Annuals for Memorial Day

For a colorful summer garden, Memorial Day weekend is a great time to start. The frost date has past and nearly all of the cold weather is behind us. It’s comfortable gardening weather and with a little planning now, you can expect a rainbow of color throughout the summer around the house and yard.

Many people prefer abundant color rather than huge gardens; for them, flats of fast-growing annuals are the best bet—they provide the best value. Although the plants look small, they grow quickly and bloom vigorously with good full-season performance. Some are for shade; some are for sun, and some can handle both. Here is a quick guide to the major types of annuals you will see in flats:

Impatiens (Good Shade) infuse color into the dimmer parts of the yard by carpeting the garden bed with violet-like flowers in bright, vivid colors. They are excellent, reliable choices for planters or garden beds in the shade of a house, under trees, or anyplace with moderate shade.

Begonias (Mixed Shade and Sun) are good for drier shade. Wax begonias, in particular, have a thick leaf that holds the water in, so they can handle irregular watering better than impatiens. Begonias grow low, like impatiens, and their leaves are as interesting as the flowers themselves.

Petunias (Good Sun) are classic summer plants, with trumpet-shaped pink flowers that people remember around porches and fences and along walkways. Today’s Petunias feature more color—such as a red, white & blue Blue Ribbon Petunia Mix we sell for Memorial Day.

Zinnias (A Lot of Sun) sport big blooms in bright colors. They thrive in hot sun, so they’re perfect for spots that don't get much shade. Some zinnias are dwarf, about knee-high, while others get tall, so be sure to check the height. Blue Ribbon zinnias are short and bushy, generating an abundance of flowers on each plant.

Vincas (Pretty Much Anywhere), also known as Periwinkles, are prolific bloomers and durable where heat and drought are problems. Their charming small flowers will bloom all the way til frost and their glossy green leaves can handle both shady and sunny locations. Vincas grow low as well, creating a nice summer cover for the garden bed.