Annual Bedding Plants:

Colourful, hard-working wonders.

If perennial plants are the long distance runners in a garden, annuals are the sprinters. They may not have the long-term endurance, but for the season you have them, they sure make up for it with big, brilliant long-lasting blooms.

Whether you want to create a complete annual bed from scratch, or fill in some bare spots in the perennial garden, annuals are always up to the task. All you have to do is drop in to your local garden center, load up a cart, drive home and start planting ... right?

Well, it can be that easy, especially if you're just plugging some holes in an established garden or filling a container. But for truly spectacular results on a complete annual garden it's best to work out a plan in advance.

Decide what kind of effect you want to achieve with your garden... warm or cool colours, variations on a single colour, or a vibrant mix of shapes, sizes and colours. You'll also want to choose plants that are best suited to the growing conditions you have.

Gardening books are a good source of information to help you choose suitable plants in the colours you want.

Most bedding plants are also tagged with information about their growth requirements... whether they need full sun, partial shade or full shade, and what kind of soil conditions they like. Few plants will thrive if their new environment is quite different than the tag outlines.

When you do head out to pick up your plants, here are a few tips to help you make sure you get full value for your budget.

Buy the healthiest plants you can find, with deep green colour and compact, bushy growth.

Choose plants that haven't begun to bloom yet. Plants with unopened buds will establish faster.

Avoid stressed plants. Bargain-priced plants displayed on a hot sidewalk or parking lot can suffer from wilt or damaged roots that will inhibit their growth.

Watch for signs of insect or disease damage: If you see them, don't buy. Buying from a reputable grower or garden center is your best assurance of good quality bedding plants.

When you get your annuals home, keep them in a cool, lightly shaded area and keep them watered until you're ready to plant, so the tender roots and shoots don't dry out too quickly.

It's also a good idea to work your garden soil up one or two weeks ahead of time. This will fool weeds into thinking it's time to start growing... then you can go out and pull them, before they can compete with your new bedding plants for valuable nutrients.

It's also good exercise, gets you in the gardening mood, and reduces some of the workload on planting day. Get any nearby children involved!

When you're ready to start planting, space the seedlings out in the garden, allowing enough room for each plant to reach its full size. Place each plant in its own hole or dig a trench for a row of seedlings. Place the plants in carefully, fill around the roots, press to firm soil, and water in well.

Regular watering and feeding with a quality fertilizer like Canagro's new Flowering Annual Bedding Plant Fertilizer or PINK Vigoro will keep them in top condition.

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