Annuals live to provide quick, easy, colorful, long-blooming color, and are relatively inexpensive, to boot. Examples include: lantana, verbena, New Guinea impatiens, and dahlias if not dug up and stored.
Another good example are pansies which are short-lived perennials usually sold and grown as cool-weather annuals. The fact that some annuals grow back next season is a real bonus. Good volunteers: nasturtiums and alyssum. Every hero needs a villain. And in this case, there are some annuals that can be a bully by excessively self-seeding and naturalizing outside of the garden where they displace native plants.
Cosmos bipinnatus, native to Mexico, has been found to be invading parts of the Mid-Atlantic. Nigella damascena is another rampant re-seeder but can be curbed by removing the seed pods before they explode open. Keep in mind that a plant listed as vigorously self-seeding in one state may be well-behaved and welcomed in another so check local resources if there is a question.
Despite some annuals boasting flouncy flowers, not all are enticing to our pollinating friends. Often cultivars bred for human appeal like fancy double flowered types sacrifice other traits such as lower quality nectar or fragrance. Also, native pollinators would rather visit native plants better suited to the local environment—another reason to plant natives. Top seeds to try this: zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers, nasturtiums, and sweet peas.
Lavatera trimestris tree mallow : Funnel shaped white or pink flowers. Height 75cm Matthiola incana night-scented stocks : Highly perfumed pink or white flowers in spikes. Height cm 6in-1ft and spacing cm in.
Tropaeolum majus nasturtium : Sprawling or climbing easy-to-grow annual with yellow, orange or red edible flowers. Height 30cm Height 75cm 30in and spacing 40cm 16in. Amaranthus caudatus love-lies-bleeding : Blood-red pendant tassles, good as cut and dried flower. Height cm 2ftin and spacing cm in.
Briza maxima quaking grass : With creamy-white shimmering spikelets, ideal for dried arrangements. Height 60cm 2ft and spacing 30cm 1ft. Cerinthe major 'Pupurascens' : With fleshy blue-green leaves and dark purple-blue flowers. Coreopsis tinctoria 'Mardi Gras' : Yellow starry flowers with red centre. Height 50cm 20in and spacing 25cm 10in. Height cm 1ftin and spacing cm in. Moluccella laevis bells of Ireland : With fragrant green flowers are ideal for flower arranging. Height 90cm 3ft and spacing 45cm 18in.
Nicandra physaloides shoo-fly plant : With blue bell-shaped flowers and papery Chinese lanterns. Note - can become weedy. Height 90cm Orlaya grandiflora : Has distinctive ferny foliage. Lacy pure-white flower umbels are ideal for flower arranging.
Height cm in and spacing cm in. Phacelia fiddleneck : Lavender to bright blue flowers in succession. Height cm 9in-2ft and spacing cm in. Salvia viridis annual clary : Showy pink, purple or white leaf-like bracts in summer. Height cm 18in-2ft and spacing cm 10in-1ft. So, how long does it usually take for flowers to grow?
It takes, on average, 95 days for annual flowers to grow. Fast-growing flowers can go from seed to flower in as little as 50 days. Popular, rapid bloomers include:. If you want to know how long it takes your specific flowers to grow, the back of the seed packet will usually tell you.
Let us take a closer look at the specific growing and germination dates for popular flowers. While this may seem like a clean cut question, it is not. Some flowers, like cosmos, germinate fast but take an average amount of time to flower. On the other hand, some plants take a long time to flower. That is why the average number of days from seed to bloom for annuals is 95 days.
It factors in germination and time to bloom. Sunflowers Helianthus spp. The overall average for sunflowers is 85 days from seed to maturity. However, sunflowers may begin to flower around the day mark and continue to bloom as the plant develops. Click here to see it on Amazon. Marigolds Tagetes spp. Another perk of marigolds is their hardiness and long life. As long as they are taken care of marigolds will usually bloom until the first frost.
If spot-planting annuals for example, adding them around a mailbox or light post avoid the temptation of squeezing in plants without leaving enough space for them to grow.
Annuals will need additional food because they grow so quickly. You can add a granular fertilizer at the time of planting, such as formula.
You can also choose to top dress your beds with a slow release pellet like Osmocote. The advantage of slow release fertilizer is that one application takes care of your plants for the entire season.
The important thing is to fertilize consistently, following the directions on your fertilizer package. When the weather gets hot and dry, applying mulch on top of your soil will help your annuals hold moisture and keep blooming. You can use bark, straw, well-dried grass clippings, or cocoa bean shells.
Avoid peat moss, as it forms a water repellent barrier if allowed to dry in the sun. Also avoid wet grass, since it will mold and cause disease problems. Never use tan bark as it can burn tender annuals. Once planted, annuals are remarkably care-free.
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