By Ed Hume
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As summer begins and your yard and garden begin to take shape for the coming months, don’t fret if your landscape still looks drab. Adding already-blooming annuals, known as color spots, is a quick, easy way to beautify your landscape with plants that boast a long flowering season. With color spots you can avoid the pitfalls of planting and growing annuals from scratch. Most of these plants are grown in containers and can be easily transplanted into the garden.
Hardy annuals, such as marigolds, petunias, verbena, cosmos and alyssum, provide instant color to any yard and will continue to grow and flower through the rest of the season. They are very adaptable for transplanting and will provide a maximum return for a slight investment. Planting at this time of year should be done during the coolest part of the day. Simply prepare your soil using organic humus, or if available, add compost, peat moss or processed manure, and mix it thoroughly with the existing planting soil. Be ready to feed these fast-growing plants monthly during the growing season with a garden-type fertilizer. Combined with an inch of water per week, this practice will provide optimal conditions for colorful foliage and flowers throughout summer. Try to water the roots only, keeping water off the plant and its flowers.
Throughout summer, take a few minutes to pick-off any dead flowers on your annuals (as well as your perennials). Dedicating a small amount of time to grooming your plants can make a big difference in the appearance of your entire landscape. Once a plant flowers and goes to seed, it will usually stop the development of additional flowers. By removing the spent flowers, the plants should continue to flower longer into the season. Also, pinching or pruning back the tips of leggy, spindly annuals will encourage bushy side-growth, allowing for fuller, more space-filling plants.
Remember, if your garden looks a little colorless by the time your plants are in bloom, you still have hope. Simply head to your favorite garden center and be ready to add your favorite colorful annuals to any section of your property.
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