containers, and even directly in garden beds as a flowering groundcover.
Why gardeners love them:
- Fast growing and vigorous
- Heat tolerant
- Massive colour coverage
- Excellent trailing habit
Best of all?
They’re self-cleaning.
Unlike older petunias, there’s no constant deadheading required. Spent flowers naturally drop away, saving gardeners time all summer long.
Why it matters:
More blooms. Less maintenance. More time enjoying the garden.
BONUS TIP: Watering in the Morning Matters
One of the simplest ways to reduce garden disease and pest pressure is watering at the right time of day.
Morning watering is best because:
- Plants dry quickly during the day
- Wet foliage overnight can encourage disease
- Damp nighttime conditions attract slugs and insects
- Plants absorb moisture more efficiently earlier in the day
Important rule:
Try not to put your plants “to bed wet.”
The only exception? If plants are extremely dry during heat waves, evening watering is absolutely better than not watering at all.
Why it matters:
Proper watering timing helps create healthier, stronger, more resilient gardens all season long.
Final Thought
The best gardens combine beauty with purpose.
Whether you’re supporting pollinators, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies, reducing maintenance, or supporting community initiatives, these plants prove gardens can do so much more than simply look pretty.
Happy gardening from all of us at Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery!
