I love flowers! Here are some of my favorites. Click on image to enlarge.
Annuals
Snapdragons-Antirrhinum I prefer the tall ones 18 inches to 2 ft, they do come in shorter versions now. full sun
Petunias- from single to double, regular or wave what I like most is the continual bloom time. I have even had a hummingbird visit them during the day and a sphinx moth at night!
full sun
Alyssum- Lobularia great fast growing ground cover, comes in white and light or dark purple (shown in front of pansies)
full to partial sun
Lobelia- there are other varieties than shown here, this is a brilliant violet color that blooms all summer.
partial sun
Pansies- these are "johnny jump ups" the smaller variety. Also an edible flower. Watch out, they self seed! full sun to partial shade
Ornamental Millet- More of a grass, I saw this for years not knowing what it was, last year was the first year I planted it. I loved it.
full to partial sun
Coleus- bright foliage is a great addition to any pot or flower bed. Coleus is a low maintenance partial shade cover that will send out a spike bloom. The only thing I will caution here is when you buy plants, they tend to have shallow roots, be very careful when transplanting.
Torenia- another shade plant with beautiful bell like flowers that come in purple, white or pink.
Sweet Peas- Lathyrus Sweet indeed, an array of beautiful colors, very fragrant. Before you plant remember two things, plant early, they like cool weather best and soak the seeds in lukewarm water over night first.
tend to do better in morning sun
Zinnea-a great cutting flower full sun to partial
Dusty Miller- Senecio cineraria the silver foliage you see next to the zinnea. This grows well in full sun and is pretty drought tolerant, also will maintain shape and color into winter.
does best in full sun
Nicotiana- grows 1-6 feet, in a variety of colors.
full sun to partial shade
Nasturtium- Tropaeolum- also an edible flower, shown here in the ends of the bench, the yellow and orange blooms with lilly pad looking leaves
Partial sun
Moss roses-Portulaca grandiflora seen in the wagon with the more feathery leaves. love full sun to partial, will self seed
Perennial/ biennial
Hollyhocks- Alcea rosea tall blooms, will self see
remember it is a biennial so stalks that don't bloom
one year will the next.
Bee Balm- Monarda a bee and butterfly favorite
zones 4-9
flower zones 3-9
Day lillies- Hemerocallis come in many varieties too many to mention. easy to grow and always a favorite
zones 3-10
Liatris- this tall purple bloom also comes in white, drought tolerant
very easy to grow, sweet peas shown behind it and Monarda below it. zones 3-9
Peony- big beautiful blooms, and wonderful for flower arrangements, ants like them so be sure and shake them off before bringing them in the house. They don't like to be moved, they don't want to be planted too deep. They have to have a cold winter so they won't grow in warmer climates full sun to light shade
zones 3-8
Iris- zones 4-8 I remember these growing in my grandma's yard, we took them for granted, they were always there, one year they were dug up and gone. The yard was never the same. They are very tough rooted, they have rhizome clumps that can be divided in spring or summer, If the ground is dry, wet it first and let it soak a while, they can be a little tough to dig. My husband has "accidentally" took a tiller to iris's more than once and it hasn't even phased them.
Ostrich Fern- ferns are beautiful, easy to grow, and fast to spread. This variety is hardy to zone 2. I love to cut a single leaf for a vase they start in a coil that looks like a fiddle head (often they are referred to as this) and begin to unfurl into large leaves. In the late summer they get a gold stiff frond that is the reproductive part, ferns reproduce by spores.
Climbers/ Vines
it faces the East at my home and this plant gets thousands of blooms every year, it is about 7 years old, clematis likes it roots cool, so I place plants at the base around it and a little metal lady bug sculpture. It is hardy in zones 3-9. I never trim mine back, by the time the leaves begin to come you can see where the new growth is and where the dead branches are and I am always amazed that what I thought was dead is NOT! Clematis comes in many varieties and colors, be sure and check package before you plant.
Trumpet Vine- Zones 4-9 this is a picture of one in town I took on a garden tour, I, myself, do not have one as of yet.
Morning Glory- Ipomoea these are lovely but warning...they spread profusely! You may just have them coming out of your ears. I collect as many seeds from the pods as I can, one so I never have to buy seeds again, two so I try to stay ahead of the propagation...I never stay ahead of it!
well stay tuned for more flowers and more details on growing them, this is just the first step of the flower page.
Some fun plant photos from my friend over in Japan.
Hyacinthus- Zones 3-7 early to flower and soooooo fragrant.
Tulips- zones 2-8 again and early bloom, and a rabbit favorite. grrrr!
Amaryllis- Hippeastrum zones 9-11
I have to grow mine in the house, you probably do too unless you live in a tropical climate. Lots of varieties, these have wonderful long green leaves and all of a sudden a beautiful bloom. It is like opening a gift every time!
2 comments:
i love the garden so, beautiful and colorful - i have a cottage garden and it keeps me busy -
thanks for sharing
love ya, maria - cottage feel
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I love flowers, too. Yours are beautiful. Planting flowers, watering them, seeing their growth and beauty is so rewarding.