Using Annuals in Your Garden
Annual plants are one of the most popular types of
plants for every gardener. They have many advantages for
the home gardener, including
hardiness, low cost and some of the best blossoms around
and they come in  every color of the rainbow, and
in a variety of sizes and shapes as well. A properly
planted garden of annuals is a breathtaking sight
indeed.
What separates annuals from other
types of plants and flowers is that they grow from
seed, then blossom, set seed and then die to ground, all
within one growing season. While some other types of
flowers are treated as annuals and replaced each year, all
true annuals share this important
distinction.
True annuals are divided into
several categories — hardy, half-hardy and
tender — according to their tolerance for cold
temperatures. Pansies are a good example of
hardy annuals and they thrive in cool and even cold
conditions. Hardy annuals are usually planted in the fall for
color throughout the colder months. Most varieties of hardy
annuals begin to decline in the spring and then die when the
heat of summer arrives.
Half hardy annuals, on the
other hand, can tolerate a light frost but not a hard one and
they're usually planted early in spring to provide color
throughout the spring and early summer. Half hardy annuals,
like dianthus, generally start their decline
in the heat of the summer, but they can bloom again in the
autumn.
Tender annuals, on the other hand, cannot
tolerate any freezing temperatures at all. Tender annuals,
such as zinnias, impatiens and
vincas should not be planted until the
danger of frost is completely gone.
Annuals are
most often used as landscape plants and their colors and
varieties make them ideal for use in the
landscape. It's important to remember that most
annuals need full sunlight for at least 4 – 6 hours
every day in order to produce the best blooms. There are,
however, shade tolerant varieties of annuals, such as
impatiens, coleus and begonias and they can be used in parts
of the landscape that receive less sunlight.
When selecting planting locations
for annuals, it's best to avoid areas where water
pools after heavy rain. Pooling water can drown the
roots of many annuals. Always avoid planting annuals
in areas that are close to trees or large shrubs since the
root structures of these large plants can compete for moisture
and leave your annuals without sufficient
water.
Also, make sure you prepare the
planting bed properly to get the most from your annuals. The
planting bed should be deeply spaded and dug between 6
and 10 inches deep. Clay heavy soils should be amended
prior to planting by mixing in at least 2 inches of
humus, leaf mold, compost or small pea
gravel. These improvements will help the soil drain well and
provide additional aeration as well.
Finally, it's
important to test the soil properly before planting
annuals. Most varieties of annuals thrive in soil pH
from 5.8 to 6.5, but more alkaline soils will need to
be amended prior to planting.
|
