Annuals with beautiful blooms
Zinnias Zinnias have become staples in my raised beds. I love to plant them to add visual interest to a garden full of edibles, for the pollinators (I’ve seen hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies on them), and for summer bouquets. One tip I have is to read the seed packet. The first time I planted zinnias in my raised beds, I chose a packet of Pastel Dreams from Urban Harvest. They grew to be about four feet tall, shading out the edibles I had planted behind them. Oops! Now I know better.
In 2018, I fell in love with Queeny Lime Orange, an All-America Selections winner. Another favourite of mine is Persian Carpet.
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Nasturtiums Nasturtiums are another one of my garden must-haves. They make great “spillers” in containers and I use the edible flowers to top summer salads and desserts—the leaves are edible, too. Nasturtiums are also pollinator magnets and can be used as a trap crop for aphids. I loved growing Climbing Phoenix. The petals are so different from traditional nasturtium varieties—they’re serrated, whereas most varieties have more of a scalloped edge. I got my seeds from Renee’s Garden. And for 2019, I’m looking forward to planting Baby Rose, which I mentioned in my New plants for 2019 article.
Calibrachoas aka Superbells I think my first introduction to calibrachoas was a sample plant of Holy Moly from Proven Winners a few years ago. I fell in love with the delicate blooms with interesting colours inside. Since then, I always include a calibrachoa in at least one of my ornamental arrangements. They are self cleaning, plants are lush and full, and the flowers bloom right through the fall. In fact, last year, I had some lovely double-flowering beauties in a container, which I forgot to take down because the plant bloomed through November! I’m drawn to the blooms that are multi-coloured with interesting details, like Evening Star.
What are your favourite annuals?
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