'I'm a professional gardener - these are the most beautiful flowers to plant in August'

As the sun continues to beam across the UK, a gardening expert has shared five gorgeous flowers you can plant this August.

With the summer weather continuing to heat up, more of us are spending time out in our gardens and even flexing our green thumbs. While many plants have already come into bloom, there are still plenty of brilliant flowers you can grow in August which are guaranteed to add colour, life and charm to your home.

So, which flowers should you start planting? Gardening experts from Netmums have shared their top picks to spruce up your garden.

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Cornflowers

Famous for their dreamy blue colour, these wildflowers are a popular choice for beautifying gardens. Equally, they are known to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, which will help your garden’s ecosystem.

Sowing them now can guarantee they will bloom in time for next year. Netmums advises: “If you sow them in August, they will flower for you next spring or early summer.”

Pot marigolds

If you want to add a jolt of yellow sumerriness to your garden, then these cheerful yellow flowers are the perfect choice. Plus, they’re relatively easy to manage.

Netmums also say that they are “a good one to do with children” as they are relatively easy to grow and the seeds “are large enough for little hands to sow”.

Equally, they are capable of flowering until autumn if the weather stays mild. They also attract pollinators and, as an added bonus, their petals are edible.

Forget-Me-Not

A gentle blue colour, these flowers give a nostalgic feel to your garden and can be grown in borders or in between paving stones. Netmums advise that if you sow them now, you’ll have a lovely carpet of flowers by next spring.

California poppies

With their cartoonishly bright orange or yellow blooms, these flowers are perfect for adding a bold pop of colour to your garden when they bloom in the following spring. They also thrive in sunlight and are known for being drought-tolerant.

Wild carrot

With its small lacy white flowers, Netmums describes this elegant plant as a “hidden gem”. They also add that it is good for local bees and can add a “soft and gentle feel” in your garden by creating a wildlife-friendly corner.

They typically bloom from between June to September. Interestingly, after flowering, their umbrella-like blooms curl inward, forming a distinctive bird's nest shape as the seeds mature.