Lantana camara has vibrant blooms that attract butterflies and can be added to gardens at the height of summer.Image courtesy iStockphoto
Those proud tulips and sunny daffodils that filled the garden earlier are memories now.
But if you neglected to plant annuals for summer blooms, or if they wilted during a hot spell, you may think you’ll have to do without flowers until next year.
Not so, say horticulture experts.
In fact, many gardeners add flowering plants at the height of summer.
“People are always looking for July annuals,” says Eileen Powell, gardening coach DC area (get specific)
Finding healthy plants after the spring rush used to be challenging.
That’s no longer true.
Wholesale suppliers are providing annuals to garden centers through mid-summer, according to Rick Pudwell, director of horticulture, Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis, Tenn.
However, for successful growing now, purchase larger plants, water more often and mulch. And it helps to love zinnias.
Instead of cell packs, opt for four- to five-inch pots.
“You can also take a basket of flowers and plop it into the ground,” says Alan Stevens, PhD, state extension specialist for horticulture, Kansas State University (get town).
Prepare the soil by fertilizing and watering the ground a few days before planting.
Arrange annuals closer together than you would in the spring. Soil temperatures are higher and a thicket of flowers shades and cools the ground, according to Stevens.
Water frequently, first thing in the morning, after planting.
“I assume I have to water once a day for two weeks; then it’s once or twice a week,” says Powell, author of “The Gardener’s A to Z Guide to Growing Flowers From Seed to Bloom” (Storey Publishing, 2004).
Mulching helps retain moisture and prevents soil from overheating, according to Lucy Bradley, Ph.D. extension specialist, urban horticulture, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
Experts advise one to two inches of mulch. Don’t overdo it; excess mulching is often a problem.
The big question is what to plant.
You’ll want hardy flowers that withstand heat and the occasional dry spell.
If you’re like Powell you’ll also look for splashy color.
“Because it’s so hot I want intense color. Otherwise it’s washed out by the sun,” she says.
Zinnias top most lists.
What’s more, you may be able to start the flowers from seed in early July (see sidebar for details).
The experts also suggest sun-loving marigolds; celosia, which look like flames in shocking pink, bright orange and coral; lantana with a cluster of small pink and yellow flowers; and mealy cup sage with long-stems of purple flowers.
Portulaca, a low-growing plant with attractive fuchsia, yellow and/or pink blossoms, is an excellent summer choice, according to Powell.
“Once they’re established you can leave them. Go away for a month and they’ll be fine,” she says.
If you sow seeds for biennials, such as hollyhock, foxglove, stock and sweet William, this summer instead of waiting until next spring, they may flower in the spring of the first year, instead of year two, according to Lucy Bradley, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
