Shopping for Annuals

The cool-season flowers can go into the ground once you can work it, and they typically will withstand a frost or two. They include pansies, violas, alyssum and snapdragons. And the best part about the cool-season flowers--they give that first burst of color in the spring. We can shave them down in the summer, and they'll rebloom with full, delicious color in the fall. Another popular cool-season annual is the silvery dusty miller. Its foliage makes a striking display when planted next to brightly colored flowers. Larkspur, with its delicate spikes of flowers and pastel shades, also grows well in cooler conditions. And remember forget-me-nots. They offer blue mounds of color in the garden. Started once from seed, they'll reseed themselves year after year.

These are the plants that like the hot weather, and they won't do well if it gets too cold. Geraniums, marigolds and petunias are great for sunshine, but if you have shade, you can't go wrong with beautiful begonias. Impatiens--from the New Guinea impatiens to the double flowering--also offer great spots of color for the shade. Other warm-season annuals that thrive in the heat of summer include the fragrant nicotiana, or flowering tobacco and salvia, which offers a variety of colorful blooms. If you're looking for texture, try celosia. Or how about some of grandma's favorites like zinnias and cosmos?

To ensure that you get healthy plants, make sure you use a little common sense when you buy them. If you notice holes in the leaves, stay away from those; there may be an insect problem. Also compare plants. If you have a choice between a tall, skinny one and a short, stocky one. Go for the short, stocky one.

As far as blooms go, you might be tempted to reach for the ones with the most flowers. You're really better off, though, if you go for those that haven't opened up yet. These are younger plants, and it means that they'll transplant easier into your garden with less shock.

If you don't have space for a garden, annuals look great on a patio or deck, in a container or in a hanging basket. Fuschia is a good example. It's great for shade. Bacopa, lobelia, or any of the wave petunias will send a cascade of color over the edge of any pot or basket. And if you want annuals that grow up, morning glories, sweetpeas, or mandevilla love to travel on a trellis.

To keep your annuals looking beautiful all summer long, keep them watered and don't forget to feed them about every three weeks; a water-soluble fertilizer is convenient to use. And finally, pinch off the spent blooms. That way, it will continue providing you with color all summer long right into fall.