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.