The Maya actually cultivated marigolds long before the French. The ancestors of French marigolds, Tagetes patula, were native to Mexico and Guatemala. French horticulturists merely hybridized the varieties that are now most popular. The largest varieties can grow a foot high and broad. Most, though, stay significantly lower as compact bedding plants.
Contrary to their popularity during autumn, French marigolds are warm season annuals. With frequent deadheading, they can perform from spring until cool winter weather. They are popular as short term annuals merely because they perform best while young. Bloom is slightly less abundant as they age. They can perform as well for spring as for autumn.
Many varieties of French marigolds are available. Yet, their floral color range is limited to yellow, orange and red. Brown flowers are really dark orange. Creamy white flowers are really very pale yellow. White marigolds are uncommon because richer colors are more popular. Like most bedding plants, French marigolds want rich soil and regular watering.
Warm season annuals may not seem ready to relinquish their space. Although some are beginning to get tired after a season of performance, some are not. They might be happy to continue blooming until cooler winter weather. Bedding plants are temporary, though. The time for winter annuals, or cool season annuals, to have their turn is now beginning.
There is no rush, though. Only cool season annuals that begin as seed must do so while the weather is still warm. Most begin as cell pack seedlings, so can, if necessary, wait for a little while longer. Some actually prefer to begin later in autumn. Ornamental kales and cyclamens can wait until winter. Various cool season annuals are on various schedules.
Besides, various warm season annuals are also on various schedules. Some deteriorate sooner than others. Ideally, their replacement should coincide with the beginning of their deterioration. Some are already deteriorating, so are ready for their replacement. Others, though, can perform until cooler autumn weather. Their replacement is generally sooner.
Some annuals, both warm season and cool season, are actually perennial. They merely perform as annuals because replacement is easier than salvage. They likely get shabby during their off season, but can have potential to survive. Wax begonias, for example are warm season annuals. They get tired through winter but can survive until the next spring.
On small scales, cool season annuals can coexist with overwintering wax begonias. For example, pansies can partially obscure tired wax begonias through winter. In spring, the wax begonias may regenerate to replace the pansies. Sweet Williams and primroses are cool season annuals that are actually perennials. They can survive through the summer.
Pansies and violas are the most familiar and reliable of cool season annuals. Marigolds, calendulas, and snapdragons are popular autumn annuals. Cyclamens and ornamental kales can replace them later for winter. Stocks are notably fragrant cool season annuals. Alyssums can begin about now and continue into next summer, as if they are perennials. Iceland poppies are nice for pots and smaller plantings. Cornflowers are nice wildflowers for cutting.
Neglected gardens demonstrate sustainability more effectively than maintained gardens. They display that which survives with minimal intervention. Also, that which requires too much intervention does not survive. Weeds are obviously too sustainable. They seem to survive anything. Desirable annuals are the opposite extreme, so do not survive for long.
Sustainable horticulture, excluding weeds, has become a fad. Unlike most fads, though, it is actually quite practical and sensible. In theory, it is horticulture that requires minimal intervention. It excludes what requires impractically intensive cultivation. Native species that grow wild, for example, are sustainable. Overly demanding tropical species are not.
A common problem with such fads is their marketability. They are too easy to exploit. Any commodity might be marketed as sustainable, whether or not it actually is. Sustainability sells. Realistically, in lucrative marketing, sustainability is unsustainable. It compromises any later needs for subsequent sales. Planned obsolescence is actually more lucrative.
Modern cultivars are not necessarily more sustainable than old cultivars. Simple species are generally more sustainable than their hybrids. Extensive breeding can cause genetic deficiencies. Variegation compromises vigor, and can revert. For example, New Zealand flax is generally sustainable. However, some of its variegated cultivars commonly revert.
Again, native species are technically sustainable. They can survive without irrigation or intervention. However, in gardens that receive generous irrigation, some are susceptible to rot. Therefore, they are less sustainable for such situations. Also, some native species are not good options if combustibility is a concern. Sustainability involves many factors.
Many of the most common and passe plants happen to be the most sustainable. That is why they are common and passe. Lily of the Nile, African iris and many yuccas are some of the most sustainable perennials. Juniper, oleander and lemon bottlebrush are among the most sustainable woody shrubs. Realistically, there are far too many examples to list.
Popular garden varieties of morning glory are descendants of various species of Ipomea. Too many species are involved to classify such varieties briefly. Perennial morning glory, particularly the blue dawn flower, can be invasive. Most others perform as annuals, so do not grow long enough to be invasive. However, they can self sow to become numerous.
Although it might self sow and grow in any soil, morning glory prefers rich and loose soil. It also prefers regular irrigation, and will wilt if its soil gets too dry. Roots disperse deeply, so dislike pots. Morning glory in pots typically stays smaller than the same in the ground. Morning glory grows best from seed, which should go into its garden at the end of winter.
Some annual varieties of morning glory can climb ten feet high. Some grow only four feet high. They are delightful on picket fences. Their cordate or lobed leaves are about two or three inches wide. Their simple circular flowers are about the same width. They bloom in rich hues of blue, purple, red, pink and white. Some types have stripes, streaks or spots. Several exhibit central star patterns.
The definition of perennial is vague. Technically, it refers to anything that persists for any significant time. This should include trees, shrubbery and vines. Horticulturally, though, it refers to persistent species that lack any woody parts. Even this definition is vague, as it includes ferns, palms, yuccas and succulents. Perennials certainly are a diverse group.
Annuals are not perennials, since they finish their respective life cycles within one year. However, most annuals have potential to perform as perennials. They merely do not get opportunities to do so as other annuals become more seasonal. Biennials complete their life cycles within two years, so also do not qualify. Persistent bulbs might qualify, though.
Canna, for example, grows from thick and fleshy rhizomes that qualify as summer bulbs. Once established they are resiliently persistent. They proliferate and can migrate as they do so. Calla and various ginger do the same. All are easy to propagate by division while more or less dormant. They defoliate where winters are colder, but regenerate for spring.
Lily of the Nile is among the most popular and common perennials. It is very resilient and persistent. It does not need much attention or water, and is very easy to propagate. Even without bloom, its evergreen foliage is appealing. African iris, or fortnight lily, is probably the second most common perennial. It requires a bit more grooming than lily of the Nile.
New Zealand flax is a bigger perennial, although some cultivars are relatively compact. It is more foliar than floral, since its thin floral stalks are not as striking as its bold foliage. Daylily is among the more floriferous perennials, with bright yellow, orange or red bloom. Beard tongue is another efflorescent perennial, but with white, pink, red or purple bloom.
These are merely a few examples of the most locally popular and practical of perennials. This list should also include hosta, coral bell, yarrow, Shasta daisy and various salvias. It is impossible to mention all of the perennials that perform well here. Although most are evergreen, some are deciduous. Most need irrigation while some can actually naturalize.
Extensive breeding complicates the identity of modern garden zinnias. Although they are products of several species, most identify simply as Zinnia elegans. They exhibit a broad range of floral color and form. Short varieties grow only a few inches tall. Large varieties grow as tall as two and a half feet. They are warm season annuals that bloom until frost.
The two to four inch wide flowers bloom in phases as long as the weather is warm. Their floral color can be yellow, orange, red, purple, pink, salmon, chartreuse or bronze. Some varieties have striped or freckled flowers. Some resemble daisies, with big petals around prominent centers. Pom-pom types produce puffier flowers with nearly obscured centers.
Zinnias enjoy good exposure and rich soil. The paired and very slightly raspy leaves can be susceptible to powdery mildew. Removal of deteriorating flowers promotes continual bloom. However, a few can remain to produce seed for the following season. Their seed should be sown as soon as possible after the last frost. Zinnias are excellent cut flowers, and can last for a week or even two.
Warm season annuals know what time it is. Although it is still too early for many to move directly into gardens, a few already are. A few can start from seed, either in greenhouses or directly in their gardens. Eventually, as the weather warms, they all can live outside for the summer. Warm season vegetables, or summer vegetables, are in the same situation.
After all, almost all warm season vegetables perform as annuals. The weather is still too cool for seedlings to go out into their gardens. However, it is time to start some vegetable plants from seed. Some should start inside or in a greenhouse. Others might start directly in their gardens. The weather should be warm enough for them by the time they develop.
Seed for most root vegetables can go directly into their gardens now. Root vegetables do not recover from transplanting easily, so prefer direct sowing. Transplanted seedlings are susceptible to root disfigurement. Corn, squash and beans prefer direct sowing also, but should wait for warmer weather. Seedlings grow faster than the weather becomes warm.
Tomato and pepper plants prefer to go into the garden later as seedlings or small plants. Such small plants will become available from nurseries as they become more seasonal. Alternatively, they can start to grow from seed inside or in a greenhouse now. Their fresh seedlings should be ready for their garden as the weather warms. Scheduling is crucial.
The advantages to seed are that it is less expensive and more diverse than small plants. Packets of seed cost about as much as six packs of small plants, but contain many seed. Nurseries stock only a few varieties of each type of vegetable plant. However, they stock a few more varieties of seed for the same type of vegetables. Many are available online.
Cucumber, eggplant and melon can grow either from small plants or directly sown seed. A single small plant may be more practical for melon because only one plant is sufficient. However, if several cucumber plants are preferable, seed may be more practical. If seed are preferable, they can start soon. Small plants might wait a bit longer after the last frost.
This is not a typical warm season annual. Nor is it a typical cool season annual. Actually, there really is nothing typical about Anemone, Anemone coronaria. It is a spring bulb that is really a tuber that goes into the ground in autumn. Yet, it is more available blooming in four inch pots in spring. It functions as a spring annual because it blooms as winter ends.
Anemone are quite diminutive. Basal rosettes of only a few deeply lobed leaves are less than eight inches tall. Flowers of taller sorts stand above their foliage, but less than a foot high. They can bloom between March and May. Nursery stock blooms earlier than plants that grow from bulbs in a garden. Growth eventually slows as weather warms in summer.
Floral color ranges through red, white, blue, pink and purple. Flowers mostly have black centers. White flowers may have green centers. Some varieties bloom with semi-double or double flowers, or flowers with two colors. Most flowers are about three inches wide or slightly wider. Anemones are good cut flowers; but cutting deprives the garden of bloom.
Cool season annuals will probably finish sooner than they typically do this season. They do not enjoy the unseasonably but pleasantly warm and dry weather. It accelerates their brief life cycles. Fortunately, warm season annuals, or summer annuals, will be happy to replace them. They are the bedding plants that provide seasonal color until next autumn.
It is still too early for some types of warm season annuals. Several prefer to wait for more sustained warm weather with warmer nights. Petunia and sunflowers can wait until April or even May. This is only the beginning of the season, when the process of replacement begins. Some cool season annuals will not require replacement until petunias are ready.
For those who grow warm season annuals from seed, the season began notably earlier. Some seed starts within a greenhouse, two or three months prior to planting in a garden. For example, seed for petunias that go into the garden in April should be started already. Some annuals, such as nasturtium, should grow from seed sown directly into the garden.
Otherwise, the most popular warm season annuals begin in cell packs. Lobelia, alyssum and wax begonia are already available. Petunia and impatiens will become available as the season progresses. Many warm season annuals are available but more expensive in four inch pots. For substantial areas of bedding, cell pack annuals cover more uniformly.
Many warm season annuals are actually perennials that deteriorate through winter. Wax begonia can actually survive through winter to regenerate about now. Some cool season annuals can similarly survive through summer. There is no need, for example, to remove English primrose from mixed plantings. They can bloom late, and regenerate for autumn.
The same marigold that were popular for autumn are popular again for the end of winter. Ageratum may also be available already. Zinnia and annual salvias should be available a bit later in the season. So should cosmos and celosia. Bedding dahlia and calibrachoa may become available later, but in four inch pots. Coleus is a foliar warm season annual. Gomphrena and annual vinca have become uncommon. Ranunculus and anemone can perform as annuals.
Warm season vegetables that started late last winter will be finishing their seasons soon. Cool season vegetables, or winter vegetables, should begin to replace them. This might sound familiar as the same scenario for warm and cool season annuals. After all, almost all vegetable plants are either annuals or biennials. Few perform for more than a season.
Just like annual bedding plants, different vegetable plants perform to different schedules. Some warm season vegetables begin to deteriorate as warm weather ends. Others may continue to produce until frost. Some cool season vegetables need an early start. Others can start late and grow through cool winter weather. Gardens need not transition quickly.
Besides, different phases of some types of vegetables begin and finish at different times. Although late phases of corn continue to grow, early phases are already done and gone. Although late phases of beet might begin months from now, early phases can begin now. Warm season vegetables, ideally, relinquish space as cool season vegetables require it.
Cool season vegetables grow slower than warm season vegetables. Also, more of them are true vegetables rather than fruit that contain seed. Many are distended roots, such as beet and carrot. Many are distended foliage, such as cabbage and chard. A few, such as broccoli and cauliflower, are distended floral bloom. Peas are actually fruiting structures.
All root vegetables should grow directly from seed. They are vulnerable to disfigurement if transplanted. Besides, they typically grow in significant quantities that are not practical for transplant. These include beet, carrot, radish, turnip and parsnip. Cucumber and pea, although conducive to transplanting, also perform better from seed. So do lettuce greens.
Heading lettuce, though, is more like cabbage and larger cool season vegetables. Since only a few are necessary, transplanting them as seedlings is practical. Besides, they are conducive to transplanting. Cell pack seedlings for cool season vegetables are available from nurseries now. Seed is always available. It can go directly into a garden or into cells for transplanting later, as summer becomes autumn, then winter.
