Favorite direct sow annuals?

17 years ago

With 200+ seedlings growing in my basement, I don't have room to plant any more seeds indoors. But I have some very long flowerbeds and my wife wants more annuals this summer to get better long-lasting color. We can't plant till May in our climate, so here's the question: What are your favorite direct-sown annuals that will flower very quickly if sown in May and have good color through summer? I'm trying to keep the costs down, which is why I'd prefer sowing seeds rather than buying plants.

I have some seeds I gathered from Profusion Cherry Zinnias in my yard last year, but I hear they may not come true to color from seed (I may try anyway). I also have perhaps a thousand seeds off of some nice French Marigolds I've grown for a few years, and I will include them in the beds, but I don't want too much orange, so they can't be dominant.

I don't really like the ball-shaped marigolds or zinnias, so I'd prefer some flowers with more simple shapes. Daisies are good, so I could use African daisies (dimorphotheca) as part of it, but again, some of those are orange. How about some yellows, whites, pinks, reds, and purples? Any great ideas?

Steve

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Comments (9)

hopflower
17 years ago
There are nasturtiums and also cornflowers to sow; both of which come in a variety of colours.
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ninamora
17 years ago
You can sow Larkspur now. Lovely and tall.
Likes the cool weather too.
Calendula, California poppy, as well as other annual poppies. The peony flowered ones are beautiful.
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You don't say if the garden is in sun or shade. For direct sowing, in sun, I've sown the following: bachelors button, annual poppies, zinnias, nasturtiums, cosmos and marigolds. If you don't like orange, just use the yellow or white marigolds. You can get nasturtium seeds in yellow, pinkish, or red shades too, instead of the mix, which does include orange. I usually buy my pansies, petunias and impatiens, if you're not looking for any fancy, unusual types you can get them anywhere, Walmart, Lowes, etc pretty cheaply. They take longer from seed, and I never had luck direct sowing them. Fragrance is a plus, but most of the direct sow type flowers, for me, don't have any fragrance. I have had nicotiana reseed, so it must be kind of easy to direct sow, I would think and some types are very fragrant. I've always started mine indoors because they take a bit longer to grow than some other annuals, but they are easy. Snapdragons seem to take a bit longer than other annuals too, again, I've never direct sown them, always started them indoors. You can probably get the common types, like rockets or little darlings at lowe's or Walmarts too. I like the fancier, butterfly types in separate colors so I usually start mine indoors early. Snaps are my favorite annual, many of them are fragrant, they are great for cutting, and if deadheaded regulary, I've had them in bloom from June - Oct. I've never grown gomphrena, feverfew, eucalyptus or asclepsias, so I can't help you there. Good luck!
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Well, in my zone I can direct sow just about anything and get results -- sometimes spectacular, other times not so much. You don't say where you live. I mostly purchase my annual seeds at Walmart, and every now and then on eBay. Just got a great deal on eBay for 150 Cleome seeds. Here's a short list of some annuals I've recently sown: Alyssum - great plant that often reseeds. High germination rate for me. Cleome (spider flower)- but germination is a bit "iffy" with them, and suckering insects seem to like the seedlings a lot, which cuts back on my success rate with them. However, it is such a large plant that you don't really need bunches of them. I, for one, don't have the space. So the insects aren't too much of a problem. A striking plant that is good for the back of a border, or the middle of an island bed. Marigolds (different varieties...dwarf and tall) Always get good results with them. And they're pretty much pest-free in my garden...nothing seems to like them. I rarely find bug damage on them. Zinnia -- with this one I get nearly 100% germination and they grow like crazy, both the short and tall varieties. I get spectacular blooms until cold weather kills them to the ground. They're quite prolific self-sowers, as well. I end up with lots of volunteer seedlings from them every year..... just not always where I want them. Another plus for Zinnias is that bees and humming birds seem to absolutely looooove them. I wasn't surprised that the bees would be attracted to them, but WAS a bit surprised that they attracted so many hummers, too. I think my Zinnia flowers attracted more good garden critters (butterflies, hummers, bees, spiders that eat bad bugs) to my garden than any other flower I had growing last year. HTH~ Renee
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I'm glad I found this... Here is a link that might be useful: Link
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Six weeks or so ago I sprinkled some three-year-old Shirley Poppy seeds in a bed I've been having problems trying to get anything to grow but the daffodils that are in there. I plant only annuals in this bed to grow when the daffodils are finished. About three weeks ago I saw poppy sprouts all over in the bed, which surprised me really because I thought the seeds would be too old. So then I sprinkled quite heavily Tidy Tips (Layia platyglossa), Farewell-To-Spring (Clarkia amoena) and Queen Anne's Thimbles (Gilia capitata). I now have lots of little sprouts in that bed, and if it would ever get warm and the sun shine, those little babies would grow faster. All I did was sprinkle them around just before a rain so the rain would beat the seeds into the soil to give the seeds better contact with the soil and not get blown away. I hope the plants do well, otherwise next year I'll be on the hunt for something else to try to grow in this bed. Karen
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jackied164 z6 MA
17 years ago
My favorites are california poppies and nasturtiums. I dont think there is any point in sowing them anyother way. I also direct sow morning glories.
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mmegaera
17 years ago
Love in a mist (nigella), alyssum, bachelor's buttons (cornflowers), nasturtiums, morning glories, larkspur, virginian stock.

Most of these are cool-season annuals, though, and won't keep going through a hot summer, although the morning glories will be happy to. I did some lovely moonflowers via direct-sowed seed once in a hot climate, though. Wow, they smelled good. But they only bloom at night.
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stevation
Original Author
17 years ago
Won't the allysum last through the summer? I do have a packet of seeds that have sat around for a few years. I should give them a try.

I have a lot of self-sowing California poppies in one of the beds, and the seedlings are all over the place (so much so that I'll need to thin out what's out there). I know I was not enthusiastic about orange in my first post, but I do like the color of Calif. poppies; perhaps they have a little more gold in them.

So, if my focus is on summer annuals, it looks like some of the suggestions above won't work very well. Are Calendulas cool season plants, too?

Any more ideas for medium and short flowers? Like 6-12" tall? Some yellows, purples, or pinks? Ones that will flower all summer and be quick to bloom from an early May sowing?

Thanks!
Steve
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janet_grower
17 years ago
The Alyssum will last through the summer. Other suggestions are 4 O'Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) very easy, Lavatera, Datura "Lilac le fleur" I started mine about 6 weeks ago and they are about 12" now and blooming, next year I'll wait or direct sow these babies. For shorter plants Viola "Johnny Jump Up", for foliage interest Coleus, Portulaca great for dry areas (succulent). Janet
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vera_eastern_wa
17 years ago
I normally just let the ones I could direct sow self-sow themselves. Seems whenever I try to butt in they never come up! They only one I have much luck direct sowing are Nigella just after harvesting seed....I just toss and walk away. I tried a direct sowing of poppies last Thanksgiving...don't see anything yet so just sowed some more! Sunflowes do self-sow...madly, but am gonna give some direct sowing a try; one is 3' and the other's are giants.
This is the list of those self-sowers you might have better luck direct sowing :D
Amaranthus
Cosmos
Nicotiana alata
Linaria maroccana
Viola (sometimes short lived perennials for me)
Salvia hormonium
Salvia coccinea
Rudbeckia amplexicaulis
Clarkia elegans
Cynoglossum amabile (Chinese Forget Me Not)
Sweet Alyssum
Larkspur (these will self sow in late summer/fall and winter over...as well as get more spring germination)
German Chamomile (can keep them going a long time with frequent deadheading/harvesting of flowers for tea)
Moss Rose
Snapdragon (some can be perennial zone 6 and warmer)

As far as Profussion Zinnia, I recieved some harvested Pink Profussion in trade. The ones I wintersowed all came true! We see what happens from the seed I harvested this year :D
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anchita
17 years ago
I'm a couple of zones hotter than you, so your mileage may vary. But I had great luck direct seeding dwarf cosmos last year. Thrived in poor soil and full sun, and bloomed pretty quickly. I got the seeds from wildseedfarms.com -- the only place I could find the dwarfs. They have a dwarf sensation mix, among others, that grows to 12-16", and has pink, white or purple flowers. Other dwarfs are yellow, gold and orange. Lots of varieties of cosmos and other wildflowers too. Check out the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: wildseedfarms
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stevation
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, folks! You've given me some great ideas. I'll take note of all these and decide on several varieties to use.

Steve
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Favorite direct sow annuals?

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Favorite direct sow annuals?

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hopflower

ninamora

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