By Suzana Mikolova Spectacular Annuals For the Garden
Do you want your garden, especially in the front yard to be a standout – then my suggestion is to look at what some would say are old fashioned plantings. For truly spectacular annuals for the garden you just have to have hollyhocks, foxgloves, larkspurs and delphiniums.
If it’s too late to get any in the northern hemisphere, then keep them in mind for next year. In the southern hemisphere they are available now (June) – and grow during winter for a wonderful display in the spring. This will depend on having a mild winter.
I rarely see the above mentioned annuals anymore – plenty of petunias, primulas, pansies, marigolds, dahlias, bulbs of all sorts etc, but rarely any of my choice for the truly spectacular.
I had planted delphiniums and larkspurs before last year, but they had been off my radar for quire a while. So last year I bought some, plus decided to go into hollyhocks and foxgloves as well.
The result: a magnificent display of tall, long blooming annuals that everyone kept remarking about. Just so few people see them nowadays – and really, I can’t for the life of me see why not.
They not only give great variations in color and shape of blooms, they also are perfectly suited for the back of garden beds where other low growing plants or annuals are sown towards the front.
Or, you can place them in the middle of a round-shaped garden bed that say is located in the center of the lawn. These annuals will give a sense off height and then you plant other annuals in front of them – each time with smaller growing heights.
Hollyhocks and co also look superb growing up through landscape grasses and scattered amongst perennials such as azaleas.
This year, I have planted them to snake around the azaleas and roses, plus in rows towards the back.
As indicated, I had not used hollyhocks and foxgloves before last year. I just loved the hollyhocks with their blooms clinging close to the main stem. The flowers reminded me of David Austin roses.
The foxgloves were even more spectacular – their bell-like flowers of many colors just seemed to last and last.
Google up some images of them and you will see what I mean. If you haven’t used them before – then note to do so when you renew your annuals in your garden.
Both annuals reached about a yard (metre) in height and with our winds here, I ended up staking them with slim bamboo sticks.
Muhammad Aqib