************************************************************* TALL ANNUALS BY About the same
time as Halloween the first seed catalogs for next spring arrive.
I am always glad to see them because usually frost has killed most
of the plants in the yard. For
a number of years annuals were given a back seat to perennials but I like
a mixture of both. New perennials
usually take two or more years before there are many blooms but annuals
get busy almost at once and many of them last longer than perennials,
especially if you dead head. (This is a topic I hope to write about soon.)
Their primary purpose is to produce seed for another generation. Annuals come in
all sizes, shapes, colors and leaf patterns.
Some plants, like Lantana, we consider annuals but are actually
perennials further south. One
of my tall ones for background is Cleome (Cleome hassierena), also called
Spider Flower, and comes in white, pink, and lavender.
Once you have it, you will always have them as they produce seed to
match its lasting flowers. It
grows at least 4 feet high. The
last few years a shorter version has been developed but I like the tall
one. Some annuals
are very sensitive to frost but others last longer.
Snapdragons can take a light frost and keep on blooming.
In general the more sun an annual gets the more bloom.
Exceptions are Impatiens and Begonias. Another tall
one is the bright orange Mexican Sunflower “Tithonia” (Tithonia
rotundfolia). The foliage is big and coarse but sensitive to frost.
It does not reseed for me so I need to get new seeds each year.
There is now a shorter version of about 2 feet that I have never
had as I like those big ones. You can start it inside from seed but
don’t set it out too early. They
must have full sun to do well. Each
plant needs about three feet of space unless you want a hedge. One of the
first flowers I ever had were Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatis). They will grow 4 to 5
feet in a number of colors. Of
course there are a number of shorter ones.
They too are natives of Purple Majesty
(Pennisetum glauca) is a Millet developed here at the I like to have
at least one or two Amaranthus species along the back of the yard in full
sun. Transplants have never done well for me so I like to start seeds
where I want them, after the last spring frost. “Love Lies Bleeding”
gets about 4 feet and then develops ropes of blood red flowers up to 2
feet long, hanging down that may be red or green or both. There is one
called “Fat Spikes” I want to try this coming year. The spikes are
purplish red, 3 inches wide, and growing up to a spike. Celosia
(Celosia argentea) is not quite as tall as the others but is a super fun
annual in several colors. I
like the big red one of the crested group. They are natives of the
tropicals so need to be started in damp soil after the soil warms up. They
have crested, cord like heads, that are thickly clustered and look and
feel like velvet. They get 4 to 10 inch long with some of them 2 inches
wide. The heads keep their color for several years if dried properly in a
dark location, and make elegant winter bouquets.
The smaller ones are used in wreaths. Copyright 2009 ************************************************************* IS IT BY TO PUT ON WINTER/FALL
FERTILIZER? NO ·
If you have not put on a
fall/winter fertilizer or if your last fertilization was in September or
early October, go ahead. Make sure it is slow release. It may be a weed
and feed if you want. TO AERATE THE LAWN?
PROBABLY ·
It depends on how soon the
ground freezes from really cold temperatures. If you do decide to aerate
make sure you water lightly a day or two before, and run the mower over
the cores that are on the grass a day or two after. This breaks them up
the clods and allows them to decompose and fill in the holes faster. I
would probably wait until spring if you have a choice. TO PLANT Trees
·
These can be planted until
the ground is so hard you can not dig a hole. Be sure and water in good
after planting. TO PLANT Tulips,
ALLIUM, Garlic, ·
Again, as long as you can dig
a hole and get them in the ground go ahead and plant. Be sure and water in
good after planting. Copyright 2009 |