Tips on Annuals & Perennials

April's such a great time of year! It seems like everything good in the garden is happening. Spring flowers are in bloom. And there are plenty of reasons to be outdoors enjoying them, which includes now being the prime time to plant your annuals and perennials. Here are some tips you might find helpful.

Annuals do so much...
They brighten shady spots, make colorful borders and bring your deck pots to life! Two must haves are Impatiens (also known as Busy Lizzy) and Fibrous Begonias. There's more "flower power" in these two annuals than most any other bedding plants. Plus, they're easy to care for. Practically all you have to do is water and fertilize, and you're set.

Check out those specialty premium annuals, too. While they're a bit more expensive than some of your traditional varieties, you'll find some exciting choices. Wave Petunias are one example, particularly Purple Wave. Also, check out Bacopa, which provides beautiful cascading miniature white blooms, and Osteospermum, which features bright daisy-like blooms.

Quick bedding plant tip: Annuals are great for borders. Two favorites are white alyssum and yellow marigolds... they really stand out at night!

Count on Perennials for easier gardening...

We’d all like to have a beautiful garden that takes care of itself. One filled with well-chosen perennials can come pretty close. The secret lies in plant selection – in choosing the right varieties for each site’s conditions. If a perennial is well suited to its location, it can thrive with little attention. And you don’t need to know Latin or be a gardening expert to pick the right plants. You just need to answer some basic questions: Is your yard shaded by a canopy of trees or exposed to full sun? Does the soil hold moisture or dry out quickly?

Some ideas on which perennials to plant where... Once you've mapped out the shady and sunny spots in your yard, head to your garden center and explore choices like these:

• Sunny Spots Carnation, Lupin, Clematis, Potentialla and Ranunculus.
• Partial Shade Anemone, Delphinium, Iberis, Viola and Campanula.
• Shade Hosta, Ferns, Trollius, Bleeding Hearts, Phlox, Astilbe and Penstemon.
• Rock Gardens Arabis, Armeria, Artemisia, Aubretia, Basket of Gold, Creeping Phlox and White Candy Phlox.

Perennials are excellent for filling in those bare spots around the base of trees and shrubs. And as they mature, typically perennials will continue to grow bigger. You can leave them alone to do just that, or dig them up, divide and replant... doubling your perennial power!

Click into the Fred Meyer Perennial Guide You'll find info on over 100 perennials! It's an excellent resource for planning your garden.

The time to plant is now! Early spring is one of the best times to plant annuals and perennials, and good garden centers have a broad selection in stock right now. Many people seem to think they should wait until the soil has really warmed up, but you actually get a lot more for your money by planting most varieties now. By getting an early start, you can plant less expensive starter-size plants, rather than the more expensive larger sizes available later in the spring. So do a little planning and let’s get planting!

While much of the information in these tips is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.