Each season, as I prepare the many commercial flower beds that I plant, people see me pulling the past seasons flowers and many are appalled that I am pulling them up and throwing them away. This is for those people.
These flowers are all annuals, which by definition, live for only one year. They may look good when we pull them, but we are pulling them because they won't look good much longer.
We plant summer annuals in late April-May, and in October we pull them before the frost kills them and plant pansies, which yes, will live through the winter. Pansies love the cold, but can't take the summer heat, so must be replaced before the heat gets them in the summer.
Yes, if you take the summer annuals inside, they will probably live through the winter, but they are past thier prime. They are not intended to live more than one season, and even if they live, they will not do nearly as well as young plants. The pansies too, may make it for a while, but they are also annuals, and past their prime. They will die out in the summer heat in the south. Some people try putting them in the shade thinking it will be cooler, but pansies don't like the shade, and it is very little cooler.
Can you imagine the time, effort, and space, it would take to try to save the tens of thousands I pull each season?) You've got to be kidding!!
You can buy new, young plants next year for pennies a piece. I love plants too, but it is a waste of time and energy to try to save these plants. If you want to do something productive, use your time and effort to start your new ones from seed.
Mother Nature gave the south a special gift. A plant that is just never as beautiful anywhere else. Click here to see why the south is known for its beautiful azaleas. I have 6 pages of azaleas, and 2 pages of tulips. Click hereTo see the Tulips
Here are some photos of a few of the Summer flowers I planted this year:
I wish I were a better photographer. My photos just don't seem to do justice to many of the flowers. I took many more photos, but many of the ones I had hoped would be the best, just didn't turn out very good. Maybe I'll get better with practice.
Tips to make your flower beds look more professional:
You'll have better luck if you start with 4" pots rather than the tiny little cell packs, as the cell pack flowers are usually root bound, and not as well established.
Never plant one flower directly behind another.Plant the front row first. When you plant row 2, do not place the flowers directly behind the ones in the first row but between them, then place the ones in row 3 behind the ones in row 1, and so on to the back of the bed. (like theater seats.) This is called "staggering". Like this:
Circles and curves are trickier. Start from the middle of a circle, or the back of a curve, and add a few flowers to each row as you work toward the outside. Beginners will have better luck to master straight lines first.
Be sure they are evenly spaced, on all sides, The same amount of space from side to side and front to back. I give my help a stick cut to the length that I want the flowers spaced, to use as a guide. For a good full bed space most annuals 6-8 inches apart. For "ecomony" spacing, or larger varieties, 10-12 inches. The most important thing is to be sure that the spacing is consistant throughout the bed. Leave at least 12 inches of space around the edge of the bed, for a neater appearance, and so your flowers won't grow out into the grass, or out of the bed, unless of course, you want them to grow over the edge.
Create a "stage" to show off your flowers by mounding dirt so that the back of the bed (for a bed viewed mainly from the front.) is higher than the front. For a bed that is viewed from all sides, the middle of the bed should be higher. This way all of the flowers can be seen. In a flat bed, all you actually see from a distance is the front row. This will also aid in drainage.
Photo: In a "mounded" bed you can see all the flowers,Even behind the bushes.It looks much more proffesional to stick to one variety of flower per bed, or to at least group each variety together, rather than to mix up different varieties. It is fine to mix different colors of the same variety.
Never plant flowers in pure mulch. They need soil.
Do not plant your flowers any deeper than they are in the container they came in.
When selecting a fertilizer for flowers, choose one with a higher "middle" number. "Miracle Grow" or "Peter's" are both great. Use half strength on newly planted flowers. "Osmocote" is time-released, so is better for long term results.
When removing plants from containers, for planting, never grab the plant and pull it out. (it may break off.) Turn the container upside down, and push it out from the bottom.
Be sure to prepare your flower beds before planting. A proper home for your flowers is one of the best ways to insure happy, healthy plants.
The #1 most important thing is to make sure they are watered in well immediately after planting. Use plain water, or "Miracle Grow" 1/2 strength.
Color in your Flowerbeds
Darker colors such as deep purples or reds tend to not show up as well when used alone. If you use a lighter color such as white, or yellow along with it for "accent" your darker colors will appear much brighter and richer. White makes a great accent color, as it really shows off your other colors. Whenever you use two (or more) colors in a bed, use the lightest color on the outside, or as a border. If one of your colors is white, it should always be your border, or outside color, to make your other colors appear more intense.
this photo shows how a dark border on light colored flowers practically "disappears". Yes, there is a border of dark purple pansies on this bed. The front row is also planted too close to the front of the bed. A border also looks best if it is at least 2 rows wide, rather than just one. The first row should be planted at least 12 inches from the edge.
A "mix" of several different colors looks great, but if you prefer a "formal" look stick with one or two colors, and solid areas of color rather than mixing them.
You can be bold, and use sweeps of different colors, but don't get too complicated with a design. Simple is better. I've had people want me to do logos and such, and they may look OK when first planted, but as the flowers grow, they don't grow evenly, one row will grow into another, and a too complicated design will not look good for long.
Some people like to keep their colors "in the same family", like pink with red, but a A damatic, unexpected burst of a contrasting color can be a real eye cacher, such as a patch of vibrant yellow rudbeckia in a bed of red begonias. Yes the rudbeckia is a perinnial. There is nothing wrong with using annuals and perinnials in the same bed.
For a great winter/spring show, plant tulip bulbs, of a contrasting color with your pansies. Plant the pansies in October or November. Add Tulip bulbs in between in December. (Tulips should generally be planted between Thanksgiving and Christmas.) In colder areas, you may need to plant the tulips first and add the pansies in very early spring. (as soon as the ground thaws.)
If you want flowers that live more than one year plant perinnials. They are my favorite. They come up every year, and you'll have more each time. The only disadvantage of perrinnials is that most of them have a limited blooming period. Most annuals bloom continuously from early spring till frost. For a continuous perinnial show plant early, mid, and late bloomers in the same bed, so that one is blooming all summer. Or leave some space in your perinnial bed to add some annuals each year.
Links to some annual
related sites
Proven Winners
(New superior hybrid varieties)
Seed
germination database
Park seed
Burpee Seeds
online
Virtual Garden
Annuals
No Care Annuals
More on Flowers (From the Flowerlady)
There's one popular garden site that I DO NOT reccomend, at least not to buy plants from. (www.garden.com) Garden.com's plants are ridiculously overpriced. Look if you like, but I wouldn't buy anything, unless of course you like to pay 10 times what you should for your plants! (I'm not exagerating!) I'm sure there are others that are just as bad. I just haven't noticed them yet.
Part of a one mile stretch of medians containing 10,000 pansies. Its beautiful to drive down this blvd. For summer, I replanted it with pink and lilac wave petunias. Here are some photos
If you live near Memphis, and still can't stand the thought of me throwing away all those flowers, and have the time to do something with them- Look me up- You can have all you want, if you'll come get them. We pull pansies in late April-May; Summer annuals in Late Sept.-October.
© 1997 Flowerladi@webtv.net
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