It’s time to planting your flowers for your summer color. Since the garden sections in stores are in full bloom now, you’re likely tempted to buy all that catch your eye each time you run into the store to pick up a few items. It’s easy to just fall in love with old favorites and new varieties, so that you have to have at least a flat or more. But now you are at home and wondering where to put them.
Do you plant them in the sun, semi-shade or full shade? Do they need a lot of water or very little water? How close do you plant them? Do they come back next year?
We are all impulsive buyers when it comes to flowers. They are hard to resist! However, if we take a little time before the flowers hit the stores and walk around our yards to get ideas of what would look good where, then each of us would probably save money and be more satisfied with our flower purchases.
Look at the amount of sun you have in your yard and let that be a factor in what and where you want to plant. When you have decided where you want a flowerbed and its size, then consider the purpose of the bed. Do you want it for color or maybe to attract hummingbirds and butterflies? Do you want a cutting garden that will allow you to arrange bouquets of your own growing each week? Do you want the flowers to come back each year (perennials or biennials) or do you want to change it each year (annuals)?
Prepare your flowerbed first. Annuals grow best in a soil that drains well and is rich in organic materials. Your bed may need amendments such as manure or compost. Dig to a depth of 10 inches. While working on the soil, add a slow release, high phosphorous fertilizer to keep your annuals flowering. Most annuals like to stay moderately moist, but not soggy wet. They need to be fertilized every eight to twelve weeks with a slow release fertilizer applied when the soil is moist.
While most annuals like lots of sun, many perennials can get along with less. When choosing a perennial garden, you’ll want to determine the hours of sunlight the garden will receive, especially the summer afternoon sun. This is a very important factor in selecting the proper perennials.
Soil for your perennials should be dark, loose, and rich in organic material. Well draining soil will promote strong root development, making it easier to weed and to divide in the fall if necessary. You may need to mulch this garden more than the annuals, to protect from drought and winter temperatures. Mulching also aids with weed control, because you would not want to dig up this garden each year.
Now pick your flowers. Read the labels on the flowers you like. Will they work in the area you have chosen for your garden? Will the colors harmonize with their surroundings? How tall will they grow and how long will they flower? When will they bloom?
An example: Don’t buy pansies in the spring for summer flowers. Pansies die as soon as the weather gets hot! In our area, we usually plant pansies in the fall for winter and spring bloom. If you are buying bulbs, you’ll want to know whether they are spring blooming and thus planted in the fall, like jonquils, or summer blooming and therefore planted in the spring. Some bulbs and tubers are perennials and are planted only once, while others must be lifted every year for winter storage.
Know what you are buying and what it will do.
There are many guides for you to consult at your local library. Free pamphlets are available at your county extension office and, frequently, at the garden centers where you purchase your plants. The bookstores are full of excellent books on gardening as well.
Do your homework before you do your summer gardens this year. Happy gardening.
