Angelonia Angelface®Wedgwood Blue, from Proven Winners, is a garden must-have. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)
Summer gardening is made easier with tough, drought-tolerant annuals, especially where summers are hot and dry. So many popular bedding plants are tender and water-needy, but there are plenty of waterwise, or xeric, annuals that go beyond low-growing succulents. Many are colorful, resilient, and bloom effortlessly all summer long.
When choosing waterwise summer flowers, I pick from plants native to areas with hot, dry climates, like Mexico, dry regions of Africa, the American Southwest, and hot, dry areas of the Mediterranean. Agastache, angelonia, cuphea, autumn sage and hybrids, marigolds, and low-growing zinnias are several excellent choices. Exciting new varieties make it easy to fill the garden with beautiful flowers sure to shine in tough weather.
Hummingbird Mint
‘Rosie Posie’ is an exceptional hummingbird mint with magenta-purple, fragrant flowers. (Image thanks to Walter’s Gardens®)
Hummingbirds visit Agastache’s pretty wands of flowers. Otherwise known as hummingbird mint, the plants bloom through summer and into fall with moderate watering. Because of their reliability, they are a standby in my garden, especially the more colorful varieties.
The compact and floriferous Arizona™ Sunset has lavender and orange flowers and plants reach just one foot high. The 22-inch ‘Rosie Posie’ has even more colorful flowers of magenta-purple and orange. The plants originate from the American Southwest, where heat and drought are common, so expect them to flourish in warm-summer areas.
Angelonia
Summer snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia) is a nonstop bloomer native to Mexico with distinctive spikes of white, purple, or pink snapdragon-like flowers. The tall (~2.5 feet), large-flowered varieties in the popular Angelface® Series from Proven Winners® are popular and prolific. The warmer the weather, the better they grow. I like the white and violet-blue flowers of Angelface®Wedgwood Blue the most.
Firecracker Plant
Proven Winner’s variety Vermillionaire™ is one of the best firecracker plant varieties available. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Heat and drought are never a problem for the firecracker plant (Cuphea ignea), another Mexican native. Try the Proven Winner’s variety Vermillionaire™. Each bushy can reach around 2-feet tall and wide and become loaded with small, orange-red, tubular flowers visited by hummingbirds. A strong tendency to bloom all summer until frost is another reason to grow the superb bedding plant. As advertised, the firecracker plant has a high tolerance to hot, dry weather once established.
Autumn Sage
‘Lipstick’ is a bright-pink-bloomed salvia able to tolerate drought.
From mid to late summer, I always rely on colorful autumn sage (Salvia greggii and hybrids) to add summer garden color. Autumn sage is a busy tender perennial native from West Texas to Central Mexico, and the blooms are very attractive to hummingbirds! Gardeners up north grow the plant as an annual, but further south they will overwinter if planted in well-drained soil. Try the watermelon-pink ‘Lipstick‘. The shrubby, fast-grower can reach 3 feet high and is laden with short flower spikes until frost.
Marigolds
Frilly tall African marigolds can be grown as cut flowers and garden flowers.
Mexican-native marigolds are made for summer with their warm, nonstop blooms. Try the 3-foot-tall Giant Orange African marigold (Tagetes erecta ‘Giant Orange’) with a plethora of 3-inch flowers. The long-stemmed flowers are suitable for cutting and are borne on strong plants less apt to topple over in the wind. Plant them in colorful cut-flower or annual borders.
Narrowleaf Zinnia
‘Crystal White’ is an award-winning tough Zinnia. (Image thanks to AAS Winners)
My garden always contains zinnias. Narrowleaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) is notably tolerant of hot, dry weather, and the flowers are reliably attractive. The award-winning, 1-foot-high ‘Crystal White‘ is a garden mainstay with clear white flowers and narrow, dark green leaves. The foliage of the Mexican native is resistant to powdery mildew and will flower through summer. With good care, they will bloom continually. Occasional removal of the spent blooms is recommended. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers.
Growing Waterwise Annuals
Add these waterwise and heat-wise annuals to your summer garden, and you will thank yourself when the scorching days of summer arrive. Give them moderate care and water, and they will keep blooming. Those planted in the ground appreciate the added organic matter of Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost, and those grown in containers of Fafard® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed will grow happily.
Pendulous tuberous begonias make exceptional hanging basket specimens.
Shaded porches and patios are prime spots for hanging baskets. We spend most of our outdoor leisure time in the shade where their beauty is most welcome, but only certain garden flowers will flower and thrive in less light. Planting the right flowers is essential to keep your shaded baskets looking good from spring to fall.
Five Hanging Basket Planting Tips
Plant in spacious hanging baskets with ample root space. I like coco-lined wire baskets within the 12- to 16-inch range. Be sure they are supported by secure hooks and strong chains.
If your potting soil has no supplemental ingredients, consider adding Terra Sorb water-holding crystals and slow-release fertilizer to reduce the need to water and feed as often.
Don’t overplant your baskets. Usually, one to three plants are enough, depending on what you are growing.
Best Hanging Basket Bloomers
1. Bacopa
Proven Winner’s Bacopa Snowstorm®Blue and Pink mingle with white-flowered Euphorbia in a combined basket. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Bacopa is most often sold as a container or hanging basket trailer, but the plants look lovely on their own in a basket or among other plants. I often choose the white-flowered MegaCopa™ White variety for my hanging baskets and pots, but Proven Winner’s Snowstorm®Blue and Snowstorm®Rose are newer forms with an added burst of color. One warning for the wise, bacopa doesn’t show drought stress immediately. By the time you learn plants are stressed, they’ll have dropped all of their buds. Plants can take up to two weeks before flowering again, so be sure to water daily, especially in hot weather.
2. Begonias
San Francisco™ Bolivian begonia is a top-notch bloomer known to thrive in summer heat and humidity. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
A host of specialty begonias are bred for hanging baskets. The trailing bloomers tend to have both attractive leaves and beautiful flowers. Some of the best performing include the Double Delight®begonias (check out Double Delight®Blush Rose) from Proven Winners in addition to their larger-flowered Belleconia™ tuberous hybrids.
Bolivian hybrids are also favorites of mine. The award-winning Rivulet® Bolivian begonia hybrids (blush, deep rose, orange, pink, and double red shades) from Ball Seed® have impressive flowers as does San Francisco™, with its pendulous salmon-pink flowers.
Impatiens
Simple, classic Impatiens look lovely in baskets through summer with regular water and fertilizer.
Classic Impatiens walleriana hybrids require regular water to look their best in hanging baskets, but they will reward you with nonstop flowers until frost. The double-flowered Rockapulco® varieties from Proven Winners have delicate rose-like blooms. Try Rockapulco®Tropical Shades with its profuse guava-pink flowers. Gardeners seeking single-flowered Imatiens should try the seed-grownImara™ XDR Impatiens for their large flowers, vigor, and resistance to downy mildew, a common disease of the plants.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes’ is a lovely, easy-to-find trailing variety for hanging baskets.
Trailing Fuchsias are ideal hanging basket specimens tolerant of full sunlight but generally happier in full to partial shade. There are hundreds of varieties available in different color combinations–mostly in whites, reds, pinks, and purples. The flowers often have two or more colors, with top petals (actually sepals) in one color, the true inner petals in another shade, and the floral pistil and stamens in yet another color. The dark purple and fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes‘ is an exceptional garden variety as is the white and red ‘Swingtime‘. Fuchsia flowers attract hummingbirds, so place them where you can see both the flowers and possible hummingbird visitors.
Browallia
Loads of Fun is a container garden recipe from Proven Winners containing Browallia Endless™Illumination, Rockapulco® Rose impatiens, and Torenia Catalina® Pink. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Browallia
The first time I grew Browallia in the late 1990s, I was impressed by its beautiful flowers and long season of bloom. The tough plants grow beautifully in hot summer weather and prosper in shaded hanging baskets. The most common variety is the violet-blue-flowered Endless™IlluminationBush Violet from Proven Winners. The plants are real garden workhorses. Give them regular water and they will keep flowering until frost without the need to deadhead!
Wishbone Flower
Summer Wave® Trailing Large Blue Torenia is a pretty blue-flowered form to look for at your local garden center.
Trailing or bushy Torenia look beautiful in baskets and are adapted to shade. Summer Wave®Torenias are the standbys and available in lavender-pink, purple, and blue forms. They trail to 12-16 inches with strong, vigorous growth. Varieties in the Catalina® series are a more bushy counterpart reaching 12 x 12 inches. Yellow, white, pink, and purple forms are available. For me, the prettiest of the bunch is Catalina®Grape-o-licious™ with its white flowers with royal purple centers.
Snapdragons are classic cool-season annuals that make glorious cut flowers.
Annuals aren’t just a summer thing. True, many popular annuals – such as marigolds, zinnias, castor beans, portulacas, and celosias – are unabashed heat-lovers, languishing in chilly conditions and hitting full stride during the long sultry days of July and August. Among the most valuable annuals, however, are those that thrive in cool weather. They’re especially useful for filling the floral doldrums that tend to haunt gardens in late spring and fall.
Most cool-season annuals germinate reliably in relatively chilly soil (below 45 degrees F) and tolerate a goodly amount of frost. Sow them outdoors in late winter or early spring (depending on your locale), and they’ll be up and flowering well before the summer annuals get going. Or for extra-early bloom, start plants indoors and transplant them to the garden several weeks before the last frost date. Cool-season annuals take center stage again in the fall. Sow them 3 months before the first frost date for a late floral display, or plant out store-bought plants in late summer.
Great Cold-Hardy Annuals
Some especially cold-hardy annuals – including all of those described below – will even overwinter as seed or seedlings into USDA hardiness zone 6/7 (or colder, in some cases), arising in spring to bloom weeks before spring-sown plants. These can be planted in the garden in the fall as seeds or young transplants, or existing plantings can be allowed to self-sow. If you’re starting plants indoors, be sure to give them lots of light and a good potting mix such as Fafard Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed.
Pansies and smaller-flowered Violas are cool-season musts for the garden.
Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) are among the most popular cool-season annuals – and for good reason. Not only do they flower continuously in fall and early spring (and beyond), but they also throw some blooms during mild winter spells in USDA zones 6 and warmer. Sold by the thousands in garden centers and other venues in fall and spring, they come in all colors, usually with a signature deep-purple “face” at the flower’s center. Violas – hybrids of Viola cornuta – are close relatives of pansies that also flower prolifically during the cool seasons, as well as in winter warm spells. Short-lived perennials typically bear smaller flowers than those of the pansy tribe, with streaking rather than “faces” at their centers. Both pansies and violas do well with either early-spring or late-summer sowing and planting. The Victorian Posy Pansy mix is an excellent choice for those who start their own flowers from seeds.
Snapdragons can make a grand statement in the spring garden.
Like pansies, snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) overwinter outdoors throughout much of the U.S., making them ideal candidates for late-season planting into USDA zone 5. Overwintered seedlings bloom early in the season, lifting their colorful spires to the sun in late spring. In USDA zones 5a and colder, start seed indoors in late winter, a few weeks before the last-frost date. Early-blooming snapdragon varieties such as those in the Potomac, Chantilly, and Costa series provide an additional head-start on the flowering season, blooming days to weeks earlier than other varieties. They flower in the full range of snapdragon colors, including white, yellow, pink, red, and purple.
Large-flowered gloriosa daisies are ideal cool-season annuals for the fall.
Also ideal for fall planting are gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta), which are exceptionally winter-hardy (to USDA zone 3). Overwintered plants open their bright yellow to burgundy “black-eyed Susan” flowers in late spring or early summer, repeating until frost. Varieties include ‘Indian Summer’, with classic bright yellow “black-eyed Susan” flowers on 3-foot stems; ‘Cherokee Sunset’, whose double blooms on 30-inch stems come in various tones and combinations of yellow, bronze, and maroon; and the green-coned, tawny-eyed ‘Prairie Sun’. If seedlings don’t survive winter in your area, try sowing seed in the garden in fall, for early germination next spring. Plants will readily self-sow if you don’t deadhead them. Of course, late winter or early spring sowing works too, either indoors or out.
Classic blue cornflowers can be sown in the fall for spring.
Other classic candidates for fall planting or sowing for spring are Larkspurs (Consolida ajacis) and cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus). They bring an abundance of blue to the late spring garden, in two different forms. Larkspurs produce quantities of dainty butterfly-shaped blooms on 30- to 50-inch spikes. Cornflowers, in contrast, bear frilly pompons atop wiry 3- to 4-foot stalks. In addition to classic blue varieties such as ‘Blue Spire’, larkspurs come in an assortment of other colors including white, pink, lavender, and combinations thereof. Cornflowers, too, are available in a wide color range, from blue (e.g., ‘Blue Diadem’) to pink to red to maroon.
Lesser-Known Cool-Season Annuals
The ranks of cool-season annuals that do well with spring or fall planting or sowing include a number of relatively little-known but highly ornamental species that deserve much wider use:
Blue woodruff is rarely grown and deserves more garden attention. Expect some self-sowing.
Blue woodruff (Asperula orientalis) throws airy sprays of little sky-blue flowers on low, typically lax stems. It’s especially lovely in containers, making a lacy understudy for bigger, bolder leaved annuals such as flowering tobaccos and amaranths.
Also flowering in blue is Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile). The clusters of rounded, bright blue blooms do indeed recall those of standard forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.), but they occur on much more durable plants that blossom in late spring and repeat in summer and fall. The pink-flowered variety ‘Mystery Rose’ is equally ornamental.
Toadflax just grows in the cool season, but it is so delicate and pretty.
A perky little thing with spikes of bright blooms that resemble snapdragons, Moroccan toadflax (Linaria maroccana) is perfect for massing in garden beds and containers, in forms such as the pastel assortment ‘Fairy Bouquet’ or bright purple ‘Licilia Violet’.
The poppy tribe contains several cool-season treasures, none better than Shirley poppy (Papaver rhoeas), with its numerous pastel (such as ‘Mother of Pearl’ and the Falling in Love mix) and red (e.g., ‘American Legion’) forms; and Spanish poppy (Papaver rupifragum), a cheerful orange-flowered thing that’s especially winning in its double-flowered form, ‘Flore Pleno’ or ‘Tangerine Gem’.
‘Tangerine Gem’ is a very easy Spanish poppy to grow.
Although not quite as cold-hardy as most of the above, Green-gold (Bupleurum griffithii) weathers winters to USDA Zone 7, and is amenable to late winter and early spring planting in colder zones. Its large flat-headed clusters of chartreuse blooms on 3-foot stems make splendid accents for cut flower arrangements.
Birds–chirping, whistling, and singing—are integral contributors to the daily symphony of garden sounds. Their presence is also a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Attract them by using the right combination of flowering plants and focusing on a succession of blooms and seeds. The end result will be a beautiful landscape and a smorgasbord for birds.
The majority of bird-friendly blooms need sunny space, though a few, like allium and black-eyed Susan, can flourish in light shade. Some species will thrive in the leanest soil, while others prefer a growing medium enriched with organic material like Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost.
Zinnias, cosmos, marigolds and other prolific annuals are “cut and come again” flowers, producing fresh flowers over and over again after deadheading or cutting. In fact, the biggest dilemma for bird and bloom-loving gardeners may be whether to enjoy cut flowers or let them set seeds for hungry birds. When in doubt, plant enough for both uses and refrain from deadheading at the end of the gardening season.
The ten flowering plants below are among the best at providing beauty, ease of culture, and food for avian visitors.
Spring Flowers for Birds
Golden groundsel has seeds that feed birds. Birds also eat the spring pollinators they attract.
Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea, Zones 3-9): The native golden-yellow flowers of golden groundsel are repellant to troublesome garden critters like deer and rabbits, but magnetic for pollinators and birds. Their golden-yellow clusters of daisies attract lots of pollinators (some of which birds eat) and brighten partially sunny to shaded beds and look great in woodland gardens. Flowering may start in mid-spring and continue to late spring. Leave the fluffy white seed heads for the birds to enjoy! Plants may spread, so give them space to move.
Many birds enjoy eating cornflower seeds.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): Annual cornflower, sometimes known as ‘bachelor buttons”, is an old-fashioned annual that blooms from May through July. The most common cornflower color is bright blue, but some varieties may also sport blue-purple, dark purple, white or pink flowers. Gardeners with poor soil can succeed with these bird-friendly blooms because they prefer lean conditions. Like other annuals, cornflowers will respond to cutting by producing more blooms. From a bird’s perspective, the sooner the flowers go to seed the better, so make sure to let that happen. The seed that the birds leave behind or drop will produce a new crop the following year.
Summer Flowers for Birds
Cosmos attract insects that feed birds, and their seeds are also highly nutritious to many bird species.
Common Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus): Blooming from the beginning of summer through frost, this annual is among the most cheerful members of the daisy family or Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). The longtime garden favorite bears familiar saucer-shaped flowers with white, pink, or rose petals surrounding golden centers. Some varieties, like those in the Double Click series, feature double blooms. The leaves are fern-like, accenting slender stems that may be anywhere from 1 to 4 feet tall. Like bachelor buttons, cosmos favor lean soil and good drainage. For color variation, try Cosmos sulphureus, with yellow, orange, or orange-red petals. Birds will have no trouble finding these tall beauties, which rise between 2 and 6 feet.
Zinnia seeds are a nutritious bird favorite, so leave up those seedheads in fall!
Zinnias (Zinnia species and hybrids): The world of annual zinnias is wide, encompassing varieties in just about every color except for brown and blue. Heights range from ground-hugging (6 inches) to 4 feet tall. Some of the most popular are tall zinnias (Zinnia elegans). All zinnias bear bright, daisy-like flowers, borne on somewhat coarse, hairy stems adorned with elongated green leaves. Pinching back the stems of young zinnia plants encourages branching, making more flowers for you and the birds. Zinnias will also bloom from early summer through frost but are sometimes prone to powdery mildew, a fungal disease. Avoid crowding the plants, as good air circulation discourages powdery mildew.
Coneflowers: Once upon a time, if you wanted a perennial coneflower (Echinacea spp.), your options were limited to the lovely blooms of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). Now perennial coneflowers have become the darlings of the horticultural world and choices abound. Petal colors range from white, like the lovely ‘White Swan’, through a range of yellows, peach, pink, orange, and red, with bi-colors, like the fetching ‘Green Twister’ thrown in for good measure. Many of the newer coneflowers are also fragrant, an added plus. The one thing that they all have in common is large, cone-shaped centers filled with seeds. Goldfinches, in particular, love them.
Marigold seeds are numerous and feed birds.
Marigolds: Annual marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are easy to grow and, tolerant of a range of conditions. Tall types, usually varieties of Tagetes erecta or African marigold, may reach a height of up to 4 feet tall, with large flower heads of cream, yellow, or yellow-orange petals. Blooming through the summer, both flowers and stems are aromatic and quite effective at repelling deer and other garden pests. Low-growing French marigolds (Tagetes patula) have all the virtues of their taller relations, but top out at 6 to 12 inches—perfect for containers, small spaces, and border edgings. When flowerheads are left intact for bird consumption, marigolds will self-seed readily.
Nutritious seeds are the main attraction of black-eyed-Susans, so keep your seedheads up in fall.
Black-Eyed Susans: An old-time favorite, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) flowers from mid to late summer. Native to North America, the plants may be biennial or perennial, but all feature prominent seed-filled cones that attract birds, especially finches and chickadees. One of the most popular garden “Susans” is Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’, a reliable perennial that is widely available in garden centers and features some of the largest flowers. In general, black-eyed Susans can flourish in a wide variety of soil conditions and may even tolerate light shade.
A scarlet tanager looks for insects on a sunflower head.
Annual Sunflowers: It is hard not to love annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), which are held in high esteem by humans, mammals, and birds. With broad, open flower faces and statuesque profiles, drought and heat-tolerant sunflowers, are also among the easiest plants to grow from seed. Breeders have worked hard to expand the range of available sizes and colors. Petals can be cream, shades of yellow, gold, orange, or russet, with bicolors popping up on the market every year. All have seed-filled centers. The big leaves may look ragged by summer’s end, but the flowerheads more than make up for that. Container gardeners do not have to miss out on the flowers, or the birds, because shorter varieties like ‘Little Becky” topping out at about 3 feet.
Autumn Finale
Chickadees eat visiting insects and seeds of asters.
Asters: Perennial asters (Symphyotrichum spp., Eurybia spp. and Aster spp.) are no longer grouped under one species name, but they all feature daisy-like blooms in shades ranging from white through a host of pinks and roses to blues and blue-purples. For visual impact, you can’t beat traditional New England asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Upright and leafy, they may grow up to 6 feet tall, but can also be kept shorter with judicious pruning earlier in the growing season. Shorter asters, like the Woods series (‘Purple’, ‘Blue’ and ‘Pink’) have the same winsome flowers beloved of both people and birds but feature shorter stature (up to 18 inches). Butterflies relish the flowers’ nectar and birds feast on the autumn seeds.
Perennial sunflowers are essential late-bloomers for feeding birds.
Perennial Sunflowers: Drought-tolerant and versatile, sedums have really caught on with gardeners. Whether you choose tall varieties like the much-loved ‘Autumn Joy’ or shorter ones, like ‘Wildfire’, sedums feature flowerheads of small, star-shaped blooms that draw butterflies. Hanging around throughout fall, when other flowering plants have long since given up, sedums attract birds like finches with their plump seedheads. If you can, avoid cutting back sedums until spring clean-up.
Many of these garden flowers naturally self-sow from year to year, so allow a few seedlings to provide more bird food and beauty to future gardens.
Common (pink and purple) and blue morning glories are two everblooming summer vines.
Savvy gardeners know that flowering vines do more than just hang around. No matter how thick their stems, vines are masters at pulling their weight in the garden, brightening vertical spaces, and providing small-space gardeners with a larger plant canvas.
Everblooming or nearly everblooming annual vines give the most colorful bang for the gardener’s buck and also delight the pollinators that flutter and fly to them. The range of choices is large, from the intricate blooms of climbing nasturtium (Tropaeolum Group) to the old fashioned charm of annual morning glories (Ipomoea purpurea). Most annual vines climb and twine with their own steam. All the gardener needs to provide is support in the form of a trellis, pergola, tuteur, or fence.
To give your vine the greatest chance of success, consider the amount of available vertical space, as well as sun and shade levels. Most flowering vines need full sunlight to look their best. At planting time, whether planting seeds or seedlings, amend the soil with Fafard Ultra Outdoor Planting Mix, to increase fertility, in addition to a slow-release fertilizer formulated for flowering plants.
Vines with Old-Fashioned Charm
Arguably, the best blue morning glory variety is the classic ‘Heavenly Blue’.
The cheerful common morning glory (Ipomoea-purpurea) and blue morning glory (I. tricolor) are probably the best-known annual vines. These familiar cottage-garden favorites feature funnel-shaped flowers that bloom from mid to late summer through frost, with new blooms opening each day against a backdrop of medium green, heart-shaped leaves. Common types bloom earlier than blue and come in a range of colors from white to red, pink, and purple, with some bi-colored varieties. Flower throats may be white, yellow, or even pink, like those of the white-flowered ‘Dolce Vita’. The heirloom variety, ‘Grandpa Ott’s’, features purple petals accented with brighter red-purple star-shaped markings. Blue morning glories have larger flowers that start blooming later and come in shades of sky blue and white. The impressive ‘Flying Saucers’ is splashed with blue and white stripes.
The heirloom common morning glory ‘Grandpa Ott’s’ features purple petals with red star-shaped markings.
Grow morning glories to full sun and with well-drained soil provided with average moisture. The large seeds are easy to sow directly into the garden right after your area’s last frost date. Nick and soak them the day before for faster sprouting. The plants are liberal self-seeders, so one package of morning glory seeds may give you many years’ worth of climbing displays.
If you live with children or pets, it is wise to remember that morning glory seeds are toxic if ingested.
Vines with Drama at Dusk
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) has huge, fragrant white flowers that unfurl at night.
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is morning glory’s night owl cousin, with huge ivory funnels that glow and become fragrant at night. Pollinated by nocturnal moths, the blooms open at dusk and close up the following morning. Though they are night bloomers, moonflowers need full sun in the daytime, along with good soil and irrigation. Twining up a trellis, moonflower can climb 10 to 15 feet during the growing season. Like other members of the Ipomoea clan, it may also self-sow but less aggressively.
Vines with Tropical Flash
Blooming nasturtium climbing on an old weathered wooden fence
The heirlooms in Jewel of Africa mix are climbing garden nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus). Over the course of summer, the vines can reach up to 8 feet tall, covering a fence or trellis with distinctive flowers of ivory, yellow, orange, and red. Some are exuberantly bi-colored. And the flowers are not the only part of the show. The leaves, which look like scalloped saucers, feature white marbling. For a more classic looking climbing nasturtium, try the 4 to 6 foot ‘Spitfire‘ that features lots of tangerine orange flowers.
If your drains well and is on the lean side, nasturtiums will not mind. Rich soils yield more vigorous vines with more lush foliage, while those with less fertility yield less robust growth but more flowers. These natives of the Andes mountains do not favor high heat, but once established in sunny spots, they can tolerant some drought. Nasturtiums are champion multi-taskers too. If you can bear to pluck them off the plants, the flowers are edible, adding a peppery note to summer salads.
Black-eyed-Susan are vigorous climbers that can cover trellises in no time.
Another eager climber is black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata), which grows three to 8 feet tall at maturity. The most common variety boasts five-petaled, tubular flowers that glow in golden orange with black centers, a combination reminiscent of its namesake, perennial black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta).If you are planting several black-eyed Susan vines and want some color contrast, pick a seed mix that includes varieties with flowers in cream, orange-red, and yellow. All have the same dark centers. A large container with two or more varieties trained up a small trellis makes an excellent summer display. The elongated triangular leaves are toothed and somewhat coarser in appearance than those of morning glory or nasturtium, but black-eyed Susan vines compensate with an abundance of flowers. Grow them in partial to full sun, with regular watering and feeding.
No flowering vine has blooms quite as remarkable as firecracker vine.
Firecracker vine (Ipomoea lobata)is another flashy performer for full sun that can climb up to up to 15 feet during its late summer to fall flowering season. The stems are adorned with green leaves shaped like elongated hearts. The flowers are tubular and borne on arching stems. Like any good fireworks display, firecracker vine is full of surprises. Its blooms are color changers, morphing from red to softer yellow over the life of each flower. This changeable nature means that firecracker vines look different from day to day, with a multi-colored effect that draws the eye and holds it.
Colorful Benary’s Dreamland Zinnias are lined with deepest blue edging lobelia.
Sometimes gardening life is just a little too pastel and predictable. A day dawns when all those pale pinks, powdery blues, and dreamy pale yellows look washed out, and you yearn for exuberant flowers that pop out of beds and containers with bursts of bright color. By adding a few “technicolor” flowers with deep, saturated colors, you can create explosions in the garden without scaring the neighbors. (Those same neighbors will probably also enjoy the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators drawn to your vibrant blooms.) Continue reading “Technicolor Gardening: Vibrant Garden Flowers”
Cosmos ‘Cupcakes’ is a hot new introduction for 2016. (Image care of Fleuroselect)
People who believe there is nothing new under the sun have never looked at spring garden catalogs. Every year plant retailers bombard gardeners with pages of the new and different—or at least the slightly new and the somewhat improved. 2017 is no exception.
Cosmos ‘Xanthos’ (image care of Fleuroselect)
Familiar themes abound—color is king, with variegated or uniquely colored foliage augmenting floral displays. Rebloom leads the roster of “most desirable traits” for both perennials and annuals. Old standbys have shrunk into compact sizes that are perfect for containers and smaller garden spaces. Stalwarts, like cosmos and sunflowers, appear in new blossom shapes and colors, allowing plant lovers to set off a few garden fireworks without burning down the establishment.
New Flower Forms
Echinacea PUFF™ Vanilla (Image care of Terra Nova Nurseries)
Fleuroselect, the international organization for the ornamental plant industry, dubbed 2016-2017 “The Year of the Cosmos”. Several of these come in brazen new forms. Of these, the double white Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Mini Click White’ won the coveted Fleuroselect Novelty award for 2017. Even more striking is Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cupcakes’, which has cupped petals that resemble cupcake papers of white and pale pink. The seed-grown ‘Cupcakes’ have variable flowers that sometimes have an extra row of smaller inner petals. Another unique Cosmos for the market is the Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner ‘Xanthos’, which not only has uniquely colored pale-yellow flowers but a compact habit and good performance.
The familiar perennial coneflower takes on a new floral appearance with the domed, fully double Echinacea PUFF™ Vanilla, an ivory-flowered hybrid new for 2017 that blooms throughout summer with double anemone-type blooms. The Terra Nova Nurseries introduction also boasts a compact habit.
New Compact Flowers
Agastache Acapulco Deluxe® Rose (Image care of GreenFuse Botanicals)
Agastache, or hummingbird mint, has proved to be a favorite perennial for attracting hummingbirds to its colorful, reblooming flowers. Many good varieties have appeared on the market, but diminutive cultivars in the Acapulco Deluxe® series stand out, with the brightest being Acapulco Deluxe® Rose. It offers vibrant flowers of deepest rose (orange in bud) on fragrant, compact, container-friendly plants reaching 12 inches tall and wide. The plants are also heat and drought tolerant!
Another tough perennial now available in a more manageable size is Blue Jean Baby Russian sage (Perovskia atricplicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’) features gray-green, aromatic, deer-resistant foliage and relatively short stature (2 feet), which can be further controlled by cutting plants back after they bloom.
Dianthus Supra Pink F1 (Image care of AAS Winners)
This year introduces a true reblooming fragrant Dianthus for 2017, Dianthus Interspecific Supra Pink F1! The compact bloomer reaches 10-12 inches and blooms nonstop from spring to fall, no deadheading required. Its outstanding performance awarded it a coveted AAS award for 2017!
If you decide to grow any of the new, compact annual or perennial varieties in containers, start them off right by filling those pots, window boxes and troughs with quality potting mixes, like Fafard® Ultra Potting Mix with Extended Feed or moisture retentive Fafard® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed.
New Flower Colors
Plant breeders continue to love bi-colored flowers and peach shades. A perfect example is Tagetes ‘Strawberry Blonde’, a marigold with the familiar pompom shape and petals blushed salmon pink, with golden overtones. Like all marigolds, it reblooms throughout the growing season and works equally well in containers and garden spaces of all sizes. Another peachy bloomer is Viola ‘Mariposa Peach Shades’, an annual pansy adorned with ruffled flowers in the yellow/orange range. It provides early and late season color that is welcome in climates with cool springs and falls.
Echinacea Butterfly™ Rainbow Marcella (Image thanks to Plants Nouveau)
The past ten years have seen a stampede of new perennial coneflower introductions. This year, with peach tones in the ascendant, one of the best is the Plants Nouveau introduction, Echinacea Butterfly™ Rainbow Marcella. Its colorful single flowers have brown cones surrounded by pinkish-peach petals.
Zinnias have exploded in both popularity and petal count. One of the most unusual of the new zinnias are those on the Queen Lime Series. The Johnny’s Selected Seeds exclusive Zinnia ‘Queen Lime with Blush’, sports pale pink and lime green petals and a central blotch of maroon. Like all tall zinnias, it is easy to grow and reaches 30 to 40 inches tall.
Lisianthus ‘Roseanne II’ (image care of Sakata Seed)
The Rose-like lisianthus usually comes in shades of violet-purple and white but the unusual Eustoma grandiflorum ‘Roseanne Deep Brown’ is a remarkable rich purple-brown. The complex color complements the sun-loving plants that reach 32 inches in height and have great stems for cutting.
Breeders have had a field day with perennial coreopsis or tickseed in recent years, creating versions of this low-growing perennial that boast larger flowers, more repeat blooms, and a wider color range. The traditional yellow has been augmented by eye-catching pinks, reds, and bi-colors. The new Uptick™ Series by Darwin Perennials features three varieties. ‘Cream’, ‘Yellow and Red’, and ‘Gold and Bronze’. The last two bear yellow or gold petals with darker red or bronze eye zones. Shearing after bloom speeds the rebloom cycle for all varieties.
Annual sunflowers play their own parts in the joyful bi-colored act. Among them, Helianthus annuus ‘Florenza’ stands out, with pale to medium yellow petal tips giving way to rings or eye zones of dark red that surround the black flower centers. The stems are short, topping out at about 32 inches tall and the flowers refuse to droop.
Celosia Asian Garden (image care of AAS Winners)
The unusually bushy feather Celosia ‘Asian Garden’ is another fabulous performer with impressive color that is listed as a 2017 AAS winner. Bred by the Japanese breeding company Murakami Seed, it produces endless plumes of purple-red above purple-leaved plants all summer long, even in the worst heat. Perfect for cutting gardens, it is also drought tolerant.
New Shade Flowers
Dicentra ‘Amore Pink’ (Image care of Terra Nova Nurseries)
Shade gardeners sometimes feel slighted because so many flowering plants love the sun. This year there is a reason to rejoice, as revitalized versions of reliable shade plants strut their stuff in new colors, shapes, and sizes. Ajuga or bugleweed, a perennial favorite groundcover, loves the shade, doesn’t mind being stepped on and spreads effectively to cover hard-to-cultivate areas. Breeders have taken ajuga and turned its traditional blue flowers into Ajuga ‘Pink Lightning’, a Sunny Border Nurseries introduction. Variegated leaves steal the show even after flowers have faded.
Bleeding heart, or Dicentra, is another spring shade lover, with pendulous heart-shaped flowers and deeply dissected leaves. Newcomer Dicentra ‘Amore Pink’ has blue-green foliage and large pink “hearts”. It is also compact–nine inches in height and only 12 inches tall.
And in the new flower celebration, gardeners should never forget hellebores, which have been all the rage for at least a decade. ‘Dark and Handsome’, a Helleborus orientalis hybrid from the Wedding Party™ Series, offers both unusual color—near black—and numerous large, semi-double flowers. With consistent moisture and a shady site, these dark-cloaked newcomers will establish themselves as stars of the spring garden party.
Mixed marigolds will shine through the warmest days of summer and fall. (image by Jessie Keith)
Imagine a flowering plant so beautiful and sturdy that it lends equal brightness to elegant flowerbeds, gas station plantings and public parks all over the United States. Leaping nimbly over national borders, it also serves as an important decorative element for festivities associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead and plays a prominent role in all kinds of celebrations on the Indian subcontinent. It repels deer and other varmints but attracts humans, who use it as a summer garden stalwart, harvest it for indoor arrangements and sometimes even strew it over salads.
Marigold Virtues
The African marigold ‘Doubloon’ is a tall variety that produces loads of lemon-yellow flowers. (photo by Jessie Keith)
The plant in question is an annual with an interesting Latin name—Tagetes—and a familiar English one—marigold. Blooming in shades of cream, yellow, gold, orange/red, red or maroon, its cheerful disposition and easy-going nature match its sunshiny colors. Some of the most sophisticated gardeners in history, like early twentieth-century designer/author Gertrude Jekyll, have taken marigolds to their hearts and into their landscapes. Yet, it has also edged humble vegetable plots, anchored cutting gardens and been used as a natural pest controller.
Fragrant and sturdy, the annual marigold is a classic summer bloomer. The two most popular species are the African marigold and the French marigold (Tagetes erecta). In keeping with the Latin name, the African erecta varieties are tall, growing between one and four feet. French varieties are shorter, maxing out at 18 inches. I am especially fond of the flashy French variety, ‘Harlequin’, an antique that features petals with alternating gold and mahogany strips. Both erecta marigolds sport pinnate or feathery leaves.
Many popular marigold varieties are actually crosses between these two variants, combining the somewhat more compact habit of the French types, with the large flowers of the African marigolds. Though not as widely known, little Tagetes tenuifolia, commonly known as signet marigold, features petite, elegant, single blossoms and works well in containers and edging situations. The single-flowered varieties ‘Tangerine Gem’, ‘Lemon Gem’, and ‘Paprika’ are perfect examples.
Marigold History
The compact ‘Disco Orange’ is a single-flowered French marigold with tangerine-orange flowers. (photo by Jessie Keith)
In addition to their many other virtues, marigolds are good travelers. Early Spanish colonists took the plants from their native Mexico, where they were sacred to the Aztec goddess Xochiquetzal, back to the Old World, where they flourished. Their popularity spread quickly to all kinds of places, including France and North Africa. This migration gave rise to the idea that the plants were native to those areas, hence the common names of some species.
Daisies are the show-horse flowers of summer and marigolds are in the daisy family, Asteraceae. As with other daisies, each flower head is actually a mass of tiny flowers. The “eye” features a disk of tiny flowers surrounded by the showy, petal-like ray flowers. The red and gold ‘Scarlet Starlet’, with its golden eye and deep scarlet petals, is a perfect example. “Double-flowered” marigolds, like those of the tall, white-flowered ‘Snowdrift’, are not truly double but instead have only ray flowers. Given their origins in Mexico, it is not surprising that the plants still prefer sunny, open situations and grow best when it is very warm.
Growing Marigolds
Marigolds are among the easiest plants to grow—perfect for children and beginning gardeners. Most garden centers feature cell packs of starter plants in the spring and summer, but marigolds can easily be started from seed. Sow directly into pots or garden beds and cover with a thin layer of soil or Fafard® Natural & Organic Potting Mix. Fafard® Ultra Potting Mix With Extended Feed is a perfect medium for container-grown specimens.
Water daily and seedlings should appear within a week or so. Thin the young plants to prevent crowding and once they have leafed out, pinch back the stems to promote bushy growth and abundant flowers. Established marigolds are somewhat drought tolerant, though container-grown specimens may need extra water during dry spells.
French Marigold (photo by Maureen Gilmer)
Gardeners tend to either love or hate the strong smell of marigolds flowers and foliage, which have earned the plant the old-fashioned nickname, “Stinking Roger”. However, even those who hate the aroma can love the fact that marigolds have the ability to beat back the destructive power of root-knot nematodes, organisms that can damage or destroy the roots of tomatoes and other food crops.
Marigolds’ roots secrete a substance called alpha-terthienyl that inhibits the growth of these parasitic nematodes. To use marigolds in this way, it is best to sow them as a cover crop between planting seasons. This inhibiting power, traditionally harnessed in countries like India, may account for the fact that farmers in many places have traditionally planted marigolds around vegetable beds. If nothing else, they brighten up kitchen garden planting schemes.
Marigolds are a study in contrasts. Their simple flowers have enchanted sophisticated gardeners all over the world, while their down-home demeanor successfully masks a deadly arsenal of anti-nematode weapons. They are at once the stealthiest and most alluring denizens of the summer garden.
Salvia Summer Jewel™ Lavender is a truly beautiful 2016 award winner. (image thanks to the AAS)
When choosing new plants for 2016, it always pays to know the bestowers of plant awards, so you can easily identify the best-of-the-best edibles and ornamentals for the season. Plant award programs are numerous and many are distinct in their selection criteria. What they have in common are great garden plants.
And these programs are reliable. Not only are most based on extensive field trials but they are also driven by third-party entities with the simple goal of promoting outstanding plants for home and garden. So, you can count on award-winners to perform well, if they are recommended for your region. Many are tested and approved for national audiences but others are specifically selected for regions, or by plant societies dedicated to specific plant groups. Here is just a sampling of recommended awards programs and their great plants.
Candyland Red is a superior currant tomato with big flavor. (image thanks to the AAS)
The All-America Selections (AAS) is a respected, independent, non-profit organization that promotes terrific plants for North America. Their mission is “To promote new garden varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.” Their trials are conducted across the US and Canada and focus on high-performing vegetables and annual garden flowers. Each year a handful of award winners are chosen and promoted. The program began in 1933, and lots of “old” award winners, now technically heirlooms, are still grown today. To learn more about the AAS and their selection criteria, click here.
There are 12 AAS-winning plants for 2016 to include Salvia Summer Jewel™ Lavender, tomato ‘Candyland Red’, and the giant white pumpkin ‘Super Moon F1’.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) program, which highlights plants of great merit for UK growers. Thankfully, many of the selected plants also perform well in North America. Unlike the AAS, this program seeks out all forms of high-performing ornamental include trees, shrubs and perennials. Species and cultivated plants are all fair game.
Recent additions to the AGM program include Begonia ‘Glowing Embers’, sweet pea ‘Mary Mac’ and carrot ‘Artemis’.
Geranium Biokovo was the 2015 Perennial Plant of the Year. (image care of The Perennial Plant Association)
The Garden Club of America (GCA) promotes an outstanding North American native plant of the year and bestows upon it the Montine McDaniel Freeman Horticulture Award in honor of longtime member of a New Orleans GCA chapter, Montine McDaniel Freeman. The award-winning native for 2015 is the lofty and beautiful bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), which is long-lived, tough and statuesque.
A “Perennial Plant of the Year”, bestowed by the Perennial Plant Association, has been selected since the program began in 1990. Chosen plants must be “suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease-free.” Novice gardeners seeking to beautify their landscapes with perennials would be wise to start by choosing plants from this list—to include the 2015 selection, Biokovo geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’).
The steely blue Windwalker® big bluestem is a Plant Select® winner. (image care of Plant Select)
Plant Select® is a popular regional awards program dedicated to ornamental plants—woody and herbaceous—of the North American high plains and intermountain region, but many are good general performers in other parts of the country. One unique feature is that “Plant Select® leverages a uniquely collaborative model and highly-selective cultivation process to find, test and distribute plants that thrive on less water.” So, Plant Select® are water-wise in addition to being high performing and beautiful. Disease resistance and non-invasiveness are two more important selection criteria.
Notable Plant Select® winners for 2015 are the evergreen Wallowa Mountain desert moss (Arenaria ‘Wallowa Mountain’), perfect for fairy and succulent gardens, Windwalker® Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii ‘PWIN01S’), Coral Baby penstemon (Penstemon ‘Coral Baby’), and the stately Woodward Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Woodward’).
Out East, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has been promoting its PHS Gold Medal Plants annually since 1978. The winners represent superior woody plants for the landscape that thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-7. Recent winners include the Rising Sun redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Rising Sun’) and Darts Duke viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Darts Duke’).
Penstemon ‘Baby Coral’ is a water-wise and long-blooming Plant Select® winner. (image care of Plant Select®)
There are lots of plant societies offering award-winning selections for home and garden each year. The All-America Roses Selections (AARS) has represented the best from their national rose trials since 1930, but due to a flagging economy this important trial ended in 2014. Fortunately, some have been willing to keep it alive, bringing us several great winners for 2015, which includes the thornless, cerise pink, antique rose ‘Thomas Affleck’ and the fragrant hybrid tea, Deelish®.
Choose to garden smart this season with a few award winners. Pick a few for the New Year and reap the rewards. Fortify them with top-quality potting soils and amendments from Fafard, and you cannot go wrong.
Love-in-a-mist flowers are airy, colorful and long-lasting. Their pretty puffy seed heads can be dried for winter everlasting arrangements.
Some of the prettiest flowers for cutting are annuals that grow and bloom fast and thrive in cool weather. Growing them is a snap. Start them in early August, and you should have lots of pretty flowers for cutting by late September or early October.
‘Towering Orange’ sulfur coreopsis is a tall variety that is perfect for fall cutting!
Planting Cut Flowers for Fall
If you are someone who already plants summer cut flowers, you will likely still have zinnias, tall marigolds, and purple cosmos in the garden, but these tend to lose steam towards the end of the season. Removing declining summer cut flowers and filling in the holes with fresh, cool-season bloomers will pay off. Just be sure to turn, smooth, and clean the ground before planting, and top dress with a good, moisture-holding mix that will allow your new cut flower seeds to germinate easily. Fafard Ultra Outdoor Planting Mix is a great choice.
Once your area is prepared, sprinkle your seeds of choice over the soil, and then lightly cover with some additional mix and gently pat the area down. Annuals with larger seeds, like sweet peas, will need to be planted at least an inch below the soil. Keep newly sown spots evenly moist with daily misting or watering.
Most annuals germinate quickly, in a week or two. Once new seedlings have emerged, continue providing them with needed moisture, and be sure to remove any weed seedlings. Feed plantlets every two weeks with a little water-soluble flower food. This will help them grow and flower at top speed.
Five Cut Flowers for Fall
1) Sweet Peas
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus, 74-85 days from seed) are some of the sweetest smelling cool-season cut flowers, but they require light trellising. This is easily done by securing strong, firm stakes into the ground and lining the spaces between them with trellis netting that the peas can climb up with their tendrils. Renee’s Garden Seeds carries loads of exceptional sweet peas for cutting. The antique ‘Perfume Delight’ is especially fragrant and a little more heat tolerant, which allows them to forge through unexpected warm days. (Read Renee’s article “All About Sweet Peas” for more information about these pleasing flowers.)
The classic bachelor’s button for cutting is the long-stemmed ‘Blue Boy’. (photo care of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
2) Bachelor’s Buttons
Colorful bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea cyanus, 65-75 days from seed) come in shades of richest violet-blue, pink, white, and deepest burgundy. Most agree that the blue flowers are the most remarkable and prettiest in a vase. There are lots of compact varieties, but these have short stems. Long-stemmed selections are the best for cutting, but they must be staked for reliable upright growth. ‘Blue Boy’ is an old-fashioned, large-flowered heirloom with tall stems that are perfect for cutting.
3) Sulfur Coreopsis
For fiery color, few cut flowers grow faster than sulfur coreopsis (Coreopsis sulphureus, 50-60 days from seed). The long-stemmed ‘Towering Orange’ produces billows of tangerine orange flowers that will last a long time. These look beautiful in a vase with ‘Blue Boy’ bachelor’s buttons!
Extra fragrant, colorful blooms are the selling point of ‘Perfume Delight’ sweet pea sold by Renee’s Seeds. (photo care of Renee’s Garden Seeds)
4) Love-in-a-Mist
Uniquely lacy flowers make love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena, 63-80 days from seed) especially charming in the garden or a vase. The dried seed pots are also visually interesting, allowing them to double as dried flowers. The flowers come in shades of violet-blue, purple, white, and pink. One of the better Nigella mixes is provided by Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
5) Annual Baby’s Breath
No flower arrangement is complete without a frothy filler flower to add loft and interest. Annual baby’s breath (Gypsophila elegans, 45-50 days from seed) is the standard choice, and ‘Covent Garden Market’ is a tall, airy variety that will bloom until frost. It is very easy to grow, and its small, white, cup-shaped flowers make more colorful blooms stand out in a vase.
Cut flowers brighten our gardens and homes, so consider planting some of these traditional beauties in August for fall bloom. You’ll save money at the farmer’s market and impress your guests.
