SEASONAL BLOOMS
Annuals
What is an annual? Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in less than one year.
What is the difference between an annual and perennial, you may ask? Perennials are plants that have a continuous life cycle and can live for many years in your garden.
Most annuals are planted in the spring and flower profusely all summer long while the weather is warm and die when the frosts arrive in the fall. The most popular spring annuals are plants like Petunias and Geraniums.
Others are great for the cooler weather we get in Surrey and Vancouver during the fall, such as fall mums. There are even annuals that live and flower during the winter months, like Pansies and Primulas.
Whatever time of year, there are annuals that can add colour and life to your garden. Here on the west coast, bedding plant season extends from March to September.
At Hunters Garden Centre we carry an extensive selection from Ageratum to Zinnias and everything in between!
Best Annuals for Spring Gardening
These Spring-blooming annuals thrive in the springtime and may take a break from blooming when the summer heat approaches.
Best Annuals for Summer Gardening
These Summer-blooming annuals will do well during hot temperatures and flower throughout the summertime.
Best Annuals for Fall Gardening
As the seasons change, these flowering annuals do well in cooler weather. They look great in gardens and festive arrangements.
Best Annuals for Sun
These annuals can take the heat! Here are the 6 best annuals for full sun that will thrive with a full 8 hours of sunshine.
Best Annuals for Shade
These shade-loving annuals will do well in that difficult shady spot in your garden. These annuals will flower all summer long even without full sunlight.
Caring For Annual Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets require a little bit of care during the growing season. You will need to provide enough water and fertilizer to ensure that it grows well and remove dead flowers to encourage more blooms. You should also monitor for insects and other diseases.
Watering
The most important thing to remember is to water the basket on a regular basis. Hanging baskets require more water than other plants in containers. This is because all sides of the basket are exposed. During hot dry spells they require water every day, sometimes twice a day. A general rule is to water the basket when the top inch of soil has become dry. Continue adding water until it is pouring out the bottom of the basket. There should be good drainage in the bottom of the basket to ensure that the roots do not drown.
Fertilizing
Plants get most of their nutrients from the soil through their roots. Watering can wash the nutrients away. In general hanging baskets benefit from frequent feeding. It is best to use a slow release fertilizer that breaks down over a period of time rather than releasing all at once. We recommend SmartCote™ 14-14-14 Hanging Basket fertilizer. One application breaks down over a 6 month period so one application lasts the entire summer.
Removing Dead Flowers
You should remove dead flowers from the plants to encourage more flowers. If dead flowers are left on the plants they consume energy by developing seeds instead of making more flowers. Removing the dead flowers encourages the plant to produce more flowers.
Pests and Insects
You may experience problems with pest or insects. The insects and pests you might have the most trouble with are those that fly or those that drop from trees overhead. A healthy, well-watered, well-fed basket is less likely to have insect or pest problems. If you notice and pests or diseases on your hanging basket, bring a piece of the plant in a sealed bag to one of our qualified staff and we would be happy to have a look and determine if there is a solution.
Caring For Annual Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets require a little bit of care during the growing season. You will need to provide enough water and fertilizer to ensure that it grows well and remove dead flowers to encourage more blooms. You should also monitor for insects and other diseases.
Watering
The most important thing to remember is to water the basket on a regular basis. Hanging baskets require more water than other plants in containers. This is because all sides of the basket are exposed. During hot dry spells they require water every day, sometimes twice a day. A general rule is to water the basket when the top inch of soil has become dry. Continue adding water until it is pouring out the bottom of the basket. There should be good drainage in the bottom of the basket to ensure that the roots do not drown.
Fertilizing
Plants get most of their nutrients from the soil through their roots. Watering can wash the nutrients away. In general hanging baskets benefit from frequent feeding. It is best to use a slow release fertilizer that breaks down over a period of time rather than releasing all at once. We recommend SmartCote™ 14-14-14 Hanging Basket fertilizer. One application breaks down over a 6 month period so one application lasts the entire summer.
Removing Dead Flowers
You should remove dead flowers from the plants to encourage more flowers. If dead flowers are left on the plants they consume energy by developing seeds instead of making more flowers. Removing the dead flowers encourages the plant to produce more flowers.
Pests and Insects
You may experience problems with pest or insects. The insects and pests you might have the most trouble with are those that fly or those that drop from trees overhead. A healthy, well-watered, well-fed basket is less likely to have insect or pest problems. If you notice and pests or diseases on your hanging basket, bring a piece of the plant in a sealed bag to one of our qualified staff and we would be happy to have a look and determine if there is a solution.
DIY
How To Make Annual Hanging Baskets
Making a Hanging Basket
The first decision you need to make is whether your basket will be in a sunny or shady location. Then choose the plants that you want to put in your basket. Here are some plants we suggest for your basket:
Sun Baskets:
- Anagallis
- Bacopa
- Bidens
- Brachycome
- Calibrachoa
- Cuphea
- Geraniums
- Heliotrope
- Lobelia
- Lotus Vine
- Petunia
- Trailing Snapdragon
- Supertunia
- Thunbergia
- Verbena
Shade Baskets:
- Asparagus Fern
- Fibrous Begonias
- Tuberous Begonias
- Calceolaria
- Coleus
- Fuschia
- Impatiens
- Lamium
- Lobelia
- Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)
- Mimulus
- Torenia
- Tradescantia
With these plants in mind don’t forget to have a little fun, experiment with different plants and different combinations. You never know when you will come up with a winner.
Choosing the Right Soil and Fertilizer
There are many soils that you can use for hanging baskets. We recommend Keefers Hanging Basket Mix or our own David Hunters Potting Soil. This is a mix of Peat Moss, Perlite, and a starter fertilizer. We also recommend adding a slow release fertilizer like SmartCote™ 14-14-14 into the soil before planting. One application at planting time will last the entire season.
You are Ready to Plant
Now you can plant your basket. For plastic hanging baskets fill the main part of the pot with soil and place plants in the top of the basket. Plant the taller growing plants in the middle and trailing plants around the edges. For baskets with holes in the sides or Moss baskets you can plant trailing plants along the side of the basket. You can plant two or three separate layers, with four to six plants per layer. Once the sides of the basket are complete, plant the taller growing plants in the top. After you finish planting be sure to give your basket a thorough watering.
DIY
How To Make Annual Hanging Baskets
Making a Hanging Basket
The first decision you need to make is whether your basket will be in a sunny or shady location. Then choose the plants that you want to put in your basket. Here are some plants we suggest for your basket:
Sun Baskets:
- Anagallis
- Bacopa
- Bidens
- Brachycome
- Calibrachoa
- Cuphea
- Geraniums
- Heliotrope
- Lobelia
- Lotus Vine
- Petunia
- Trailing Snapdragon
- Supertunia
- Thunbergia
- Verbena
Shade Baskets:
- Asparagus Fern
- Fibrous Begonias
- Tuberous Begonias
- Calceolaria
- Coleus
- Fuschia
- Impatiens
- Lamium
- Lobelia
- Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)
- Mimulus
- Torenia
- Tradescantia
With these plants in mind don’t forget to have a little fun, experiment with different plants and different combinations. You never know when you will come up with a winner.
Choosing the Right Soil and Fertilizer
There are many soils that you can use for hanging baskets. We recommend Keefers Hanging Basket Mix or our own David Hunters Potting Soil. This is a mix of Peat Moss, Perlite, and a starter fertilizer. We also recommend adding a slow release fertilizer like SmartCote™ 14-14-14 into the soil before planting. One application at planting time will last the entire season.
You are Ready to Plant
Now you can plant your basket. For plastic hanging baskets fill the main part of the pot with soil and place plants in the top of the basket. Plant the taller growing plants in the middle and trailing plants around the edges. For baskets with holes in the sides or Moss baskets you can plant trailing plants along the side of the basket. You can plant two or three separate layers, with four to six plants per layer. Once the sides of the basket are complete, plant the taller growing plants in the top. After you finish planting be sure to give your basket a thorough watering.
FAQs
Fuchsias are quite easy to grow. In baskets or planters they provide colour in sheltered areas from May until October.
Watering is critical for fuchsias. In early cool weather, plants may not need watering for a week or more at a time. Heavy watering of small plants during cool weather will result in root rot, this can happen quite rapidly and can easily kill your plants. In warmer weather, however, larger baskets may need watering one or more times a day. Check the soil daily and water after the top inch of the soil is dry.
Fertilization is very important for good flower production. We recommend the application of a good quality liquid fertilizer once every two weeks when plants are young and once a week for mature plants.
Exposure for fuchsias is IMPORTANT. Most varieties need protection from afternoon sun from 12 – 6 pm; morning sun is ideal, also avoid placing your fuchsias in a windy exposure. Before putting your fuchsias out make sure that all danger of frost has past.
Click here for more information and to download the full Fuschia care guide.
Hanging baskets require a little bit of care during the growing season. You will need to provide enough water and fertilizer to ensure that it grows well and remove dead flowers to encourage more blooms. You should also monitor for insects and other diseases.
The most important thing to remember is to water the basket on a regular basis. Hanging baskets require more water than other plants in containers. This is because all sides of the basket are exposed. During hot dry spells they require water every day, sometimes twice a day. A general rule is to water the basket when the top inch of soil has become dry.
You should remove dead flowers from the plants to encourage more flowers. Removing the dead flowers encourages the plant to produce more flowers.
Click here for more information and to download the full Making & Caring For Hanging Baskets Information Brochure.
One of the most common questions from novice gardeners is the difference between an annual and a perennial.
An annual completes their life cycle in less than one year and the roots die in the winter.
Perennials are plants that have a continuous life cycle and live for more than two years, and often many years. As the seasons change, the above ground growth dies down in the fall and new growth comes from the perennial root each spring.
