Brilliant hues in the forecast for summer
Cool annuals build excitement for growing season
In my last column, we looked at some of the award-winning vegetables for 2014. Today, we talk about flowering annuals. Turn away from the snow piles outside your window and look at some of the coolest flowers I have seen in some time, from both All-America Selections and Proven Winners. Petunia African Sunset F1 (AllAmerica Selections Bedding Plant award winner): I always get excited about new plants, but this one has me chomping at the bit for spring even more than usual. African Sunset wowed the AAS judges with sparkling designer shades of orange that proved themselves against other similarly coloured petunias currently available. Gardeners are always looking for a petunia that grows evenly and uniformly in the garden while producing a prolific number of blooms all season long, and this beauty certainly fills that need. Mounded spreading plants are 12 inches tall and spread up to 20 inches. Sunsatia Lemon (Nemesia hybrid): ThispieceofeyecandyfromProven Winners comes in colours ranging from the brightest hues to the softest pastels of yellow. The plant does well in both hot and cool temperatures. It has an upright, spreading growth habit, making it suitable for all manner of containers or window boxes. Plants grow six to 10 inches in height and can trail to 18 inches. Snow Princess Alyssum (Lobularia hybrid): Another new introduction from Proven Winners. I grew this one myself last summer and was blown away at its vigour. This variety is a unique breakthrough in the genus because of its heat tolerance and extended performance. This sterile lobularia puts no energy into setting seed, giving it an incredibly long bloom time. Gardeners who have grown alyssums in the past, only to have them look totally burned out by August, will appreciate this new introduction. On its own in a hanging basket or window box it is a star, but it also makes a great filler plant for combinations. Add in the fact that the blooms have a very pleasant fragrance and you have another winner. No deadheading is necessary. Grows four to eight inches tall and trails up to 24 inches. Blue My Mind (Evolvulus hybrid): I have always had a soft spot for the colour blue in the garden and true blues have always been very hard to come by. This new introduction and award winner from Proven Winners is a hit with me. This heat- and drought-tolerant beauty has a mounding/trailing habit and is covered in delicate, blue flowers throughout the growing season. Perfect for containers and an excellent ground cover. No deadheading is necessary. Supertunia Watermelon Charm (Petunia Hybrid): Supertunias have taken container gardening by storm since their introduction in 2006. These versatile plants ask for so little and deliver so much. This Proven Winners variety is heat- and drought-tolerant and will be literally covered in miniature, bright, watermelon-red flowers. The bloom period lasts until the first heavy frost. The plant grows eight to 15 inches high and will trail up to 36 inches. These are interesting for window box or low container applications, as the added height makes them stand out even more before they fall over the edge of the container.