Use and Care Guide

About is Plant
• An annual plant completes its life cycle in the span of one growing season. is means they germinate from seed, grow,
ower, set seed and then die; usually Spring to Fall. Some annuals thrive in cool weather and complete their life cycle Fall
to Spring.
• is plant can be used as a tender perennial (coming back year aer year) in mild winter areas of the country where
temperatures rarely dip below 32°F for long periods of time. In extremely cold winter areas plants can be dug up, potted,
and brought indoors to overwinter and replanted the next year.
• Annual owers are a prime source of landscape color. While some trees, shrubs, and perennials provide short or
intermittent periods of color, annuals provide instant color and continue non-stop for a long period of time. Most begin
blooming in early spring and don't stop until rst frost. Others are planted in fall and bloom until early summer.
• Annuals come in a wide range of ower colors, growth habits, and sizes. Some are prized for their colorful foliage rather
than their blooms. ere are varieties for sun or shade areas making it easy to nd an annual for any landscape setting
including beds, borders, window boxes, hanging baskets and ground cover.
Using growth habits in the landscape
• One great advantage of annual owers is the exibility they oer in landscape design. Beds and containers can easily be
changed each growing season to create an entirely new look.
• When creating an annual bed with a variety of annuals, tall upright annuals should occupy the center of an island
planting or the back of a bed or border that is located against a wall, fence or building. Use medium size mounding plants
in the middle and the shortest trailing plants in the front.
• To make a huge visual impact, plant the same variety and color annual in one area. is is commonly referred to as a
mass planting.
• In combination planters, use tall annuals as the centerpiece surrounded by mounding varieties with contrasting owers
and foliage. en add trailing varieties to cascade over the edge of the planter.
• Annuals are oen added to perennial gardens in the same way to supply additional color and ll gaps between perennial
blooming cycles.
How to Plant
• Prepare the area for planting by conditioning the soil. Loosen the soil and incorporate an organic soil conditioner
according to directions.
• Dig a hole 2 times the width of the root ball and a depth slightly less than the height of the root ball. Allow the top surface
of the root ball to rest 1/2 inch higher than the soil line.
• For container grown plants, carefully remove plant by squeezing container and slowly removing the root ball. Never pull
on the plant trunk. Instead let the root ball slide out by tipping the container. If the plant is heavily rooted, loosen roots
by gently pulling a few away from the root ball. is encourages stronger root growth. Set root ball in hole making sure
the top of the root ball is slightly higher (1/2 inch) than ground level. Place soil mix under root ball if too low. Backll soil
mix around plant to ground level and tamp lightly removing all air pockets.
• For biodegradable pots, follow the directions on the container.
• For bare root plants, trim any broken, twisted or discolored tips. Determine the original soil line by the change in color
on the plant trunk. Set the plant in the hole so the soil line is above the surrounding soil. Space the roots evenly. Backll
soil mix around and between the roots and tamp lightly removing all air.
• Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the plant. Add more soil mix around plant if necessary aer watering. Apply
root stimulator to encourage new root growth and fast establishment.