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Annuals/what to plant

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Expert: - 1/8/2008


Question
I live outside of Nashville, Tn, zone 7.  We lost our dog this winter, and wanted to plant something that flowered in the winter over his final resting spot.  I know that sounds odd.  I am not a gardener, I want something easy, low lying, and that doesn't mind the sun.  I have gone to all of the local nurseries, and they don't have anything, not even a pansy.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose, grows slowly, flowers in the snow, lives best in Sun that turns to light shade during Summer when a tree canopy turns green.

Crocus sprouts in early Spring and is not fussy.  It would appreciate a lot of Sun and last forever.  Goes dormant in Summer and Fall.  You might find some sprouting a few weeks from now in pots.

Primroses are beautiful and will also be coming out.  But they do not last, and they do not perennialize as much as is claimed.

Pansies are cool season short lived flowers that are some of my favorites, including the rare garden Blue.  They do bloom in snow, but you cannot buy them now, and they would not be hardened off if you did.

If I might make a suggestion: Any florist bouquet you purchase and take petals from might keep their color and rest comfortably on the snow and ground, perhaps until the weather warms up in the Spring.

This is not the season unfortunately to make this task easy, or any of its answers simple.  We have all been there, and done that.

We all lay to rest someday our beloved canine family members.  Some of us place them in our gardens when we can.  Weird?  No, my friend.  This is love.

Annuals

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.

Experience

I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.

Publications
Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.

Education/Credentials
B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.

Awards and Honors
I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.

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