• Summer flowering plants add zip to your garden. In Hardiness Zone 8, gardeners can choose between some vibrant tropical plants and familiar garden flowers. When planting, familiarize yourself with the soil and sun requirements for each flower; some blooms are more finicky than others.
  
  

Azalea

• Azalea is a flowering shrub in the rhododendron family. Azaleas may serve as groundcover or as an ornamental shrub. Azalea flowers may be white, pink, fuchsia or purple. Flowers typically have five softly ruffled petals. Azalea shrubs have woody stems and thick green leaves. Azaleas can grow in full sun or full shade, depending on the cultivar. This flower is hardy in Zone 8 and blooms throughout the spring and summer.
  
  

Canna

• Canna is a vibrant tropical flower that is hardy in Zone 8 and blooms all summer long. Canna is a relative of the banana plant, as evidenced by its long, thick leaves. These leaves can be variegated in shades of yellow, green or purple. Many canna plants features thickly striped leaves. Canna flowers may be red, orange, gold, cream or scarlet. Canna flowers do best in full sun and boggy, wet soil.
  
  

Dahlia

• Dahlias grow in Hardiness Zones 8 to 10 in full sun environments. There are more than 20,000 types of dahlia available for garden planting. Taller species of dahlia can grow as much as 6 feet high. Dahlia blooms resemble pom-poms with thick, curled petals. These flowers can be yellow, red, orange, pink, purple, white or dappled. Dahlia plants that are deadheaded after flowering will continue to provide flowers all summer long.
  
  

Iceland Poppy

• Iceland poppy is a summer-blooming poppy with broad, wrinkled leaves. These flowers may be cream, white, yellow or saffron in color and feature a large yellow center with stamens. If plants are deadheaded after flowering, your Iceland poppy will bloom all summer long. The Iceland poppy needs a full sun growing environment and begins blooming in early summer.