If the horticultural fervor of the pandemic has faded a little, the number of new followers remains important and the clientele of garden centers has rejuvenated. After the vegetable garden, neophytes even began to learn about flowers — to the delight of nurserymen! Here are some suggestions for annuals that will brighten up your environment all summer long. Tough, low-maintenance plants with an impressive color palette.
Benoît Champagne, of the Quebec Institute for the Development of Ornamental Horticulture (IQDHO), which criss-crosses Quebec to assist plant growers, says that more than ever, enthusiasts demand a garden or a terrace full of flowers as soon as they leave nursery. The goal is to produce a plant that will satisfy the gardener all season long with as little effort as possible.
For Mr. Champagne, the ideal annual is disease and insect resistant, withstands short periods of drought, and blooms continuously until frost. For best results, a soil rich in organic matter is essential.
If the fashion is “ready to plant”, several annuals remain easy to obtain by sowing directly in the flower bed or in a planter. Obviously, you will have to assume the few requirements of the experience, but your satisfaction will be all the greater and the bill, derisory.
You can proceed as soon as the soil temperature exceeds 10 or 15°C. As much to tell you right away, a little patience will be required. Among the species that guarantee success and bloom most of the summer are the cosmos, marigolds, marigolds, calendula and, of course, the sunflower. In cosmos and marigolds, for example, germination takes around a week and, depending on the variety, it will also take 8 to 12 weeks before flowering, in optimal conditions. For sunflower, the wait will be 8-18 weeks, with shorter hybrids being quicker.
