Annual flowers are easy to grow and add bright bursts of color to your garden. Some popular annual flowers include marigold, petunia, geranium and nasturtium. Below are some tips of how to care for annual flowers to make sure you get the most out of them this season.
1. Deadheading
Removing spent buds, or “deadheading,” is an important part of caring for many annual flowers. While this can be tedious, it will help them continue to bloom, so it’s well worth the effort.
2. Fertilizer
To help your annual flowers thrive, you should be applying fertiliyer frequently. This helps ensure that they have the nutrients they need.
3. Daily Watering
Especially during the dog days of summer, annual flowers need plenty of water. This usually means watering them on a daily basis. A best practice when watering plants it to do it in the morning or early evening, before or after the sun is its hottest.
4. Use Annuals all over your Garden
The great thing about annual flowers is their versatily. You can plant them in containers for your patio, hanging baskets for your porch, or even in garden beds. Use them anywhere to add shade or pops of color.
5. Plan ahead and plant yearly
Make sure you know which of your flowers are annuals and perennials. Annuals only last for a single year (usually up until the last frost), so if you’ve gotten used to your porch hanging baskets or pops of color on the patio, make sure you plan ahead for next year and replace the dead plants from last year with new ones to enjoy all over again. Since they do not withstand the winter months, annuals should be planted in the spring or summer.
While more work than their perennial counterparts, annual flowers are unique and add beautiful shades of color and fragrance. Incorporate them into your garden and you will enjoy their blooms all season long!
