Flowers just make the world seem like a better place. Although, most of us don’t plant the quantity of annual flowers that we used to, we still like to brighten up a few areas outside. The following is a list of a few annual flowers to consider planting. They are perfect for flower containers as well as planting in the ground.
Calibrachoa Callie Burgundy
Produces flowers that look like small petunias. These are compact, mounded plants which grow 4-8” tall on mostly trailing stems. This flower is easily grown in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates very light shade, but flowering decreases as the amount of part shade increases. Also tolerates drought. Deadheading is not required. Very unique burgundy color.
Angelonia Archangel Dark Purple
They grow to about 12-14″ tall and do best in full sun. They have solid purple colored flowers. The biggest blooms of all of the angelonia. They are three times larger than other varieties! Well-branched plants ship with less breakage, shrinkage and tangling. Uniform habit and flowering time. Thrives in extreme heat, humidity, and drought.
Cuphea Vermillionaire
Considered to be the Garden valedictorian. It is a continuous bloomer and deadheading is not necessary. It is heat and drought tolerant. The garden height is 18-28″ with a spread of 12-24″. Vermillionaire, like all Cuphea, is a heat lover and will do best in warm gardens with bright light. Keep moist throughout the growing season; regular fertilizing will keep it full and constantly flowering. Once established, Vermillionaire does not require a lot of water, but water regularly until it has grown a bit. Great hummingbird attractor! They love this plant, one of their preferred plants in most gardens.
Dragone Sunset Begonia
Excellent shade-container plant. It gets about 4-6″ tall. Beautiful salmon colored double flower.
Juncus Blue Dart Grass
At 14-16″ tall, it is perfect for small containers. It thrives in all light from full sun to full shade. The compact, blue-foliaged grass is very adaptable to a wide range of garden conditions, including standing water and drought. Spray type habit makes Blue Dart well-suited to give height to any annual flower container.
Euphorbia Diamond Delight
It grows 10-12″ tall with a very airy habit. It prefers full sun to part sun. The bright, double flowers are delightful! It is considered a continuous bloomer. It is extremely heat, humidity, and drought tolerant, with extra petals to create more color impact. Deadheading is not necessary.
Geranium Caliente Coral
This easy maintenance geranium has a very unique coral colored flower. Garden Height: 12-18″. Geraniums have been a gardener’s favorite for well over a century. The old-fashioned standard for beds, borders, and containers, geranium is still one of the most popular plants today.
Black Stockings Pennisetum
It can grow to a height of 48″ tall with an upright, vase like habit. The deep purple foliage make this a very unique looking annual grass. It does best in full sun to part sun.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
