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 Plant now for flowers all summer By Monique Bos The azaleas may be starting to fade, but it isn’t too late to add color to your yard by planting pre-started flowers that will bloom all summer. Jason Tool, nursery manager at Hester and Zipperer, 6719 Skidaway Road, said you can purchase a number of plants that will blossom during the next several months. “Fall is the best time to plant,” he said, but “anything can be planted right now.” In shady areas, he suggested planting annuals such as impatiens, as well as Holly, Macho and Kimberly ferns. For drier areas, he recommended wax-leaf begonias, which blossom in pink, white and red. Creepers also do well in less sunny areas. “Ivy thrives in the shade,” Tool said. For sunny spots, he recommends planting geraniums, which usually blossom until June, depending on heat, and marigolds, which will bloom all summer. Dark- and wax-leaf begonias also can do well in the sun, he said. In addition to annuals, which must be planted every year, he suggested several perennials, which return every year, including purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and verbena. “All those things bloom all summer long,” he said. Even in a humid climate such as Savannah’s, Tool said it is important to water a flower garden. “When it’s really hot, water three to four times a week,” he said. Two to three times per week is sufficient if the temperature remains in the 70s. However, regardless of heat, he said it is crucial to make sure plants are well-watered when they are first placed in the ground. “After you plant everything, you want to water everything in really well for about a week,” he said. |
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