July flowers: sunflowers and lavender

Dates for giving flowers in July

This month there is no date in the calendar on which giving flowers is the custom.

July, like January, has no date in the calendar on which giving flowers is the main custom. There are a few dates by country when a floral gesture fits well:

• July 6: Teachers’ Day in Peru. More ideas in the Teachers’ Day guide.
• Second Sunday of July: Father’s Day in Uruguay (and the last Sunday of July in the Dominican Republic). See the Father’s Day guide.
• July 20: Friend’s Day in Argentina, celebrated with get-togethers and messages; a little bunch of yellow flowers is a lovely gesture of friendship.

For everything else, July is the perfect month to give flowers for no reason: in summer sunflowers and lavender are at their best price.

Flowers in season in July

In Colombia, Ecuador and the Andes, the high-altitude climate lets growers produce roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, alstroemerias and hydrangeas all year round: that is why they are two of the world’s largest flower exporters. This table is a guide: the season changes with the area and the year, and greenhouses extend almost all of them.

In Spain the sunflower fields of Andalusia and Castile and the lavender fields of Brihuega, in Guadalajara, are in bloom; flower shops are full of dahlias, gladioli, zinnias and agapanthus, and hydrangeas are still going in the gardens of the north. In Mexico it is the season of sunflowers, gladioli, tuberoses and dahlias, the national flower. In Argentina, Chile and Uruguay it is midwinter: the aromo (mimosa) starts to bloom in Chile and camellias and calla lilies are the flowers of the month.

What to give in July

• For a summer birthday: sunflowers with wheat, or a bouquet of brightly colored dahlias and zinnias. More ideas in birthday flowers.
• For someone going on or coming back from vacation: a bunch of lavender, which can be dried.
• For someone who looks after your plants while you’re away: a flowering plant as a thank-you.
• In the southern winter: camellias, calla lilies or the first sprigs of aromo.

How to care for flowers in the heat

1. Buy in the morning and take the bouquet straight home; never leave it in the car.
2. Fresh water every day and a splash of flower food if the bouquet comes with it.
3. Choose heat-resistant flowers: sunflowers, zinnias, gladioli, agapanthus, lavender and carnations hold up much better than roses or hydrangeas.
4. At night, move them to the coolest room or near an open window.
5. If you’re going on vacation, dry the flowers instead of throwing them away: lavender, hydrangeas and wheat look lovely dried.

And if you want to get ready for what’s coming: August 1 is Girlfriend Day, very popular in Mexico and Peru, and September brings the big yellow flowers day. July is a good time to download the calendar with reminders so you’re not late for either.

Frequently asked questions

Which flowers are given in July?

There’s no traditional date. It’s a good month for birthdays and no-reason gifts with summer flowers: sunflowers, lavender, dahlias, zinnias or gladioli.

Which flowers are in season in July in Spain?

Sunflowers, lavender, hydrangeas, dahlias, gladioli, zinnias and agapanthus.

Is there any flower date in July in Latin America?

None where flowers are the central custom, although in Uruguay Father’s Day is the second Sunday of July and in Peru Teachers’ Day is July 6.

How do you make flowers last in the heat?

Fresh water every day, a clean vase, trimmed stems, away from the sun and, at night, in the coolest room of the house.