 | Mia Jenkins is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, located in the Museums on the River District at 701 Amidon. Botanica was opened to the public in 1987 to generate enthusiasm for horticulture and enlighten people through educational, artistic, and cultural experiences. With this mission, Botanica’s gardens and programs expand public awareness of horticulture, educate Kansans about how nature can improve their daily lives, and assist in the promotion of community development.Feel free to contact Botanica for information on volunteering, special events or for what’s in bloom at 316-264-0448. |
Flowers & Plants
2009-05-01 11:45:00
Planting annuals in garden
Answer: While perennials and bulbs go in and out of bloom, annuals provide the garden with season-long color and continuity. At Botanica, many of our annuals are selected because of their heat and drought tolerance and as the temperature increases, they really begin to shine. As June turns up the heat, here is a list of “hot” summer annuals, recommended for your yard by our garden staff.
Begonia ‘Big Red with Bronze Leaf’: This new variety of begonia claims to grow in sun and shade and produce 2.5 inch red flowers above glossy bronze foliage. It is 12 to 18” in height and 18” in width and blooms from summer to frost.
Coleus ‘Dark Chocolate’: Coleus are great plants to provide color to your garden. Available in multiple varieties, their wide array of colors and textures are sure to make an impact on even the smallest space. This new variety has a deep chocolate color and thrives in part to full shade. It reaches a mature height of 24 to 30 inches with a spread of 18 to 24 inches.
Lantana: This is the number one annual for attracting butterflies. It comes in multi and single colored flowers and a few varieties have variegated foliage. The upright form reaches heights of 24 to 36” and the trailing form grows 8 to 12” in height with a 24” spread.
Ornamental Peppers: ‘Jigsaw’ has been our favorite variety of Ornamental Pepper. It has purple and white foliage and reaches a height of 18” with ½”- ¾” triangular fruit that turns from purple to red as it matures. Two new All-American Selections introduced over the past few years are also good performers. ‘Chilli Chilli’ and ‘Black Pearl’ are great plants for adding texture to the garden. We also like ‘Purple Flash,’ a variety similar to ‘Jigsaw,’ but with darker foliage.
Pentas: This is the second best annual for attracting butterflies to your garden. These plants range in height from 18 to 24” and come in flower colors of white, pink, red and violet. New seed varieties are also making this plant more economical to produce for the home gardener. We especially like the variety ‘Graffiti Red Lace’ for its intense red flowers and contrasting white stigmas.
Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’: This new variety has masses of 3 inch, cherry red flowers, a new color in Rudbeckias. It claims to be heat tolerant and bloom from mid-summer to frost. It requires full sun and will reach a mature height of 20 to 24 inches with an 18 inch spread.
Sweet Potato Vine (Ornamental): At least 15 varieties of ornamental sweet potato vine can be found at local garden centers. The foliage ranges in shades of green, yellow, purple, bronze and tri-colored varieties. The leaf shape can also vary from heart-shaped to several cut leaf forms to a more standard triangular form. With a trailing habit that spreads between 5 to 20’, these plants are perfect in a container or for covering a hillside or retaining wall.
Torenia ‘Summer Wave’: This annual comes in shades of blue, white, pink, purple, yellow and violet. This variety is heat loving and will tolerate full sun, although afternoon shade is always welcomed. The plant has an 8” height and an 18 to 24” spread. The common name for this plant is Wishbone Flower and because it is low growing, it works well in hanging baskets, containers and front edgings.
Zinnia (linearis or angustifolia): This is a small zinnia, having a height and spread of 12 to 15” with a ¾” flower. It is available in shades of orange, yellow and white. This heat loving plant is never out of bloom, never looks unkempt, and does not require deadheading. Also known as a Creeping Zinnia, it is best planted in front borders and edgings.
If you want to see different varieties of annuals that thrive in south central Kansas, visit Botanica. Throughout the summer, more than 25,000 summer annuals will be blooming for your viewing pleasure from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
From our garden to yours, best of luck in all of your gardening endeavors!
