Flowers - Beautifying your home for Spring
I enjoy planting flowers each year in the beds around my house. It has taken me several years, but I think I have finally determined which those that work best in certain areas around my house. I still like to try different types once in a while, but for the most part, I stick with those that will last and look the best in my flower beds.
One of my favorite flowers is Impatients. Impatients come in a variety of colors, from pink to white, purple to orange. There are two different types of Impatients. Impatients wallerana should be planted in shade or partial shade. I use these in the flower beds in the front of my house because that area gets the most shade throughout the day. They will last from late spring to fall, and will grow very fully and round, to about eight to twenty-four inches. New Guinea types of impatients are similar, but grow a little larger and can be placed where there is a little more sun.
Another favorite of mine is pansies. Pansies come in beautiful shades of blue, purple, white and yellow. I love the way pansies look, but they won’t last you the entire summer. These flowers are tolerant, and can be planted in early spring, but they will die by mid-summer. Pansies also do well in fall and winter. These flowers can be planted in sun to partial shade.
For the past few years I have planted a small garden in the back of the house, which receives the most sun. I plant tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini plants. A nice edge to the garden is marigolds. Marigolds are hearty, and do very well in lots of sun. These flowers come in many types and sizes, including African, American, Aztec, French, and Signet. Common colors of marigolds are yellow, orange, bronze, and bicolor. I have found that my marigolds often last well into September, sometimes October.
Another of my favorite flower of mine is petunias. Petunias also come in a wide range of shades including pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. Petunias last through spring and summer and do well in sun to partial shade. One thing you need to remember to do is to pull off the dead flowers. This allows new flowers to continue blooming. I once had a petunia that started as a single bloom that grew to a size of about two feet by four feet, just over the course of two or three months.
Geraniums were a favorite of my grandmother’s. Every year she had red geraniums on her front porch. Geraniums do well from early spring to fall, and can be placed in full sun. These flowers can be found in red, white, pink, salmon, and bicolor. I have found these to be especially hearty. I have sometimes brought in my geraniums onto an enclosed back porch (where it is still pretty cold), and they have continued to have blooms on them throughout the winter.
When determining where to put flowers at your home, consider not only your favorite type and colors, but where they will thrive. As spring approaches, begin researching flowers at your local home and garden store or via the internet.