Winter annual flowers add glow to your gardening environment.There is a vast variety and many options for selection among the winter annuls. Winter annuals grow and bloom in winter season and die after flowering and setting seeds. Seeds germintion occures in fall and cool temperature. Selection of variety is key to best colour and fowers result.
Marrigold
Insects pests and diseases of marigolds
Red spider mites
Control
Chemical control; spray Oberon by bayer
Primula
What Does Hardy, Half-hardy and Tender Mean?
Plants grouped according to their tolerance of heat or cold. hardy,half-hardy or tender. Hardy annuals do well in colder areas of the country, but do not do very well in warmer areas. Half-hardy annuals cannot survive frost, but can tolerate a touch of cold weather. Tender annuals prefer warm or hot weather to flourish. If you're looking for winter annuals for your garden, containers or hanging baskets that will survive a frost, you should look for annuals labeled hardy. Some half-hardy plants may do well for you also, depending on where you live.
Some suggestions for hardy annual flowers are listed below. Photos of these plants are available in abundance on the internet. Remember that it's always a good idea to mulch around your plants to retain moisture and retain heat. Sow, plant, fertilize and water according to the recommendations listed on tabs provided with your plant or on seed packets.
Calendula
Otherwise known as pot marigolds, these flowers also come in different colors. Calendulas warm up the winter garden with their daisy like flowers and warm colors. Pacific Beauty will produce shades of orange, yellow and primrose. These seeds will take 4 to 10 days to germinate and will grow to about 18 inches in height. Plant these seeds in well-drained soil. As these flowers thrive in full sun, deadhead old blooms to produce more blossoms. Water well and fertilize moderately. These flowers are nice in containers or in beds as a border and will attract butterflies. They make good cut flowers and are a favorite nectar source for butterflies.
Bachelor Button (Cornflower)
These hardy annuals have long stems and require little care. They come in colorful shades of white, blue, pink or red. These seeds will take 10 to 15 days to germinate and can reach a height of 24 inches. Water often. Bachelor buttons will accept sun to partial shade. These flowers are nice for beds, as cut flowers or bouquets.Dianthus
Ideal for a fall/winter plant , this flower comes in beautiful shades of pink, blue, red and white. This plant may also produce flowers in the spring. It requires sun and a well-drained area. Fertilize well. Dianthus will be nice in beds, containers or baskets. Dianthus also has a flat flower that attracts butterflies.
There are several varieties of dianthus on the market. Most grow to about 12 inches tall. The plant has long, thin leaves and will form clumps to 12 or 14 inches in diameter.
Dianthus is the most drought tolerant of the cool-weather annuals because of its aggressive root growth. It also has a longer bloom period. If you cut it back 1 or 2 inches in April, it will bloom throughout June. When you finally relegate the plant to the compost pile, the extensive root system is obvious. In fact, dianthus can be difficult to dump out of a container because of this tight root ball.
Use dianthus as a bedding plant or in containers. Most selections are not good for cut flowers.
Larkspur
Tall, feathery flowers in a multitude of colors, these will reach up to 36 inches in height and are perfect for background plantings and great for bouquets or dried flowers. These flowers grow best in sun to partial shade in beds or as a border. The seeds will take about 21 days to germinate. These flowers need plenty of water and you should fertilize often.
Lavender
Lavender is a versatile annual that could be considered hardy or half-hardy, depending on your area. It's long stalks of green foliage produce purple flowers with a lovely scent that can be used for sachets or potpourri. Lavender appreciates lots of sun but needs to be in a well-drained area. Be sure to prune each spring and keep well fertilized.
Ornamental Cabbage and Kale
Cabbage and ornamental kale do not flower, but their silver or silver-red foliage can be very decorative to the garden. Use the plants in orderly measured plantings or as a border. Of all the winter annuals, they are the most uniform. Planted in neat rows, they resemble a military formation.
Ornamental kale has thinner and more frilly leaves than the cabbage.
Ornamental cabbage and kale can offer vibrant colors in cold winter months. While these plants are not considered edible, like those used in vegetable gardens, ornamental cabbage and kale will produce frilly leaves ranging from pink to purple. As the temperatures drop, the deeper the color of these plants will become. These plants will reach about 12 inches wide and about 15 inches tall. Keep ornamental cabbage or kale well watered and fertilize often. Ornamental cabbage and kale are perfect for beds, containers and edging.
Pansy
There are several varieties of hardy pansies that produce beautiful, mildly fragrant flowers. Varieties include Swiss Giant, Romeo Juliet, Swiss Giant Mixed and Black Prince. These seeds will take 10 to 20 days to germinate and reach 6 to 8 inches in height. Requiring sun to partial shade, these wide array of colors are perfect for hanging baskets or edging. Keep the soil moist and pinch off any dead flowers to keep the flowers blooming. Pinching off faded blooms is called deadheading.
Viola
These flowers have a slight fragrance and come in a variety colors. Viola, also known as johnny jump-ups, grow to about 6 or 8 inches in height and will accept full sun to partial shade. Viola flowers are perfect bursts of color for beds and planters. Keep these flowers well watered and fertilize every few weeks. Remember to deadhead fading flowers to produce more blooms.
Sweet Pea
Considered hardy, these thrive in cold weather and can bloom during short winter days. Sweet peas have fragrant blossoms and come in bright colors of violet, blue, red, pink, white, coral and cream. Seeds usually take 10 to 14 days to germinate. Sweet peas grow best in full sun. As these can grow up to 5 feet, you should train these on trellises or fences.
Snapdragon
These flowers are called snapdragons because if you squeeze the flower it resembles a mouth opening and closing. These flowers come in a wide variety of colors and come in two heights. The dwarf variety will reach about 10 inches in height, while the taller variety will reach up to 5 feet. Of course you may want to stake the larger variety. Snapdragons do well in beds, containers, borders and are beautiful as cut flowers. Keep these well fertilized and in full sun. Deadheading flowers will encourage more flowers to bloom.
Rocket snaps grow to 3 feet tall and make a spectacular show in the garden or containers. Rockets come in red, white, yellow, rust, pink and blue-purple.
Rocket snapdragons are susceptible to wind damage, so plant them against a wall or fence or in several rows so they can support each other. They work well in 3- to 5-gallon containers supported by aluminum tomato cages.
Use the 12- to 16-inch selections in borders or as a mass planting. The colors are the same as the rocket snapdragons.
Snapdragons do not have a fragrance, but they make good cut flowers. Plant the larger snapdragons 18 to 24 inches apart in full sun. The midsize selections do well when planted 12 to 18 inches apart. The smallest snaps can be planted 6 to 8 inches apart.
Snapdragons usually bloom October through December and again March through May. The midwinter lull usually begins after a cold snap in early January.
Stocks
Stocks grow to about 16 inches tall with pink, white, red and lavender flowers. The colors are more pastel and less intense than snapdragons. Stocks make a long-lasting cut flower that has a very pleasant fragrance. You can even e
List of common winter annuals.
Marrigold
Pansy
Dianthus
Petunia
Salvia
Kale
Nosturtium
Calendula
Astible
Astrantia
Brachycome
Bartonia
Bigonia
Daisy
Aster
Campanula
Verbina
Sweet pea
I hope that these beautiful flowers will keep a smile on your face all winter long. Enjoy nature's gift of beauty!
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