No matter how strategically you plan your garden, there's always that sad stretch of time when there isn't a blossom in sight. The peonies have come and gone, the black-eyed Susans haven't opened yet, and the guests are due for on-the-deck dinner in just a couple of hours. Not to worry: Instant flowers are possible without divine intervention.

Here's what you do: When you're at the grocery store or the garden center, pick up four to six hanging plastic baskets of bright, noncascading perennials or annuals in full bloom (or buy one to two per 10 square feet of space). Daisies (shown here), scaevolas, and geraniums are hearty options that are widely available throughout the season. Remove the hangers and nestle the flowers — baskets and all — among the foliage of plants not in bloom (the plastic containers are usually shallow enough to be hidden in leafy, mulched beds). The baskets can pinch-hit all summer: Just move them around to fill in other barren patches as needed.