But there are many garden flowers that prefer the cool days of spring and fall.
Often, gardeners think only ofperennialsfor a sequence of bloom.
Extend your gardening season by adding one of these 15 cool-season annual flowering plants to your garden.
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What Are Cool Flowers?
Many can be planted out before the last frost or can survive through the first frost in autumn.
In warmer growing zones some hardy annuals continue to bloom through winter.
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Hardy annuals often reseed easily but most die back during the heat of summer and rebloom in autumn.
These dainty, colorful blooms grow easily whendirectly sownin the garden and will reseed freely.
They might even withstand a light frost if they’re established.
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Many calendulas will self-seed and treat you to a spring bloom as well.
Calendula is a popular ingredient in herbal skin care products and also is used as a natural dye.
The flower is edible and is often interplanted with tomatoes to deter insect pests.
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Calendula is a good choice for the herb andvegetable garden.
Diascia
Diascia, though relatively new in gardens, has quickly become popular.
The tiny, profuse trailing blossoms make it perfect for containers.
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Diascia is generally grown from cuttings, which can make it an expensive annual to purchase.
You may be able to overwinter yours indoors or take your own cuttings.
Diascia isperennial, with a good winter, inUSDA Zone9 or higher.
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These make excellentcut flowers.
Lobelia
Lobelia(Lobelia spp.
)will shut down during the summer, but given cool temperatures, it will bloom with profusion.
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Nasturtium
Nasturtiums(Tropaeolum spp.
)will bloom throughout summer and well into fall.
They are rejuvenated by the cooler air.
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Even their crisp fall colors advertise that they belong in the fall garden.
Nasturtiums don’t transplant well and you may be better off direct seeding.
Keep them well-watered in the heat of summer.
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They have large seed pods that are easy to collect and save to replant next season.
Nierembergia ‘Mont Blanc’
TheNierembergia ‘Mont Blanc’variety rescued nierembergia from obsolescence.
‘Mont Blanc’ won the All America Selection award, but the blue-flowered varieties are rising in popularity.
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The tinycalibrachoa petuniamakes a nice textural accent in containers.
There are also new trailing snapdragons that work wonderfully in containers.
Look for the Luminaire series.Snapdragons are hardyat least to USDA Zone 8.
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With some protection, they may also survive in Zone 7.
Viola, Pansy
You may still have some pansies from last spring languishing in your garden beds.
Look around and see if they are perking up for fall.Violas(Viola spp.
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)andpansieswill bloom for weeks.
Deadheading will keep them setting new buds.
Look for some of the newer varieties that can handle a slight freeze.
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Single to double disc-like blooms grow in compact carpet-like mounds.
Annual dianthus(Dianthus chinensis)serves as an excellent bedding plant in cool, sunny areas and containers.
Bloom periods last from 6 to 8 weeks and depend on climate.
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In areas with cool summers, sweet peas bloom in late spring or autumn.
Warmer climates see flowers in winter and spring.
Vines grow to 8 feet and require trellising.
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Plants die back naturally in hot weather.
Nigella blooms for short periods of about three weeks from spring through autumn and winter in warmer growing zones.
Succession plant for continuous bloom until flowers begin to reseed on their own.
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Plants start to set buds as nights become longer and bloom for as long as eight weeks in autumn.
Transplant potted mums into the garden in late Octoberonce flowers are spent.
Cut foliage back to about 3 inches and add mulch for winter protection.
These mums are generally hardy to 20 degrees.
but survival is dependent on climate and conditions.
Increase your chances of overwintering success by selecting a cultivar best suited to your environment.
In frost-free zones, alyssum is grown throughout winter.
