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What do you all recommend that will keep blooming for a long time in a cold-ish climate with a short growing season? I want flowers!
I put some geraniums into pots and so far, they are keeping up their end of the bargain. And I've got some wave petunias. Those have done well for me in the past.
How about some perennials so I don't have to keep planting (and spending?)
My bank has many dozens of rose bushes, maybe hundreds of them, that start blooming really early and have constant flowers until the first freeze. I thought they were knock-out roses, so I bought some knock-outs, but I am not getting a long season out of them.
For blooms all season long you will want to plant annuals like your geraniums and keep deadheading them all season.
Most perennial flowers will bloom for just a couple weeks like your iris. For continuous blooms with perennials you will have to pay attention to the plants bloom time and stagger those bloom times.
Many gardeners use both so the annuals are still blooming wnen there are blooming gaps with the perennials.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We have snapdragons that come back every spring and bloom into early October. Impatiens also bloom all summer, but they are useless for cutting to bring inside.
We have snapdragons that come back every spring and bloom into early October. Impatiens also bloom all summer, but they are useless for cutting to bring inside.
Snaps might freeze out in Idaho. Here in very mild Maryland they're a crapshoot every year for surviving.
We have snapdragons that come back every spring and bloom into early October. Impatiens also bloom all summer, but they are useless for cutting to bring inside.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
Snaps might freeze out in Idaho. Here in very mild Maryland they're a crapshoot every year for surviving.
I was going to suggest snapdragons as perennials as well. I'm north of Hemlock and my snaps come back early every spring too and turn into good sized 2 ft X 2 ft shrubs that bloom until mid to late November. They need regular pruning and deadheading throughout their growing season though. I don't mulch mine but I'm in zone 9b up here so we very rarely get lower than -7 to -10 degrees centigrade during winter. But for deeper freezing temps like in Idaho which has several growing zones depending on location, they may come back each spring if they are given mulch for winter. They would still need to be pruned way back before deep winter sets in though. Once they get a really good tap root into the ground there's no stopping them.
What do you all recommend that will keep blooming for a long time in a cold-ish climate with a short growing season? I want flowers!
I put some geraniums into pots and so far, they are keeping up their end of the bargain. And I've got some wave petunias. Those have done well for me in the past.
How about some perennials so I don't have to keep planting (and spending?)
My bank has many dozens of rose bushes, maybe hundreds of them, that start blooming really early and have constant flowers until the first freeze. I thought they were knock-out roses, so I bought some knock-outs, but I am not getting a long season out of them.
Happy to hear some suggestions.
If you keep the knock-out rose bushes trimmed, you'll keep getting blooms until the first freeze. Plus, feed them with rose food as often as recommended.
Also, hydrangeas keep their flowers for a nice long time!
I have a succession of bloom from my daylilies. The trick is to plant mid season and late varieties. I don’t know about planting early blooming ones in your location. Once established they provide many blooms on vigorous plants.
I get a succession of blooms from my roses, but I prune after blooming, and refertilize.
Every year I buy begonias. I have them in shady locations. They bloom all season, non stop. But you do have to buy them every year.
Various salvias have long blooming seasons, I believe
I just remembered that aster frikarti is supposed to have a long blooming season
I have a succession of bloom from my daylilies. The trick is to plant mid season and late varieties. I don’t know about planting early blooming ones in your location. Once established they provide many blooms on vigorous plants.
I get a succession of blooms from my roses, but I prune after blooming, and refertilize.
Every year I buy begonias. I have them in shady locations. They bloom all season, non stop. But you do have to buy them every year.
Various salvias have long blooming seasons, I believe
I just remembered that aster frikarti is supposed to have a long blooming season
I was going to suggest daylilies. There are early, mid-season, and late bloomers. Coneflower blooms for a while.
While it's not terribly impressive, anise hyssop thrived in a difficult location in my yard for years. It's a tough plant.
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