Nothing in the landscape provides for a more beautiful, colorful and extended display better than annual flowers. These seasonal annuals include geranium, begonia, and impatiens just to name a few. What do landscapers and expert gardeners know that sends their floral displays into explosions of color?
Choose the right plants for your exposure
1) First evaluate where you will be planting your annual flowers in order to be successful. If the area that you want to plant flowers is shady, stick with shade tolerant flowers. Don’t try to put sun-loving annuals such as geranium, marigold or petunia in shady areas. No matter how well you care for them, they will fail. The importance of this first consideration cannot be emphasized enough. Put the right plant in the right location.
2) Buy healthy plants. This may seem obvious but you want plants that are well rooted in their pots. Pop one plant out of its cell and have a look. It should be thick with roots. Look for annuals that are thick and sturdy as opposed to tall and leggy. Foliage should be showing signs of rapid growth and rich in color. With this observation you’ll know the grower has been feeding your baby annuals regularly.
3) Prepare your soil like you would a vegetable garden. Add a good organic compost to your proposed flower bed. Incorporate four to six inches into the soil with a tiller or turn over with a shovel. Make sure that the soil is well mixed. This step is crucial to root growth. Rapidly growing annuals require healthy root development to support healthy, heavy blooming plants.
4) Water! Never let your newly planted annuals dry out. If your plants become stressed from lack of water, they could be set back days if not weeks in growth. Water thoroughly and deeply. This will encourage deeper root growth. Never overwater as this can be as bad if not worse than under watering. More plants die from overwatering than not.
5) Feed! Most people forget that annual flowers require food like any plant. Since annual flowers are constantly growing all season long, a good slow release fertilizer is great for them. There are many brands to choose from and timing of release. A good slow release fertilizer will offer feeding over a 3-4 month period. Supplemental feedings throughout the season with a liquid fertilizer at half strength will make your annuals explode with color. Although all other steps are important for a successful floral display, this one tip will put your display over the top this season! Happy planting!
