Planting Annuals

Add a little color to any garden in any season with annuals.

Cool weather plants like pansies brighten spring, fall and southern winter gardens while warm weather salvia and celosia provide color from summer through fall.

Maximize their beauty and your enjoyment with proper planting.

Push on the sides of the container to loosen the roots and slide out the transplant. Gently massage the roots of potbound plants to encourage them to grow beyond their original rootball.

Plant at the same depth they were growing in the container and cover the roots with soil, water and mulch.

Now comes the hard part. Pinch off the flowers. This allows the plant to put all its energy into forming roots instead of flowers and seeds. Can't stand to do it to every flower? Try removing the flowers from every other plant or every other row. Then a week later remove the remaining flowers. Your sacrifice will result in fuller plants and more flowers throughout the season.

A bit more information: Use annuals to fill voids in your perennial gardens, brighten a shrub bed or to create seasonal color changes in containers. I tuck a few taller ageratum, heliotrope, pentas, or classic zinnias in empty spaces in my perennial beds. These annuals have the look and feel of a perennial and blend well with the surrounding flowers.