Come summer time we see beautiful and bright color everywhere. The clothing we wear and the food we eat is all more colorful in the summer season. You can bring that fantastic color into your own yard by planting annuals.
Flowers that are labeled as annuals only grow for one season. Usually, they are not able to survive outside when temperatures dip low enough to freeze. Because of their delicate nature, you don't want to put them in the garden until after the threat of frost is past. However there are a few exceptions to this rule. Those exceptions are flowers that are labeled as hardy annuals or biennials. Pansies are a biennial that can take a light frost and survive. In fact, as biennials pansies are the perfect fall to spring flower. As a hardy biennial, pansies that are planted in the fall will winter in a dormant state, then grow again in the spring and bloom wonderfully until it gets too hot for them.
Perhaps you have noticed that some flowers grow in the same spot every year without replanting. These flowers are not perennials or biennials – they are merely annuals that dropped seed. Flowers that usually do this petunias, larkspur and snapdragons. It is easy to plan on having snapdragons or larkspur in the same spot each year because they are so prone to dropping seed. When the seed drops in the fall, it stays inactive in the ground until the spring when it sprouts and grows a new plant. Larkspur and snapdragons are best plants to put in an area that you want to grow 'naturally'. In the fall, don’t pull out the dying plants until late in the year. You could even try leaving them in the ground until spring. This is an easy way to have wonderful flowers in your yard every year!
Once the likelihood of frost is gone, you can start to put your annual flowers in the ground. The manner you plant your flowers is vital for striking flowers all season. It isn't just as easy as digging a hole and plopping the plant in fresh from the pony pack. If you just plop the plant in the hole, you will not be happy with the outcome. You should dig a hole that is somewhat bigger than the root ball on the plant. Then back fill the hole with a little bit of loose soil. Doing this will help the plant fasten its new roots into the soil. Lightly take the plant from the original container. You will then want to gently knead the roots so they can break free from their present growing pattern. Plants that have spent a lot of time in a container tend to be a little rootbound since the roots have nowhere else to go. Unless you break up this root system, it will continue to grow in the same pattern and you plants will not grow very big.
Water your plant with a mixture of water and root starter as you set your plants. This will give your new plant a vitamin boost and a good drink so it won’t go into shock. As difficult as the next step is, it is very helpful for your plants. You must trim off at least one third of the plant. You will need to trim all flowers that are on the plant, this is very crucial. Yes, the flowers look so beautiful in your yard, but you just gave this plant the shock of its life! In order for your plant to be healthy, you need to let it put all its energy into growing new roots and getting established. Make sure you keep all the flowers picked off the plant for the first couple of weeks. Let the plant get full and bushy, then let it bloom. Make sure you add time release fertilizer in the soil around your flowers. This variety of fertilizer is great for summer annuals since they feed for approximately three months.
By following these easy ideas you can have stunning flowers that will provide brilliant color. You will wish the summer months would go on and on!
Author Resource:
Cathy is a self-employed author who likes gardening and the great outdoors. She likes to spend time in the backyard using her garden cart to tow all her tools. She spends her freetime cooking, reading, and writing reports .
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