Hollyhock was more popular within Victorian gardens.
Old fashioned hollyhock, Alcea rosea, can be a bit too imposing for small gardens, since their spire like flower stalks can get taller than eight feet. Modern varieties are more proportionate, standing about five or six feet tall. Some are only about two and a half feet tall. Many modern varieties also have fluffier semi-double or double flowers. Those with smaller flowers have denser flower set than old varieties (Flowers are closer together on the stem.).
The three to five inch wide flowers bloom through summer in shades of pink, red, purple, pale yellow, pale orange and white. Removal of spent flower stalks may promote shorter autumn blooms, but also prevents self sowing. Seed can be sown at the end of summer for blooms next year. The coarsely textured and variably lobed basal foliage does not get much wider than two feet. Snails and rust can be problematic.
Most consider nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus, to be a warm season annual. Some might consider it to be a cool season annual. A few press its tender stems into moist soil to root and continue growth as a perennial. Plants that bloom for summer can disperse seed for winter bloom. Plants that bloom for winter can likewise disperse seed for summer bloom.
Because they replace themselves so readily, they may seem to be perennial. In actuality, plants from one season, whether warm or cool, may not last long in the next. Seed might be sneaky about spreading. Trailing nasturtiums might naturalize in riparian ecosystems. Nasturtium seedlings are available in cell packs, but do not grow as vigorously as seed.
Nasturtium bloom is diverse shades and tints of yellow, orange and red. Varieties bloom with particular colors within that range, although few are true to type. Their feral progeny bloom only bright orange and bright yellow. Their tender growth does not get much more than one or two feet deep. Trailing varieties can climb as high as first floor eaves though. Nasturtium leaves are almost circular like those of water lilies.
New Guinea impatiens (with ivy geranium) from last year.
Annuals complete their entire lifespans within a single year.
Perennials survive for more than a single year.
Biennials grow vegetatively during their first year, and then bloom, disperse seed and die during their second year, but that is another story.
Most species that are appreciated as annuals here actually have potential to be perennials, even if only short term perennials. They are only replaced annually because it is easier than maintaining them through their dormant season.
For example, busy Lizzy is a warm season annual that gets installed for spring and replaced with cool season annuals for autumn. However, if cut back and sheltered from frost, it can survive through winter to perform for the following spring and summer. Actually, it can survive perennially like this for quite a few years, and as it ultimately deteriorates, it can replace itself with its own cuttings or layered stems.
Brent did this with New Guinea impatiens from last year. He neglected to replace them for winter (which is quite brief there), and then noticed that they resumed growth as winter ended. Now, they are huge and even more spectacularly florific than they were last summer.
The picture above shows where I camp out in his backyard when I go to Southern California. Most of the white bloom to the right is actually ivy geranium that cascades below the New Guinea impatiens, but most of the white bloom to the left is New Guinea impatiens above ivy geranium. (White on white was not quite as monotonous when each of the two species maintained its distinct form last year.)
Small terrace at the western margin of the garden.
This other pair of potted dwarf Alberta spruce surrounded with the same New Guinea impatiens above, with a close up below, flanks the steps to a small terrace at far western margin of the garden.
These New Guinea impatiens are huge because they resumed growth from last year.
For the past few years, I have really been overly indulgent with the seed catalogues from Renee’s Garden. I wanted to try more varieties of classic annual cosmos, Cosmos bipinnatus, than I could fit in my garden. I recently grew ‘White Seashells’ with tubular ray flowers, and colorful ‘Double Click’ with ruffled semi-double and double flowers, and even the ‘Dancing Petticoats’ mix, which includes several varieties! By now, I have probably grown all but a few of the many offerings.
After trying so many though, I still can not tell you which are my favorites. It would not matter much anyway, since I did not deadhead them to deprive them of their abundant seeds. Their self sown progeny are now mixed and beginning to bloom in random shades of pink ranging from pale pink to nearly red to nearly purple, with a few white.
Naturalized cosmos eventually reverts to bloom with more genetically basic single flowers in simpler shades of pink and white, on stems about three or four feet tall. They can even get taller than six feet and wider than two feet. Most of the popular garden varieties that I started out with though stay less than three feet tall. ‘Sonata’ is a popular strain that stays even shorter, so is among the most practical and proportionate for refined gardens.
Seed can be sown or new plants can be planted now to bloom through summer. Naturalized plants are already blooming only because they get an earlier start. Regardless of color or form, all cosmos flowers are about three inches wide, with yellow centers. Their finely textured pale green foliage is quite delicate and airy.
Annuals are not all that change with the seasons. Vegetables do also. After all, with few exceptions, vegetable plants are also annuals, or perform as such. Most of those that are biennials are edible only during their first year. They bloom and become inedible if they survive for a second year. Most perennial vegetables are easier to replace than recycle.
As with annuals, it seems to be a bit too early to replace cool season vegetables. Some continue to produce, and may do so for a while. The weather still seems to be a bit too cool for warm season or summer vegetables. Technically, it actually is too cool for some. However, some must grow from seed. The weather will be warmer by the time they do.
Most cool season vegetables are actually vegetables. In other words, their edible parts are vegetative rather than fruit. Conversely, most warm season vegetables are actually fruit. In other words, they contain seeds. Tomato, chili, eggplant, cucumber, squash, corn, okra and bean are familiar examples. Some but not all continue to produce until autumn.
For example, zucchini and other summer squash produce until frost. So do pole bean, some cucumbers and indeterminate tomatoes. However, winter squash only grow during summer to ripen all at once for autumn. Okra, eggplant and various chilis should produce throughout summer, but likely will not. Secondary phases can prolong their production.
Determinate tomatoes, bush beans, and corn benefit most from phasing. They produce all their fruit within a brief season and then produce no more. Subsequent phases should start before preceding phases finish. Some can eventually replace lingering cool season vegetables. With good soil, fresh new tomato plants can start below aging tomato plants.
Seed for corn, beans, root vegetables and greens prefers direct sowing into their garden. Seedlings are stressed by transplant, and too many are needed. Cucumber and squash grow as well from seedling as seed, and a few should suffice. Tomato, chili and eggplant prefer to grow from a few seedlings a bit later. Some varieties are available only as seed, though. Such seed should be sown by about now, directly or within cells, outside or in.
Busy Lizzie had been unavailable for years because of a downy mildew epidemic. It has only recently been regaining availability and popularity. During its absence, New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens hawkeri, became more popular. Although a closely related species of the same genus, the two are actually very different. Resistance to mildew is important.
Besides that, New Guinea impatien is about as foliar as it is floral. Its bolder and slightly bigger flowers are notably less abundant than those of busy LIzzie. Also, its floral color range is limited to white, pink, red, lavender, magenta or orange. Its rich green or bronze foliage below compensates though. Many cultivars are variegated with yellow or salmon.
New Guinea impatiens are unfortunately a bit more expensive than most other annuals. The smallest that are available are in four-inch pots. They are unavailable in smaller and less expensive cell packs. They can grow about a foot wide and slightly taller if crowded. During winter, they deteriorate; but they can be tender perennials with shelter from frost.
Winter continues. It will not end until March 19. Wintry weather is unconcerned with such dates though. It could end at any time, or continue a bit later. Vegetation is more aware of this than we are. It wants to be ready regardless. Cool season annuals linger as long as they can. As they no longer can, warm season annuals should be ready to replace them.
Warm season annuals, or summer annuals, include both bedding plants and vegetables. They perform seasonally as cool season annuals do, but through warm seasons instead. They perform for only one annual cycle, although several have potential to be perennial. Removal of perennials is necessary only because subsequent annuals need the space.
All sorts of annuals are available in cell packs from nurseries. They become available as they become seasonable. Those that bloom for late winter and early spring are available now. More of those that bloom best during warm weather should become available soon. It is still a bit too cool and early for most of them. It is not too early for their seed, however.
Although plugging cell pack seedlings into a garden is easier, some prefer to sow seed. Those who do so should begin about now so that the new seedlings are ready by spring. Many seedlings require the warmth and shelter of a greenhouse to grow. As they mature, and the weather warms, they relocate into their garden. Other seed prefer direct sowing.
Many more varieties of annuals are available as seed than as seedlings from nurseries. Even if only a few varieties of seed are in nurseries, countless more are available online. Also, some flowers from previous seasons provide viable seed for subsequent seasons. There are a few reasons to justify the extra effort of growing annual seedlings from seed.
Sunflower and nasturtium are among the warm season annuals that prefer direct sowing. Their roots dislike confinement within cell packs. They recover slowly from transplanting. Cosmos and alyssum do not mind transplanting, but also grow easily from direct sowing. Seed for many varieties can start now because the weather will be warmer as they grow. Petunia, impatien, zinnia and lobelia are easier from cell packs later.
Chrysanthemum paludosum goes into the garden early here.
In cooler climates, where winters are too harsh but summers are just right, Chrysanthemum paludosum is a warm season annual. Locally though, it gets planted about now like pansies, stock and Iceland poppies. Chrysanthemum paludosum does just fine through late winter, and does even better as the weather gets warmer in spring. It can be replaced with real warm season annuals as weather eventually gets too warm and dry (lacking humidity) in summer. In cool and damp places, it can survive through summer. Chrysanthemum paludosum develops into six inch wide mounds of rich green and finely textured foliage adorned with small white daisy flowers with yellow centers.
Cyclamen are too expensive to be as disposable as they are.
Cyclamen persicum is a popular cool season annual. It is known simply as cyclamen here because it is the only common cyclamen that is available. It might be known as florists’ cyclamen where other species are available. Red and white are the most popular colors because cyclamen are associated with Christmas. Cyclamen can alternatively bloom with various tints and shades of pink, salmon pink and purplish pink. Some bloom with two-toned color or picotee margins. Cyclamen really is a delightful perennial.
Yes, perennial. Like many garden annuals, cyclamen is actually a perennial. It can survive in the garden for many years. It merely goes dormant through warm summer weather, and then resumes growth as weather cools during autumn.
Not only is it a perennial, but it is an expensive perennial. It is too expensive to be so disposable. So-called ‘landscapers’ do not mind. Disposable annuals are lucrative for them. Besides, even where cyclamen can perform as a perennial, it is not colorful throughout the year, and even in season, it is not as colorful as it is for its first season away from the nursery that it originally grew in.
Other species of Cyclamen that are available within other regions are becoming available here as well. Their bloom is sparser, with only light pink or blushed white flowers. They are grown as perennial wildflowers that bloom for autumn or winter, when not much else blooms. Although not as garish as common florists’ cyclamen, they are appreciated for their perennial performance.
The few florists’ cyclamen that we install at work bloom somewhat reliably only until spring. Because they were grown within ideal greenhouse conditions, they do not adapt immediately to landscape conditions. By spring, many are already beginning to rot. Those that survive their summer dormancy may become perennial.
Annual dahlias are expected to be, as their designation implies, annual. In other words, they grow in the spring, perhaps from seed, bloom through summer, and then succumb to frost during their first winter. Some are likely grown from cuttings or division of nursery stock tubers, in order to be ready for spring earlier than seedlings. Regardless, they are not expected to survive for more than one year.
Most other dahlias are expected to be perennial. That is how their expense is justified. Most are sold while they are merely dormant tubers, and are generally more expensive than annual dahlias. Some, especially the trendy sorts, are significantly more expensive.
‘Cafe au Lait’ was a trendy dahlia a few years ago, and is still trendy. We procured one at work. It performed somewhat well for the first season, and was then dug and stored for winter. It did not perform well for the second season, and was then dug and stored again, but did not survive through winter.
Four smaller annual dahlias were procured in conjunction with the single ‘Cafe au Lait’ dahlia. They were relatively inexpensive, but delightfully colorful. They bloomed nicely around the larger ‘Cafe au Lait’ dahlia. They were also dug and stored for winter after their first season, although we knew that we should likely merely discard them. One had actually divided into two. These annual dahlias bloomed better than ‘Cafe au Lait’ for their second season, and then again, were dug and stored for winter. Unfortunately, three, including one that divided during the previous winter, did not grow for long after last spring. However, two of the original four annual dahlias continue to bloom, and will be dug and stored as they succumb to frost this winter. These annuals have been more perennial than the perennials.
Tony Tomeo 