Expert: Mike Mascio - 3/28/2003

Question
Hello,
I recently bought I nice old house (I moved from a condo) and I would love to plant flowers all over the place.  I was hoping for a list of flowers that have a lasting bloom and do not require an excessive amount of experise or pampering.  I know that my locale may influence your advice-- I live in extreme Southern NJ, I am five miles from the ocean on the east, and five miles from the Delaware Bay on the west.  As a result, we have a milder climate than the rest of the state.

Thank you.

Steve  

Answer
Steve, since you are looking for continuous blooms, I would definitely recommend annuals over perennials since annuals will bloom from early summer until your first frost while perennials only bloom for two to four weeks per year.

There are many varieties that would do fine in the setting you have described.  My favorites for sunny spots are ageratum, salvia, celosia, snapdragons, cosmos, and vinca.  Geraniums, profusion zinnia, sunflowers, and white marigolds are also attractive options.  For shaded areas, I plant begonias, impatiens, and coleus.

Petunias are very popular but need to be deadheaded on a regular basis.  Deadheading is the term used for removing spent flowers. If left unkept, they will become leggy. However, they will stay bushy if you prune them back once per month.  Nothing matches them for color.  There are many new varieties to pick from, some of which stay very compact.

I am including several websites that will help you in your decision.  A few of them offer on-line catalogs with a great variety of annuals.

http://www.burpee.com/
http://www.fernlea.com/annual/index.htm
http://www.parkseed.com/
http://www.harrisseeds.com/

I hope this helps.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike