Set Your Yard Aglow with Annuals!
Simple ways to add a splash of summer
From Gainan's Garden Center
Have you been gazing at your empty flowerbeds wondering what to do? Where to start? What to plant? Annuals are the best way to add color to your landscape all season long.
HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED
Whether adding color to an existing bed or creating a new garden spot, always prepare the soil first. This is essential for success.
Till or spade the soil deeply and add a granular fertilizer. If the drainage is poor, add some compost, peat moss or other organic material.
Annuals are plants that only live for one season, so don't be intimidated and think that whatever you do is permanent. There are so many different varieties of annuals available that you can create completely different looks every year.
Your garden design doesn't need to be complicated to be eye-catching. Mass plantings are always striking whether you have a small space or a large area to plant.
Select one plant that appeals to you and fill your entire space with it. I drove by a house last year that had a circular garden planted with nothing but short yellow marigolds. It wasn't a large space, but that one block of color caught my eye.
If you would like a little more variety, try two different colors of the same plant and an annual foliage plant. For a sunny area, you could try dark blue and hot pink petunias with some dusty miller. For a shady area, plant some hot pink and orange impatiens with some coleus.
For a little more drama, choose plants of varying heights. Plant something tall in the background, such as blue sage. Plant some red geraniums directly in front of them and white alyssum in front of the geraniums.
Remember to add some time release fertilizer and compost to the hole when planting.
