Whether your finish is tiny nosegays or elaborate arrangements , many blooming annual offer agreat provision of slashed flowersthroughout the develop time of year . Here are a few of my favorites ( all are sunlight - lovers ) .
Zinnias
Easy to acquire from seed , these round , colorful , showy flowers are uncommitted in many heights and variety show — from shortsighted , subdued , makeweight bloom to very tall , brilliant , statement prime . My personal best-loved cultivar isZinnia elegans‘State Fair Mix . ’ The industrial plant develop as marvelous as 3 - 5 feet , with each inviolable prow about 12 inches long .
I start my zinnias from semen in my sunroom in late wintertime , and place them in the garden after the last spring hoar . They set out to bloom in former summer . Once established , they need very little upkeep beyond periodic watering when dry . After cuttings , they regenerate fresh blooms all season long , continuing until the first hoar .
Cosmos
I ’ve started these delicate - look , but tough sweetheart as seedling plants and from seeds start indoors in former wintertime . But my undecomposed lot has been with lineal sowing into the garden in mid - natural spring : They get their legs anchor and do n’t have to be uprooted once they get give way . They be given to have a similar long blooming agenda to that of zinnias .
Also available in several varieties , Cosmos have feathery foliage that adds grain to floral arrangements . Some of my deary areCosmos bipinnatus‘Sensation Mix ’ and ‘ Sonata Mix ’ and variousC. sulphureuscultivars that run toward yellow , orange , and torrid bolshy . All are beautiful as makeweight flowers in large arrangements or on their own in humble vases .
snapdragon
Many people start snapdragons ( Antirrhinum spp . ) from seeds , either seed indoors or outdoors after freeze . My good luck with them has been by planting humble , but sturdy potted plant from my favorite garden nursery . While they take a piece longer to regenerate Modern blooms than some other specie , snapdragons pop the question tall , spiky social structure to flowered bouquets , so they ’re definitely deserving the wait . They can be engraft a slight earlier in the spring and will take a very light frost with little worry .
Most garden cultivars derive fromAntirrhinum majus . In my experience , the large cultivars — in particular , ‘ Rocket Mix ’ which grows to 3 foot tall — are the sturdiest and ripe performers as cut flush . They truly make a statement as graceful , arresting vertical element in any posy .
Sunflowers
These striking beauties in theHelianthusgenus can stand on their own in arrangements with swooning foliation enhancement , or as elements in magnanimous arrangements . They lean to blossom prolifically toward the ending of the growing time of year . There areso many species and cultivarsof beautiful sunflowers that work well as mown prime . Some are even hardy perennial in cold garden zone ( down to zone 2 and 3 ! ) . But if you ’re growing varieties that are annuals in your geographical zone , the seeds can be collect for re - planting the undermentioned yr .
I do n’t really have favorites when it come to sunflowers — I enjoy trying new ones from metre to time . And because I have limited sun in my garden , I have limited spot for them to grow . If you have a turgid , sunny garden , it might be deserving experimenting with several different mintage and cultivars to decide which work best for your garden and for cutting .
These are just a few examples of keen annual plant selections for tailor floral arrangements . retrieve to addfillers ( to cover up gaps ) , foliage ( to enhance the display ) , and bank line elements ( to create the outline ) . And have sport !
Beth Stetenfeldis an organic gardener , native plant life enthusiast and garden blogger and writer . She ’s also a superior naturalist voluntary and instructor .
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