Annual flowers can bring eye-catching beauty to your landscape, and the dramatic blooms pack a huge punch of color. Create container gardens with annuals, and you’ll have the wow factor your yard needs.

Fortunately, growing annual flowers in hanging baskets and planters is an easy and fun experience. For gorgeous container gardens that flourish throughout the spring and summer, follow these steps.

Hanging basket and container garden how-tos

Step 1: Choose the Containers

Annual flowers aren’t particular about the type of container they grow in, but they do need room to spread their roots. Drainage holes are also essential. With these factors in mind, choose any hanging baskets or planters you like.

Step 2: Consider the Color Scheme

When you shop for annuals at a local plant nursery, you’ll see tons of flower varieties and colors. To save time, narrow down your options ahead of time by deciding on a specific color scheme for your container gardens.

Step 3: Select Annual Flowers with Similar Needs

The location of your container gardens – in the sun or in the shade – will determine which annuals are appropriate. To thrive, however, each hanging basket and planter must contain flowers with similar watering and care requirements.

Step 4: Fill the Containers with High-Quality Soil

Premium grade potting mix, available at your local plant nursery, is the best choice for annual containers. High-quality soil includes organic amendments that encourage healthy, robust growth. This type of potting soil may not be the cheapest option, but the benefits for blooming plants are undeniable.

Step 5: Plant the Annual Flowers in Layers

If you plan to place your containers in corners or along a wall, layer by planting tall annuals toward the back and use showy flowers to fill out the front. For planters and hanging baskets that are visible from all angles, consider placing a tall or bushy annuals in the center and use trailing plants to spill over the sides.

Step 6: Remember to Care for the Container Gardens

To be at their best throughout the spring and summer, blooming plants need nutrients. Feed your annuals once a week, using an organic fertilizer that’s high in phosphorous. Water and deadhead the flowers as needed, and be sure to give the plants a good pruning toward the middle of the growing season to keep them from becoming too tall and scraggly.

When you’re ready to get started growing container gardens, stop by a local plant nursery to find all of the supplies you need. In northern Utah, Millcreek Gardens is the go-to source for hanging baskets, planters, high-quality soil, healthy annual flowers and all of your other must-have gardening supplies.

And, if you have questions about gardening, our expert staff is always happy to help. With friendly guidance and expert advice from the Millcreek Gardens team, anyone can grow fabulous container gardens with annual flowers. Stop by our Salt Lake City plant nursery today.

 

Do you avoid annual flowers, thinking these outdoor plants aren’t worth the investment?

Annual Flower Myths to Overcome

The truth is that annuals can take any landscape from drab to fabulous, and the dramatic blooms add a huge boost of beauty and color to any Utah garden.

Why, then, do annual flowers have such a bad rap? Below, we expose four common myths about annuals and explain why these lively flowers are an excellent choice for your garden.

Myth #1: Annual Flowers Are Expensive

Do you need to have a big gardening budget to afford annuals? That’s what many Northern Utah gardeners believe.

The reality is that, although annuals sometimes cost more than perennial flowers, each plant packs an incredible punch of color. So, you don’t need to plant many to give your yard a colorful, eye-catching look.

Myth #2: Annual Flowers Don’t Last Long

Do annuals die once the frost and extreme cold of fall arrives? They have a short-lived planting season – too short, according to Utah gardeners.

While it’s true that annuals don’t come back year after year like perennial flowers, this can easily be forgiven if you consider the huge impact the beautiful blooms make during the spring and summer. And, if you plant them as early as possible, right after the last frost, you can enjoy a longer growing season.

Myth #3: Annuals Require a Lot of Maintenance

If you plant annuals, you’ll have to spend a great deal of time maintaining your garden. Right?

Not necessarily. Some varieties do require frequent watering or deadheading, but different annuals have different needs. Choose the right annual varieties for your area of Northern Utah, and you can get by with much less plant maintenance.

Myth #4: There’s No Good Place to Plant Annuals

Adding pops of color to your landscape sounds like a good idea. But where, exactly, are you supposed to plant annuals? For many Northern Utah gardeners, placement can pose a challenge.

If you need ideas for incorporating annuals into your garden or landscape, all you need to do is visit a local garden center, like Millcreek Gardens. Our helpful, experienced team can give you suggestions on how to enhance the beauty of your property. Or, you can simply place annuals in high-visibility areas and entryways, either among your landscape plants, in hanging baskets or container gardens.

Have we convinced you to plant annual flowers this year? When you’re ready to start shopping, head to Millcreek Gardens. Our plant nursery is stocked with a vast array of gorgeous, healthy annuals that can add a perfect touch of color and beauty to your property.

The friendly plant nursery staff at Millcreek Gardens is happy to steer you toward the best annuals for your landscape. Stop by our Salt Lake City garden center today to find your ideal annual flowers and other outdoor plants.

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