SPECIAL ISSUE: SPRING HOME & GARDEN GUIDE : SPRING FLOWER PLANTING GUIDE
In the beginning, all flowers grew wild. Dating back to prehistoric times, flowers were found from the Arctic to the tropics. Because of their attractive shapes, beautiful colors and marvelous fragrances, flowers have been used for various purposes--with expressing feelings and religious/civil ceremonies being among the most common.
Garden flowers--actually cultivated wild flowers-- come in three basic groups: annuals, perennials and biennials. The annuals are those that bloom, look attractive and die. Perennials live about three years and then die. Biennials live about two years but only produce during their second year. Some flowers provide pleasant scents, others have pretty colors and some both. Here’s a guide to getting started with some of the county’s most commonly-planted flowers. All are easy to plant and care is simple.
Plant: ALYSSUM--small and honey-scented; colors of pink, white; grows from 4-9 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Well-drained Plant: ASTER--late flowering, rather weedy herbaceous; colors of white, pink, purple; grows from 1-6 feet. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: Type of Soil: Fertile, well-drained Plant: BACHELOR BUTTON--slender, branching flower with 2-inch round heads; colors of pink, blue, purple; grows from 1-2 feet. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: Type of Soil: Loose, light and fertile Plant: BEGONIA--small, rounded and good in flowerbed; colors of pink, red, white; grows from 6-12 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Soft compost Plant: CALENDULA--known as pot marigold; disk-like florets; blooms yellow, orange shades; grows 12-24 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Well-drained Plant: CANDYTUFT--white flower clusters; grows 8-12 inches. Annual: Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Ordinary garden soil Plant: CELOSIA--flowers occur like featherly plumes; colors of yellow, orange, red; grows 10-18 inches Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Rich, well-drained Plant: CINERARIA--daisy-like clusters of blooms; large massed heads of white, pink, purple, red; grows 12-15 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Potting compost Plant: CYCLAMEN--sweetly scented; elegant pink, rose or white small flowers. Annual: Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Loam Plant: CHRYSANTHEMUM--well-known, aromatic flowers; colors of white, orange, red, yellow; grows 12-36 inches. Annual: Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Fertile with lime Plant: DAHLIA--20 species; pastel 3-inch flower blooms; grows to 14 inches. Annual: x Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASONx Spring: Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Rich garden soil Plant: DELPHINIUM--showy flowers in spikes with long spurs; colors of blue, white, purple; grows 12-14 inches. Annual: Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: Type of Soil: Rich garden soil Plant: ENGLISH DAISY--small button-type flower; yellow disk with white or pinkish ray-florets; grows 4-6 inches. Annual: x Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Rich garden soil Plant: ICELAND POPPY--member of buttercup family; cup shaped; pastel colors; grows 12-24 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Rich, well-drained Plant: IMPATIENS OR IMPATIENCE-- five petals with spur behind the flower; pastel shades; grows 12-18 inches. Annual: x Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Loam compost Plant: LARKSPUR--spike-like clusters; colors of blue, white, pink, red, purple; normal growth 12 inches and higher. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Well-drained Plant: LOBELIA--low-growing with irregular shape; colors of blue, purple, white; grows to 6 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Moist Plant: MARIGOLD--pungent daisy-like flower of yellow and gold; grows 6-48 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Ordinary garden soil Plant: PANSY--short-lived, large rounded flowers with basal markings; all colors; grows 6-10 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Cool, moist Plant: PETUNIA--trumpet-shaped flower; all colors; grows to 15 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Well-drained Plant: PHLOX--oblong, domed-headed flowers; all colors; grows 2-4 feet. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Rich garden soil Plant: SHASTA DAISY--daisy-like white with golden centers; grows 24-36 inches. Annual: Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: Type of Soil: Ordinary garden soil Plant: SNAPDRAGON--pastel spike-like flowers; all colors; grows 10-32 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Well-cultivated Plant: SWEET PEA--butterfly likeness, quite fragrant; all colors; grows 6-10 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Well-drained Plant: SWEET WILLIAM--dense basal cluster flower; colors of white, pink, red, rose; grows up to 10 inches. Annual: x Perennial: x PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: x PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: x Sun: x Cut Flowers: Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Ordinary garden soil Plant: ZINNIA--large-headed flower; colors of white, red, yellow, violet, orange, crimson; grows 8-36 inches. Annual: x Perennial: PREFERRED PLANTING SEASON Spring: x Fall: PREFERRED LOCATION * Shade: Sun: x Cut Flowers: x Container Planting: x Type of Soil: Loamy, moist * A check (x) in both columns indicates the flower can be planted in either location. Sources: Simon & Schuster’s Complete Guide to Plants & Flowers, Kellogg’s Guide to Planting pamphlets, Sunset Western Gardening Book, World Book Encyclopedia, Better Homes & Gardens.
