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Find a Business or PersonAnnuals-Biennials
About AnnualsFor most gardeners, annuals and biennials mean flowers, and lots of them — in various shapes, colors, and sizes. There are many flowering plants for garden use, but as a group annuals and biennials are considered by many to be the easiest to take care of as well as being the most inexpensive. |
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Are there general watering guidelines I can follow for my flower bed of both perennials and annuals?It's better to water deeply, and less often, than giving plants a light watering each day. Deep watering encourages plants to grow deep roots that are better able to withstand periods of drought. The best method is to use a soaker hose, which places water right at soil level and minimizes the water wasted through evaporation. The idea is to soak the soil down to the depth of the root ball. |
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Can I bring New Guinea impatiens into the house for the winter and replant them into the garden in tIf the plant gets leggy and spindly, it needs more light. Your impatiens should be healthy and happy and ready to go outdoors in the spring time. |
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Feeding AnnualsIn general, annuals and biennials are fairly undemanding when it comes to plant food, especially if they are planted in a nutrient-rich soil. Many successful gardens of these plants get by without any plant food at all, but conscientious gardeners know that a few well-timed applications of plant food will result in healthier, more robust plants and, in most cases, more flowers. |
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How can I maximize the number of blooms on my geraniums?Removing the spent blooms will certainly help. You should also make sure the plants are receiving plenty of sunshine and are kept evenly moist but not sopping wet. |
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How much and how often should I water my impatiens? The leaves and flowers are wilting badly.About the only requirement impatiens have is moist soil, so if you let the soil dry out between waterings, that may be part of the problem. Try pinching off the wilted leaves and keep your impatiens well-watered (sometimes once a day if the weather's hot). Once they're growing well again, feed every 2-3 weeks with a half-strength liquid fertilizer. |
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Selecting AnnualsIf you are buying ready-grown annuals at a garden center or nursery, don't buy those that are already blooming. It's better to "buy green" because these younger plants generally survive transplanting more successfully than those in bloom. Soon, they will recover from the shock and catch up to other plants and bloom. |
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Tips for Success with AnnualsSmelling pretty Many annuals give off a scent. So, why just go for visual pleasure when you can add some wonderful fragrances to your home. Try dianthus, sweet alyssum, candytuft, petunia, heliotrope, or sweet pea. To get the most enjoyment from these and other fragrant plants, position them where your nose will find them: on a deck in containers; close to a window; and on the edges of your garden, patio, pathway or porch. |
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Watering AnnualsThe amount of water a garden needs depends upon climate and weather conditions. Where summer rains are frequent, the garden may need irrigation only during an occasional dry spell. In parts of the arid West and Southwest, watering is one of the gardener's biggest chores. |
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