Use Annuals to spice up your Summer!
Annuals give you the perfect opportunity to change up your landscaping with a fresh new look. Spice up your space with a burst of seasonal color. Here are some of our top recommendations that thrive in planting zone 6b (which is us), all of which you can find at the Tomasi Garden Center.
What Are Annuals?
Annual plants and shrubs live for just one season, regardless of whether you plant them as a seed or seedling. They sprout, flower, seed, and die in the same year. However, they typically provide bright blooms for the entire season. They don’t require the commitment of perennials, which return each year, and they typically cost less.
Here are some Annuals that we like for your landscaping plans this summer…
China Aster
China Aster is a great option for most landscapes as it can have a wide range of heights amongst its varieties, which means it can suit almost any garden size. They are some of the most colorful annuals, adding a rainbow of florals to your space from early summer, all the way into fall. They’ll need partial to full sun and 12 to 18 inches between plants to allow for air circulation.
Calendula (Pot Marigold)
Calendula can be a cheerful addition to your landscape, bringing with it vibrant orange, yellow, and cream blossoms. You might add them to your flower garden, or throw them in with your vegetable and herb gardens. They’re super tolerant of the cold, providing you with blooms until frost. However, be wary of humidity, as they may die if stuck in humid weather for too long. They’ll need partial to full sun.
Verbena (Rose Vervain)
The rose vervain variation of verbena provides a stunning bloom of rose pink and purple, made even flashier compared to its dark green foliage. You might use it to add a vertical element to your landscape beds or for excitement in finished containers. Either way, it can last all summer, even through dry soil and drought. Be sure to plant them in a winter mulched bed where they get full to partial sun.
Morning Glory
Morning glory requires a bit more maintenance than some annuals, but they also provide an exciting splash of color and shape. Its foliage is heart-shaped, while the blooms are trumpet-shaped and open in the mornings, providing a view of their white throat beyond their blue, pink, or purple exterior. This annual will grow and climb quickly, so be sure to cut back dead flowers to prevent weeds. Give them full sun and space in your landscape to move upward, like a garden fence or trellis.
Cleome (Spider Plant)
Including cleome in your landscaping can be very gratifying thanks to its fast-growing nature and intricate blooms. You get graceful, delicate flowers with elongated stamens and blooms of white or wink. It flowers from summer, through to the first frost as long as it gets full sun. Be sure to plant at least six in one cluster for the best visual effects.
Torenia (Wishbone Flower)
Similar to the morning glory, torenias are trumpet-shaped with white throats. However, they have purple-tipped blossoms and interesting yellow blotches. The blooms also fall away from each other, giving a nice wishbone shape. Unlike morning glories, you’ll find that torenias are easy to grow, just be sure to pinch any young plants to help them grow bushier. They’ll need partial sun and shade, but will bloom all summer long.
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