Cold-tolerant annuals that are quick from seed to bloom?
3 years ago
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Quick Blooming Annuals
Comments (7)I'm confused - what do you mean by "quick blooming"? By nature, annuals *are* quick blooming - they germinate, flower, set seed in one season. So, really, you've got a whole range of plants from which to choose. Some easy ones from seed that I'm fond of: Vinca, petunia, browallia, impatiens (a little tricky from seed but not difficult, per se). Also, zinna, cosmos...oh gosh the list goes on. Geraniums (the annual variety) are really easy from seed, but you won't get those big, lush plants you'll see for sale the first year (though they will flower). Good thing is you can dig them up and store them each year, and believe me you will have *HUGE* plants in subsequent years for an el cheapo initial investment. We can help you narrow down the choices if you let us know what type of flower you're looking for (height, color) and the growing conditions you have. :0)...See MoreToo late to start annuals from seed?
Comments (5)presuming you have packaged seed.. read the package.. if it says 90 days to bloom ... that means your first bloom would be around 9/10 ... then ask.. when is your first frost ... if you are in the north ... if its 10/1 ... whats the use .... then you have all the issues of intense summer heat on small seedlings... if you are doing this in the ground .... and then the intensity of summer sun versus spring sun ... and whether they will burn to a crisp .... can it be done.. probably.. give it a try.. i learned more experimenting.. than i ever got from a book or the web .... and i tend to remember experiments longer than something i read ... but i wouldnt get too wound up in it all ... depending.. again.. where you are in IL now.. if your seeds will bloom in 30 to 45 days.. its another game altogether ... the final thought is whether the seeds will be properly stored over winter.. and viable for proper planting time next spring .... or whether you will remember to do it then .. lol ... aw.. what the heck.. wing it.. just do it.. report back .... ken...See MoreDrought-tolerant, shallow-rooted, full sun annuals over bulbs?
Comments (12)Crocosmia, I have also had the same problem as you in that bulbs do better in the center of my beds than along the edges. Mine are all interplanted with perennials and even shrubs. I think that this provides them better drainage. I have learned to live with the occasional (well actually fairly frequent) slicing of the bulbs by my shovel. My daffodils are planted in circles or semi-circles, or behind many of my daylilies, especially those that are seen from some distance. The daylilies do a great job of hiding the dying daffodil foliage. I try to leave some room for growth of the daylilies, but in any case the daylilies seem totally unperturbed by the bulbs, even though I am unlikely to give them the foot of space :~) that at botanical garden might - I garden in a small area & everything is crammed. Some orange daylilies I like are Backdraft (orange with red eye), Egyptian Spice (amber orange blend) Orange Velvet, Orange Vols, & Tuscawilla Tiger. There are lots more available! Most of my daffodils, however, are planted around in my red daylily/shrub bed at the back of my yard. In my small orange daylily bed I used a different method that you might find interesting. I use minor bulbs all in shades of blue. Smaller bulbs like Ipheon, Scilla, Chionodoxa, Iris reticulata & such can go much closer to other plantings and only need to be planted 3-4 inches deep. I actually planted all the bulbs when the bed was first made and the daylilies had not been chosen yet, poked them in with my finger. I then partially buried upside down nursery pots in the bed to mark the daylily spots and let the bed rest until the following spring when my daylilies arrived in the mail. It was a sheet of blue in the spring. Many minor bulbs can also go in shade areas around hostas for example which come up very late. If the shade is from deciduous trees, these bulbs can easily finish their cycle, and get enough nourishment to bloom and spread around, before the trees are leafed out. So look around at all those areas too and plant more bulbs! Don't overlook miniature daffodils they can be tucked in here and there and everywhere and the foliage disappears so much faster than full-size daf foliage. Please see my pictures in the thread Tulips return. Over the tulips in the first picture, I usually plant portulaca as someone in this thread mentioned, or some other low water annual. I am always afraid I'll do something stupid and these perennial tulips (still going strong in 4th spring) won't come back for me. Most tulips are strictly annuals in my garden. I also have the tulip area edged in Blue Fescue Grass, and use the small blue Sedum sieboldiana and blue Myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites) & other dry plants like Geum coccineum borisii (bright orange which you would really like) which do not thrive in my dense wet clay, except in this raised gravel bed. Blue and orange is one of my favorite combinations! And while there aren't many cold zone early spring bulbs in orange, there are plenty of blue, whites & yellows. Tried a pretty in-between size daffodil this year called Bantam that you might like. It's a very neat & compact bright yellow daffodil with a ruffled orange edge on the cup. There are many others with this color, but the size is more unique. Oh, and there are lots of hardy lilies that come in orange, can't forget them. Anyway have fun! Sorry this is so long, I get carried away when I get enthused about things. LOL...See Morebest annuals from seed
Comments (19)I wintersow everything except state fair zinnias, mg's and hyacinth bean, which I start by the same method in April here in MN. Those are three of my favorite annuals from seed. OThers include: nicotiana - amazingly fragrant on those hot July nights rocket larkspur - a real cottage garden look portulaca - blossoms for months amaranthus purple feather - the general reaction to this is "what is THAT? I HAVE to have that." kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate - so cottage cosmos - the short ones and the orange ones verbena bonariensis - looks great with everything 4:00's - new to me this year, and incredibly sweet-smelling lobelia - looks best in the fall alyssum - blooms til NOvember here salvia farinacea - also a great fall filler with mums balsam salpiglossis shirley poppies california poppies datura sweet annie - this has to be harvested before the seed drops otherwise it takes over the neighborhood, but it smells fantastic sweet peas tithonia sunflowers pony tails annual grass lavatera Stuff I do not like: tidy tips nicandra- nondescript and poisonous. two huge strikes against it nigella collinsia - nondescript, doesn't do much diascia - this never does anything for me ammi - very nondescript bachelor's buttons - used to like these, but they just get raggedy gypsophila - lasts all of about a week cleome...See More- 3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
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karin_mtOriginal Author