by Amanda Moon
As I sit writing today there's a cold mist outside and many of our
summer and fall perennials have started to go dormant (three weeks
early this year). The good news is that there are several winter-hardy
annuals that can brighten up those newly bare spots in our yards, and
carry over color until spring brings up our perennials once again.
When planting a new batch of annuals in the ground, I prefer to start
with 4” pots or larger. This gives the plants a better start as they are
less likely than the smaller plants in 6-packs to dry out or be carried
off by a garden visitor. Their roots are also stronger because you're
starting with older, more established plants.
On the other hand, when I'm planting up flower pots, 6 packs and 4"
pots are both great sizes to use because they allow me to be creative
in the shapes and sizes of the pots I stuff full of winter color. Use
your imagination when choosing planters for annual color. I love to
take old enamelware and galvanized washtubs and fill them full of
violas of all colors.
Some of the easiest winter annuals to grow are old-fashioned Johnny
Jump-Ups, aka violas. These miniature pansies are beautiful in mass
and come in a wide variety of color combinations, from the traditional
purple/yellow blend to solid oranges and whites. Well established
violas can last well into May and June before succumbing to the heat.
Their larger counterparts, pansies, have also been grown for gener-
ations and have been the subject of many needlepoint pillows and still-
life paintings throughout the years. These friendly-faced flowers are
also available in a wide array colors and blends and make a nice winter
border in front of evergreen shrubs.
Dianthus, or pinks, are so named for the ragged outside edge of their
flowers – as if they were cut out with pinking shears. These short,
border annuals can last several years under the right conditions and
will bloom all winter and even into the summer if the heat isn’t too
extreme. Plan for a little afternoon shade to carry them through.
Another super-fragrant border option is sweet alyssum. This heirloom
cool-season annual has tiny white or purple blooms that you can smell
from across the yard. (There's also a yellow one I haven’t tried yet.)
With a little water they will bloom all winter and into early summer
and possibly re-seed for next year.
If you're looking for a little color in your leaves, consider planting orna-
mental cabbage, bright lights Swiss chard and dusty miller. All of these
annuals and biennials will hold their color through the winter and can
be a nice textural addition to the blooming annuals.
They will grow vegetatively during the winter and will bolt (flower
and go to seed) the following spring. Swiss chard, a biennial, planted
in the spring will survive until the following year as it is the cold that
triggers its seed production.
Lastly, here are a few other bloomers to consider planting now.
Although not a true annual, cyclamen are grown as such here because
they cannot (and will not) survive our heat. Planted in mass, they
bloom beautiful shades of red, pink and white all winter long and can
be planted in a pot for a creative Christmas table centerpiece, and then
brought outside to enjoy for the rest of the winter on your porch.
Snapdragons, while not very colorful over the winter, will thrive
come early spring if planted now. These tall stately annuals come
in many pastel shades and are a favorite of any kid who has ever
seen the 'dragon' mouth snap open on the flowers. I have had
several that have even re-seeded and returned over several years
that were planted in afternoon shade and so could survive some
summer heat. Happy Gardening Everyone!
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