Growing Flowers: Easy-to-Care For Annuals

No one will ever accuse me of being a master gardener, but I have learned a few things through the years about planting and caring for colorful summer flower beds.

Living in southern Minnesota places my garden in Hardiness Zone 4. Our winter temperatures can drop to 20 degrees below zero and our growing season is short. Many gardeners in my area rely on bedding plants (plants which have been started in the greenhouse), rather than planting seeds, as a way of extending the growing season.

The general rule of thumb in my area is that you shouldn't plant your bedding plants until Mother's Day.

While my flower beds contain mostly perennials (plants which grow again summer after summer), I also like to use annuals in my flower beds for a splash of color. Annuals are plants that only live for one season and won't grow again the following spring. What qualifies as an annual may differ depending upon whether or not you have a true winter season where you live.

Listed below are three of my favorite easy-to-grow annuals:

MARIGOLDS do well in my yard. I have planted small marigolds I've purchased from the green house, and I have also planted them from seed. As your marigold blooms fade and dry up, you can harvest seeds from the plants to use the following year. What I like best about marigolds is that they stand up to our early frosts in Minnesota and are often the last bit of color I have in my landscaping before the winter snow falls.

Marigolds are pretty, but they smell terrible and I'm sure they taste even worse. I usually plant a border of marigolds around the perimeter of my largest flower bed to keep the varmints out.

PETUNIAS are also beautiful and provide color all summer long. I have only planted petunias which have been started in the greenhouse and, therefore, don't have any advice about planting them from seeds. I love the way petunias grow, spread and occupy the space into which they're planted.

IMPATIENS will bloom all season in a shady area or in partial shade. They're short plants and look good placed in the front of a flower bed. They require pretty frequent watering, but they're worth it!

HELPFUL HINTS:

When planting bedding plants, I dig holes and then pour some water into the holes before inserting the plants.

Deer and rabbits have made snacks of my flower beds on many occasions, and I have tried different methods of discouraging them. Planting marigolds in my flower beds seems to help, as does sprinkling cayenne pepper on my plants. I have hung aluminum pie pans from my trellis which will make noise when the wind blows to scare away unwanted guests in my garden. I've also tried placing human hair around my plants, but that didn't work.

Water your flowers in the morning before the heat of the day. Your plants will get the full benefit of the water as less will be lost to evaporation. If it's not possible for you to water your plants in the morning, watering them in the evening is the next best choice.

Water your plants less often but more thoroughly. Giving the ground a good soaking will encourage your plants to send their roots deeper which will make them stronger and more drought resistant.

Plant flowers of different heights in your flower beds for interest. Mix flowers that bloom early in the season with those that bloom later for color all summer long.

Group like flowers together in your flower beds for major impact.

Now get out there and start playing in the dirt!