Annual Flowers - Bed Preparation,
Maintenance and Design
David Hillock
Assistant Extension Specialist/
Consumer Horticulture
Advantages:
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Versatile, sturdy, & relatively cheap
Easy to grow
Produce instant color
Provide season long
color and interest!
Disadvantages:
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Must be planted yearly
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involves some effort &
expense
Must be dead-headed for
continuous bloom
Some look disreputable by late summer
Uses:
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Temporary ground covers,
Uses continued:
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hanging baskets,
containers
Uses continued:
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bedding plants,
Uses continued:
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create interest or
direct the eye,
Uses continued:
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cutting gardens,
dried flowers , etc.
Plant Selection
Cultural Considerations:
 hardiness
 soil & moisture
conditions
 degree of sun or shade
 maintenance
Aesthetic Considerations:
 size
 form:
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spreading,
round or oval,
vase, pyramidal,
columnar
texture
color
Bed Preparation:
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Choose a suitable site:
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i.e. - sun, shade, wet, dry
close to water source
away from shallow
rooted trees and shrubs
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compete for water
and nutrients
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Prepare site by:
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removing debris
remove/control weeds
glyphosate
 first season devoted to weed control
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check & adjust drainage
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Raised beds may be necessary
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Soil tests are recommended!
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determine proper amounts of fertilizer to apply
incorporate P & K into bed if needed
often need only nitrogen
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Amend soil with organic
matter
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incorporate 3-4” of
composted organic matter
spade or till in 8-12” deep
improves soil aeration
 improves drainage
 encourages healthier root
system
 easier to plant and manage
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Shape bed by slightly raising or mounding
towards the center or back
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provides better drainage
positions plants so they can be viewed more easily
Planting
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Plant while soil is moist - not saturated
Plant during cooler part of day - evening
Water in immediately
Apply light mulch 1 - 2 inches thick
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shades out weed seed
moderates soil temperatures
holds moisture
Maintenance:
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Water regularly
Fertilize based
on soil tests
Daily walk through to monitor for problems
Remove pests by hand or mechanically
Use insecticides/fungicides only when needed
Maintenance cont.
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Weed control is best done by:
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Use of mulch
Hand pulling
Shallow cultivation
Maintenance continued:
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Weed control with herbicides
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Preemergence herbicides
Treflan (trifluralin) – Preen Garden Weed Preventer,
Miracle-Gro Garden Weed Preventer, Vegetable and
Ornamental Weeder, others
 Oryzalin – Surflan, Weed Impede, others
 Benefin + Oryzalin – Amaze (Green Light)
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Post emergence for grassy weeds
Sethoxydim – Poast, Grass-getter, Ferti-lome Over-the-Top
II Grass Killer, others
 Fusilade (fluazifop-p-butyl) – Grass-b-Gone, Ferti-lome
Over-the-Top Grass Killer
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What to look for when buying:
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The plant should be:
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rosette-like - short, stocky,
leaves arranged in a rosette like
pattern, vs. tall and leggy with
leaves spaced out across stem
healthy looking - deep/bright
green, firm, lustrous; not yellow,
brown, twisted, curling, sticky,
etc.
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The plant should:
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have healthy roots - white,
fuzzy, abundant; not
brown, slimy, or wrapping
in circles, or too few
be moist - but not soggy;
and not water stressed
not be in flower - energy
directed towards root
formation
Design Concepts
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Formal
Informal
Design Concept: A Tall Grass Prairie
Effect – Informal
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Do not worry about straight rows or spacing
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plant them where they land
Use other landscape plants as part of design
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shrubs, perennials, ground covers, etc.
Aesthetic Critique
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Personality - Character
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Is it apt: exactly suitable to its surroundings?
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Spontaneity
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Is it free flowing; not labored, loose but confident,
happy, buoyant? (negative example: solid lines and
boarders)
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Color
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Do color combinations have crisp oppositions,
smooth analogies?
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Color continued:
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Use white near patios - shows up well at night
Use white and gray as separators of conflicting colors
Warm colors – red, orange, yellow gives illusion of
smaller space
Cool colors – blue, green, violet gives impression of
openness and space
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Structure, Form, & Texture
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Are there clear contrasts, effective relationships,
harmonic rhythms?
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Neighborhood
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Does the flower bed integrate with neighboring
flower arrangements?
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Natural Environment
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Are varieties used ecologically nested to the
sun/shade, sand/clay, wet/dry, cool/hot, and endemic
disease facts of life for location?
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Practical
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Maintenance: Is it maintainable? (dead-heading)
% Risk: Experiment with less than 10% of entire
commitment. Repeat past success!
Execution: Can it be
simply planted?
Flower Species from A to Z
Acmella oleracea ‘Peek-a-boo’ –
Spilanthes
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Flower Colors: yellow with red
eye
Habit: 12-15” tall, 24-30” wide
Culture: full sun to part shade;
moist, well-drained soil
Utilization: groundcover,
container, bedding; also known
as toothache plant; purplish
foliage
Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata’ –
Dwarf Variegated Smooth Agave
Flower Colors: yellow,
flowers at end of life cycle;
foliage striking feature with
golden-yellow edges
Habit: 2-3’ tall, 3-4’ wide
Culture: full sun to part
shade; well-drained soil;
very drought tolerant
Utilization: accent plant,
container
Solanum quitoense Bed of Nails
Alternanthera ficoidea – Joseph's
coat, garden alternanthera
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Flower Colors: ns,
colorful leaves – green,
yellow, red, pink, purple
Habit: 6-12” rounded
Culture: sun, almost any
soil, can shear
Utilization: carpet,
edging
Amaranthus tricolor – Joseph's coat
amaranth, fountain plant
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Flower Colors: color
provided by foliage and
flowers – scarlet, crimson,
orange, yellow
Habit: 1 ½-5’
Culture: sun, average to
dry soil, water sparingly
Utilization: background,
specimen
Illumination
Angelonia angustifolia – summer
snapdragon, angel flower
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Flower Colors: purple,
white, or pink
Habit: 18-24”, upright,
slightly cascading, airy
Culture: sun, heat loving
Utilization: cut, border,
bed, mass, specimen
Angelonia blue
Angelonia blue bicolor
Angelface Blue
Basella alba – Malabar spinach
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Flower Colors: ns
Habit: trailing vine
Culture: sun, hot humid
weather
Utilization: trellis, arbor
Calibrachoa – Million Bells
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Flower Colors: white,
reds, pinks, violet,
yellow, or orange
Habit: 3-12” tall, 6-24”
spread
Culture: full sun, welldrained moist soil
Utilization: planters,
edging, border
Capsicum annuum – Ornamental
Pepper
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Flower Colors: ns,
valued for colorful fruits
and sometimes foliage
Habit: 10-20”, rounded
Culture: sun, moist, good
organic matter
Utilization: bed, edging,
border, carpet beds
Purple Flash
Catharanthus roseus – Madagascar
periwinkle, rose periwinkle
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Flower Colors: rosepink, mauve, white
Habit: 3-18”, prostrate to
upright
Culture: sun, part shade,
moist well-drained soil,
heat tolerant
Utilization: border, bed,
ground cover
Celosia cristata – crested cockscomb
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Flower Colors: red,
yellow, gold, orange,
pink
Habit: 6-24”
Culture: sun, tolerates
dry, porous soil
Utilization: cut, border,
edging, bed, dried
Cleome hasslerana – cleome, spider
flower
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Flower Colors: cherry,
pink, rose, violet, white,
rose-purple
Habit: 3-4’
Culture: sun, part shade
Utilization: background,
cut
Senorita Rosalita
Coleus x hybridus – coleus
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Flower Colors: grown for
foliage colors –chartreuse,
yellow, pink, white, red,
maroon, green
Habit: 9-16”
Culture: sun or light shade,
well-drained moist soil
Utilization: edging, border,
planter boxes, hanging
basket, bed, carpet
Rattlesnake
Japanese Giant
Alabama Sunset
Rustic Orange
Tilt-a-whirl
Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
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Flower Colors: ns
Habit: mat forming; 2”
tall, 3-4’ wide
Culture: sun, welldrained; very drought
tolerant
Utilization:
groundcover, containers,
edging
Euphorbia ‘Inneuphdia’ – Diamond Frost®
euphorbia
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Flower Colors: white
Habit: mounded, 12-18”
Culture: dry to normal;
sun to part shade
Utilization: rock garden,
container, bed, heat and
drought tolerant
Euphorbia marginata – Snow-on-the-Mountain
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Flower Colors: white
margined bracts
Bloom time: July-Oct.
Habit: mounded, 1-4’
Culture: dry to normal;
sun
Utilization: bed, native,
heat and drought
tolerant
Gomphrena globosa – globe amaranth
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Flower Colors: purple,
white, pink, yellow
Habit: 9-24” rounded
Culture: sun, welldrained soil, tolerates
heat, wind, rain
Utilization: cut, dried,
bed, edging, mass
G. haageana ‘Strawberry Fields’
Hamelia patens – firebush
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Flower Colors: orangered
Habit: 3-4’
Culture: sun, tolerates
heat, humidity, dry
conditions, almost any
soil
Utilization: background,
hummingbird, specimen
Helenium amarum ‘Dakota Gold’ –
Yellow bitterweed
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Flower Color: yellow
Habit: 6-8”
Culture: sun, tolerates
heat, dry conditions,
almost any soil (welldrained)
Utilization: bedding,
containers, rock garden,
border, accent
Impatiens wallerana – sultana,
impatiens
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Flower Colors: all colors,
bicolors
Habit: 6-18”, compact,
mounded
Culture: shade, part
shade, sun if moist
Utilization: shaded areas,
planters, hanging baskets
Fusion
Ipomoea batatas – ornamental sweet
potato
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Flower Colors: ns,
foliage dark purple,
chartreuse, cream and
pink
Habit: 4-6’, vine,
spreading
Culture: sun
Utilization: ground
cover, hanging basket,
container
‘Margarita’
‘Blackberry Heart’
‘Emerald Lace’
Bewitched Purple
Juncus effusus ‘Big Twister’ –
corkscrew rush
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Flower Colors: ns
Habit: Upright curly,
twisted stems to 1824” high and wide.
Culture: Grows in wet
soils, even submerged
in water.
Utilization: water
garden, container
Lantana hybrids
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Flower Colors: yellow,
orange, red, magenta,
pink, purple
Habit: 1 ½-4’
Culture: full sun
Utilization: beds,
planters, hanging baskets
Patriot cowboy
Mecardonia hybrids – Mecardonia
Golddust™, Axilflower
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Flower Colors: yellow,
(sp. white)
Habit: 2-5” h, 16-20” w
(trailer)
Culture: full sun
Utilization: beds,
planters, hanging baskets
Melinus nerviglumis ‘Savannah’ –
Pink Crystals Ruby grass
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Flower Colors: rubypink; bluegreen foliage
Habit: 18-24”, clump
forming
Culture: sun, hot and dry
Utilization: beds, mixed
border, containers, rock
garden; good cut flower
Pennisetum setaceum – annual
fountain grass
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Flower Colors: pink or
purple
Habit: 2-4’, mound to
upright arching
Culture: sun, part shade
Utilization: border,
background, specimen,
fresh flower
arrangements
Prince
Fireworks
Princess
Graceful Grasses Series –
Vertigo
Pentas lanceolata – pentas, star clusters
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Flower Colors: white,
pink, lilac, red
Habit: 2-3’
Culture: sun, ample
water, fertilizer
Utilization: bed, border,
butterfly plant
Perilla frutescens Magilla™
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Flower Colors: ns,
leaves hot pink, dark
purple and green
Habit: 18-24”
Culture: sun, ample
water, fertilizer
Utilization: bed,
border, containers
Petunia x hybrida – petunia
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Flower Colors: many
colors, striped or star-like
Habit: 8-15”, round,
trailing
Culture: sun, part shade,
light well-drained soil
Utilization: beds,
borders, flower boxes,
containers
Pretty Much Picasso Petunia
Supertunia Vista Bubblegum
Supertunia Sangria Charm
Petchoa – Petunia x Calibrachoa hybrid
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SuperCal®
Greater mildew resistance
Heavy feeder
No sticky foliage
Best in containers
Best in cooler
temperatures
Plumbago auriculata – Cape Plumbago
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Flower Colors: clear light
blue, white
Habit: 2’ tall, spreading
just as wide or wider;
semi-evergreen shrub or
vine in temperate climates
Culture: sun, hot and dry;
well drained soil
Utilization: ground cover,
retaining wall, container.
Portulaca grandiflora – moss rose
Portulaca oleracea – purslane
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Flower Colors: rose, red,
yellow, white, orange,
cream, striped
Habit: 6-8”, spreading
Culture: sun, hot and dry
Utilization: rock garden,
ground cover, edging
Salvia farinacea – blue salvia,
mealycup sage
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Flower Colors: blue,
violet-blue, white
Habit: 2-3’, erect
Culture: sun, prefers
well-drained, moist soil
Utilization: cut, border,
bed
Scaevola aemula – fan flower
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Flower Colors: lilac mauve
Habit: 4-6”, spreading to 3’
Culture: sun, part shade
Utilization: bed, edging,
hanging basket, ground
cover, rock garden
New!
Suntastic
Solanum quitoense – Bed-of-Nails, naranjilla
Tecoma stans – yellow bells
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Flower Colors: yellow or
orange
Habit: 2-4’, bushy
Culture: sun, thrives in
heat, prefers moist soil
Utilization: background,
border, bed, container
Torenia – Wishbone flower
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Flower Colors: pink,
purple, blue
Habit: 6” high by 12”
wide mound
Culture: partial shade
Utilization: shady
locations, borders
and beds, containers
Verbena bonariensis – Brazilian
verbena, verbena-on-a-stick
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Flower Colors: roseviolet
Habit: 3-4’, upright
Culture: sun, tolerates
dry soil; tender perennial,
will reseed
Utilization: background,
border, butterfly garden
Viola x wittrockiana – pansy
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Flower Colors: purple,
white, blue, dark red,
rose, sienna, apricot,
brown, yellow,
combinations
Habit: 4-8”
Culture: sun, part shade;
cool moist well-drained
soil
Utilization: border,
edging, window box, cut,
bed
Zinnia angustifolia – narrow-leaf
zinnia, Mexican zinnia
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Flower Colors: white,
gold, orange
Habit: 6-12”, spreading
Culture: sun, welldrained soil
Utilization: ground
cover, edging, border
Zinnia marylandica
Zahara Fire
Zinnia marylandica
Zahara Scarlet