How to Care for Petunias

Petunias are the perfect plant for hanging baskets, bare garden spots, and container gardens. 

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How to Care for Petunias

How to Mix the Perfect Soil for Annual Beds

The life of an annual plant is compressed into a very short period of time. Annuals make the journey from seed to adulthood in a single growing season. For this reason, keeping annuals healthy from start to finish provides the best impact in your home landscape. Seasoned gardeners know that great soil tops the list of most important items for a successful garden. But how do you mix the perfect soil for annual beds?


Ingredients

The best type of garden soil consists of particles of rock, organic matter and sand as well as a mixture of air and water. This combination produces nutrient rich soil that drains water quickly without pooling that can cause root rot. The perfect soil for annual beds doesn't just happen. Gardeners need to create it through a little hard word. The rewards are fabulous and noticeable in healthy annuals with full foliage and plenty of blooms.

Cold tolerant annuals

Tooling around town, I noticed quite a few gardens with salvia, begonias and marigolds lining walkways and garden beds.  It makes me exceptionally angry that growers encourage homeowners to purchase tender annuals long before the final frost of the year.  Gardening is a continual education process.  Many people simply don't realize that annuals cannot withstand the cool soil temperatures and frost of the Maryland spring.

With that said, let's look at a list of annuals that can tolerate cool weather to provide some spring color in the garden.  These plants probably won't survive the summer without some assistance provided by you.  But if you're chomping at the bit to tidy up and beautify the landscape, give these plants a try.

Pansies offer an array of colors to brighten the spring garden.  These tough little plants just might last through the summer with plenty of water and a slightly cooler location.  For now, plant pansies in a sunny or partial sun site and enjoy the show.  Clip blooms back for arrangements and prune foliage to keep the plant bushy. [Image Credit: Kevin Rosseel, Morguefile]


 

Snapdragons also thrive in cool weather and can add immediate interest to the landscape.  Add a few to the planters on your porch or patio while you wait for the trees to flesh out with foliage.  Snapdragons will last through the summer with regular pruning, plenty of water and regular pruning.  These plants come in an array of solid colors as well as variegated flowers like the pinks/yellow/purple combination shown in the photo.  [Image Credit: Xandert, Moreguefile]

Verbena can tolerate the cooler temperatures of spring.  This trailing plant comes in red, peach, white and salmon to add just the right touch of color to the spring garden. Verbena grows to about 14 inches and is considered a half-hardy annual.  Verbena can be used in the garden and in containers.  Plant verbena in the sun to really see the full production of flowers on this beautiful plant. [Image Credit: mrmac04, Morguefile]


Remember that all annuals benefit from a good turning over of the garden soil.  Add peat moss to the mixture as you loosen the top 8 inches of soil with a shovel.  Cultivation allows annual roots to spread easily through the soil for better establishment in the garden.

The best plants to use around a patio

The best flowers to plant around a patio include those plants that appeal to the gardener. Flowers add a special appeal to an outdoor living space. Flowers serve as the decorative touches to the landscape much like pictures and knick-knacks do inside the home. Planting flowers around a patio area involves some basic considerations to create a garden with long-lasting appeal.

How to winterize geraniums

Geraniums offer the gardener the option of a second season of bloom. Unlike many other annuals, geraniums tolerate the increased dryness of the home environment. Bring these annuals inside for the winter, treat it as a houseplant, and you'll have abundant blooms the following season. Geranium blooms add color and pizazz to the garden with clusters of blooms in pink, red and white. This beautiful plant is a must for the annual garden, container and hanging baskets.

The best time to plant flowers in Maryland

Each type of plant has specific requirements to thrive and grow in your garden. This begins with the decision of when to plant your flowers. Creating a healthy, beautiful garden requires thought and planning that includes choices of plants, evaluation of sunlight and soil drainage. There's isn't any single cared in stone best time to start planting flowers. Planting too early will strain the plants with exposure to heavy rain or frost. Planting too late will stunt growth.