by Amanda Moon
This seems to be the year when summer is the guest that keeps
coming back . . . or doesn't know when to leave, just when we're
trying to settle into a nice cool, fall vibe.
But fall will indeed arrive soon, (maybe tomorrow?) and our
summer and fall perennials will go dormant for the winter months,
leaving some bare spots in our landscapes.
The good news is that there are several winter-hardy annuals that
can carry over color until spring 2017 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 am 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 beau-
tiful 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 gen-
erations 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 cond-
itions 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 heir-
loom 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
ornamental 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 (flow-
er 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 be-
cause 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 center-
piece, 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 sev-
eral 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!
Pansies and other annuals now in stock; $1.50 for a 4" pot. 6-pack:
$4.99 4" Bluebonnets $1.99 for 4" pot.
