Cool Season Flowers
Cool season plants add color to flower beds at this time of the year. By planting some of these hardy bedding plants such as dianthus, hollyhock, pansy, petunia, sweet alyssum, viola, snapdragon and stock, gardeners can bridge the color gap before warm season plants begin to thrive.
Petunias can be planted now. The wave petunias and supertunias appear to do better. They may get through the steamiest summer especially in hanging baskets. They don’t come out completely unscathed but may survive when taken out of direct sun in July and August. Petunias do not like to be watered too much. Water plants deeply at first sign leaves begin to look limp. Fertilize at planting.
Snadragons put on a good color show this time of the year. Spiked flowers in many bright colors, they come in tall varieties and short varieties from 6 inches to 4 feet. The shorter varieties seem to do better than the taller ones that fall over and the shorter ones do not have to be staked. Set them out in fall and winter for blooms in winter and spring. They die back in the heat.
Alyssum thrives in sun to light shade. Grow this plant in well drained, average to poor soil. The tiny fragrant flowers are white, rose or lavender color and cover the plants foliage. Alyssum stops blooming in heat or frost. They can last all year in mild winters. Volunteers pop up from dropped seeds. The Snow Princess lobularia, Blushing Princess, Dark Knight, White Knight and Frosty Knight are new varieties recommendations.
Hollyhocks can still be planted. ‘Indian Summer’ is recommended for New Orleans. Stalks reach 2 to 5 feet in full sun. The spring blooming flowers are red, rose, pink and white and grow 2 to 4 inches either double or semi-double. These plants prefer average soil.
Dianthus Telstar is a recommended variety with growth to 12 inches. Dianthus is grown as annuals and prefers sun to light shade. They do not like to be too wet and require well-drained, alkaline soils. Flowers come in shades of pink, rose, purple white or various blends. Set out now for winter/spring blooms. They usually die out with the heat. Amazon Dianthus is a recommended LSU Agcenter Louisiana Superplant.
Stock is a traditional garden plant. A perennial grown as annual, this plant grows to 30 inches. It prefers sun to light shade. Plant in moist organic and well-drained soil. The plant has very fragrant spikes that are covered in flowers. Blooms in white, ivory, pink, purple and red. This hardy plant blooms in winter/spring. Will die out in the heat. Cinderella and Midget are a few recommended varieties.
Viola and Pansy are perennials, biennials grown as annuals. Planted in sun or part shade they prefer well-drained, moist, organic soil. Blooms come in a variety of rich colors and multi colored from white to black. Can still be set out for winter and spring blooms. Sorbet Viola series is recommended LSU agcenter Louisiana Superplant. Sow seeds in August but refrigerate seeds a few weeks before sowing. Johnny jump ups are varieties with smaller flowers. They often reseed themselves. Plants put on a spectacular display when planted in mass.
submitted by Karen Blackburn