Shopping For Plants
When looking for new flower plants be sure you don’t buy plants just because they’re tall. Many times this means they’ve been sitting around awhile and have become “leggy”. Usually a smaller more compact, but healthy looking plant will fare better and the smaller six paks of annuals are usually a lot less expensive. I’ve seen people choose plants just because they have flowers on them. Actually that’s a good way to know they’re the color you want, but when you plant, pinching off the flower area leads to a new growth area and a bushier plant. Only if you need instant color, should you spend the extra money for full grown plants. Usually the smaller ones will develop quite fast if the weather is nice.
You also should be aware of the season a plant will do well. Many times I see people buying plants that are nearly done for the season, just because they’re pretty, but sadly, they won’t last long. Always check the labels and note what time of year the plants will be suited to.
Let’s assume you’re looking for flowers for a border. If it’s in a shady area, you can’t beat impatiens. They’ll bloom all summer and never need pinching or “deadheading”. That’s the term for pinching off faded flowers. In many cases, it can be time consuming, but some people enjoy it.
For the sunny garden, you could use ageratum, which is also called floss flower. It makes a very tidy border in a lavender-bluish hue. There’s also fibrous begonias, which can take most sunny locations and come in white, pink, coral and red with green to bronze foliage. The advantage of these is they’re perennials and will come back each year and you can plant them in shade or sun. Of course when it comes to showy plants in a border, you can’t beat petunias. They’re annual and only last one season, but come in a nice range of colors. I’ve done red, white and pink combos, but there are purple and also variegated, which are very pretty.
In the fall, I take out the summer flowers and plant bulbs, pansies, primroses and iceland poppies, to name a few. They will do well in the fall and spring, but in severe weather, they’ll probably just sit there and pout.
Don’t forget to bait for snails, as they can devour your new plants very fast. If you’re doing an organic garden, check out the books on the organic post for solutions. Also go to the post on soil improvement, as your plants will benefit from proper preparation of the soil.
You can find lots of planters, furniture and garden accessories at Hayneedle: