Planting Summer Annuals

Planting summer annuals is a great way to enhance your landscape and celebrate the beauty of the season. The best window for planting is between April 19 and May 29. As you prepare your garden beds, follow these simple guidelines for best results:

Bed Preparation:

Add five bags of decomposed pine bark (such as Nature's Helper) per 100 square feet of bed area. Till the soil thoroughly. You can stop tilling when the soil is so loose that you can no longer create a dust cloud by rubbing it in your hand.

Rake Beds:

Use a hand rake to shape and lightly mound the newly tilled bed. Once smooth, gently rake in fertilizer, lime, and a granular fungicide into the top half inch of soil.

Bed Layout:

Plant summer annuals about 10 inches on center (roughly 1.2 plants per square foot). For visual impact, it's better to plant one larger bed than several small ones.

Actual Planting:

Be sure to "tickle" or loosen the roots of each flower before planting. Dig the holes by hand, and place each flower so the top of its root ball is even with the soil surface.

Mulching and Watering:

After planting, apply mulch to the bed. We recommend using mini nuggets—about five bags per 100 square feet. Mulch helps retain moisture and disguises bare soil until the flowers grow together.

Finally, water thoroughly using a gentle mist until the soil is saturated to a finger’s depth.