Summer flowers and bedding plants add instant color to your lawn and landscape. They also offer the opportunity to change the look and atmosphere of your yard by adding new flower varieties. Summer flowers start appearing in garden centers in the early spring and may or may not be available during the rest of the summer season. Availability depends or your climate and growing season.
When first planting flowers or bedding plants as they are often referred to, you should be careful to plant only after the danger of freezing weather has passed. A frost will either kill or severely slow down the plants ability to flower.
Another time to plant flowers is late June and into July. This gives you the opportunity to fill in any holes in your flowerbeds and to add new color to the garden areas. Plants are often on sale at this time of year so you may have the opportunity to try new plants in your landscape. This is actually my favorite time to get flowers. Buying later in season tends to make you try new plants you would overlook earlier in the growing season.
It’s also a great time to add window boxes, container gardens and hanging baskets. I tend to overlook hanging baskets when getting my gardens planted. Later after the garden rush is over I add more decorative accents to the yard.
You may also want to add more perennials and herbs to your landscape design too. Adding perennials later in the season usually means they will not grow as well this year. They will be putting their energy into growing roots during the hotter summer days, but the following year your new perennials will thrive.
I am fortunate to have a perennial gardening center near me that offers perennials at $2 a shovel. All you do is supply your own containers .By buying plants here I can try new varieties and add to my gardens. I also split the plants up and trade these varieties with friends for new plants or shrubs.
Just remember for beautiful garden flowers it is essential to prepare your flowerbed appropriately before planting. Till the soil thoroughly, remove any weeds and fertilize the flowerbed before planting. If you use a lasagna gardening method for planting make sure the beds have the added nutrients needed for the flowers to grow well. For heavy flower production I make sure to add fertilizer or compost.
For heavier flower production fertilize your flowerbeds one month later in the growing season. I also use mulch in all my flower gardens to help to preserve moisture. And an added benefit is that it helps to control weeds!
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