The Guide to Planting Spring Flowers

Gardening can be an immensely satisfying activity that results in beautiful crops of vegetables, herbs and flowers. But even the most breathtaking blooms may fail to thrive if their surroundings don’t support their development properly.

Soil pH can have an enormous effect on your garden. By understanding how to treat it properly, you’ll enjoy beautiful flowerbeds year after year.

Zinnias

Planting flowers and plants in spring is an easy way to add vibrant hues and attract pollinators into a garden, container or landscape. From blooms that flourish under full sun to perennials that return year after year, planting these blooms brings color back into any garden or container or landscape space.

Ghitelman suggests zinnias as an easy and quick option for planting mid-to-late spring, providing bright flowers all summer long. Mason jar arrangements featuring these annuals look stunning while their blooms easily rebloom after deadheading. For shade gardens, she recommends caladiums which thrive well under North Carolina winters while offering various color and size choices.

Astilbe is another ideal shade garden plant, boasting light pink blooms and striking variegated foliage depending on its breed. Rudbeckias are classic landscape staples that can be planted either early fall or spring for maximum effect.

Sunflowers

Helianthus annuus) add height and drama to flower gardens with their vibrant, large-flowered blooms that offer height and drama. Easy to grow under Florida sun conditions and withstanding salt water environments as well as other coastal conditions are hallmarks of success for this native perennial species.

No matter whether you start your sunflowers from seeds directly in the garden or indoors, timing is everything when planting sunflowers from seed. Choose a planting date at least four weeks before your area’s last frost date as sunflower seeds require soil temperatures above 50degF in order to germinate.

Sow seeds in full sun areas with loose and well-draining soil. When sowing branching varieties rather than single flowering varieties, space them 6-8 inches apart for best results. Young sunflowers face east in the morning and track the sun as it moves west during the day, a trait known as heliotropism; later on as they mature they will shift to either facing north or south depending on your location.

Once established, water your sunflowers regularly but infrequently to foster deep roots and avoid wilting. Sunflowers typically do not suffer from diseases or insect issues but may become susceptible to rot and downy mildew issues.

To prevent birds and squirrels from helping themselves to the seeds, try installing paper or nylon mesh barriers around your plant or covering its seed heads with a tarp. Sunflower varieties with multiple branches that reach over 10 feet need staking as well.

Staking giant sunflowers requires using stakes made of sturdy materials like bamboo. To avoid damaging their long taproots, this structure should be placed early on in their growing stage and regularly checked and adjusted as the plants develop in order to support stems that don’t break under wind or rain conditions.

Sweet Peas

Sweet peas are one of the most beloved springtime blooms, beloved for their luxurious flowers and long stems, making them easy to cut for bouquets and their continuous re-bloom throughout the season. Other popular showy flowers planted this time of year in Northeast are peonies, hellebores, cyclamen and primroses – with Ghitelman particularly fond of these “ruffled beauties that smell wonderful”.

Before planting your seeds, it is vital that they are appropriately prepared. File away their outer seed coat to facilitate moisture intake and soak them overnight in warm water – by morning they should have significantly swollen up, which indicates successful germination. In addition, amend the soil with plenty of organic matter such as compost, well-rotted manure, humates sheep pellets or worm castings which will support their success by providing essential nutrients needed to cultivate large, healthy plants.

As sweet peas grow and flower, it is crucial that they receive plenty of water during their growing and flowering period. This will encourage bushiness as well as more blooms. Fertilization with Osmocote granular time release fertilizer may also prove useful; be wary not to use nitrogen heavy fertilizers that might suppress flower production while promoting weed growth!

Mulching can help sweet peas avoid weeding by conserving soil water and helping maintain temperature regulation. As sweet peas are susceptible to powdery mildew, regularly applying an appropriate fungicide spray could also protect their leaves and flowers from powdery mildew. If space constraints limit you further, fabric row covers could protect very early plantings from frost damage.

Gladiolus

Gladioli add vibrant splashes of color to gardens and bouquets with their bold spikes of trumpet-shaped blooms, available in both pastel and vibrant hues; some varieties feature frilled or ruffled petals. These perennial plants grow from corms (underground storage organs similar to bulbs) which can be overwintered by digging them up in the fall, drying them out thoroughly before replanting in spring.

When planting gladioli, be sure to do it after the last frost has occurred in your zone and choose an area with full sunlight. These flowers thrive best in rich, well-draining soil that drains well; since gladiolus typically take eight-10 weeks before blooming begins, planting several varieties in succession throughout summer can ensure staggered flowering.

Like other spring blooming flowers, gladioli require plenty of sunshine in order to flourish. Water regularly while amending soil with compost or organic matter such as vermiculite to improve drainage. aim to keep planting area free from weeds and debris as much as possible while helping the plant from becoming too tall by using bamboo stakes or similar means to support it.

As Gladioli are winter-hardy in zones 6 through 10, gardeners in warmer climates may leave them in the ground year-round, although those living in cooler environments must dig them up before their first frost arrives and store them away before any freezing occurs. To keep them blooming during their growing season without dying back, fertilize with a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as 10-10-10.

Once the flowers have faded, use pruning shears to cut back their stems to the ground and allow the foliage to wither and yellow before harvesting it from its planting site. Although gladiolus flowers can be cut for use as cut flowers, for maximum longevity it’s best if allowed to continue producing new foliage throughout its lifespan.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are adaptable plants that thrive in many climates, often reblooming throughout summer. Preferring well-draining soil, they prefer morning sunlight but tolerate shade during afternoon hours. Their optimal planting locations depend on variety; typically choose spots sheltered from strong winds and direct sun for best results; oakleaf and panicle varieties tend to prefer partial shade while other varieties like the lace cap varieties of Hydrangea macrophylla require partial shading while oakleaf varieties like panicle hydrangeas tolerate direct sun better.

Planting hydrangeas early fall or spring depends on your region. Fall is ideal, as this gives the roots ample time to establish before winter while decreasing frost damage risk and water requirements due to heat stress which could otherwise wilt them and dry them out prematurely.

Before planting hydrangeas, be sure to amend the soil by mixing compost or organic matter into it. Doing this can improve drainage and nutrient retention as well as help avoid root rot issues in the garden soil. Amending clay-rich or sandy gardens in particular with organic matter amendment is particularly necessary.

Once the hydrangeas are planted, water thoroughly to settle the soil around their base and add mulch (if desired) as an additional moisture-retaining barrier and prevent weed growth.

If you added mulch in fall or winter to protect hydrangeas during their dormant periods, remove it as soon as temperatures warm in spring once temperatures warm up. Doing this allows the soil to warm up more quickly, encouraging new growth and flower buds. When mulching hydrangeas follow spacing guidelines according to variety for healthy plants with abundant blooms.