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Message
Keeping a garden full of flowers throughout the year
Posted on 9/24/26 at 11:07 am
Posted on 9/24/26 at 11:07 am
I have two gardens in my front yard that I'd like to take better care of throughout the year.
Normally I'd plant some petunias and other flowers in the late spring/early summer. The petunias eventually turn leggy and die off mid to late summer, and generally look like shite in the hot weather. Other flowers may thrive or die off.
My biggest issue was upkeep, and keeping the garden watered.
So this year, I set a three time a week watering schedule, which has helped immensely through the hot summer. The pansies still looked like shite though.
So, I asked the google AI for some help, and this is what it suggested:
Late Spring/Early Summer - Calabrachoa flowers. Also called Million Bells.
Late Summer into Fall - Mums
Winter into Spring - Pansies/Violas
I already planted the mums last week, and they are doing well.
How does the list look? Any changes I should make?
Normally I'd plant some petunias and other flowers in the late spring/early summer. The petunias eventually turn leggy and die off mid to late summer, and generally look like shite in the hot weather. Other flowers may thrive or die off.
My biggest issue was upkeep, and keeping the garden watered.
So this year, I set a three time a week watering schedule, which has helped immensely through the hot summer. The pansies still looked like shite though.
So, I asked the google AI for some help, and this is what it suggested:
Late Spring/Early Summer - Calabrachoa flowers. Also called Million Bells.
Late Summer into Fall - Mums
Winter into Spring - Pansies/Violas
I already planted the mums last week, and they are doing well.
How does the list look? Any changes I should make?
Posted on 9/24/26 at 1:13 pm to boxcarbarney
if you want foolproof, maintenance free, beautiful flowers zinnias are hard to beat. They germinate easily from seed, bloom profusely and will reseed if you let them.
Otherwise I will stay on my native wildflowers soapbox and suggest the following
American basket flower
Indian blanket
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Mexican hat
Black eyed susan
purple coneflower
Cowpen daisy
native hibiscus
wildflowers are drought tolerant, irresistible to pollinators and are adapted to our climate
Otherwise I will stay on my native wildflowers soapbox and suggest the following
American basket flower
Indian blanket
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Mexican hat
Black eyed susan
purple coneflower
Cowpen daisy
native hibiscus
wildflowers are drought tolerant, irresistible to pollinators and are adapted to our climate
Posted on 9/24/26 at 1:53 pm to boxcarbarney
I currently have zinnias, cosmos, celosia, gomphrena, coleus, diantha, porterweed, salvia, shrimp plant, butterfly bush, pentas, blue daze, portulaca, and other things that I can't remember, lol. Now most of those are annuals, but I love getting new things every year. All of these will go thru the first frost.
Posted on 9/24/26 at 2:49 pm to boxcarbarney
Fake ones.
I’m serious.
I’m serious.
Posted on 9/24/26 at 4:47 pm to cgrand
Was gonna say zinnias. I dumped an $8 large packet from Amazon in my gardens this spring and had massive and massive amounts of different color and types of zinnias
Posted on 9/24/26 at 4:52 pm to LEASTBAY
I'm pretty sure what I have in one of my gardens right now are zinnias. They're red, and they have been growing like crazy. They do get a little too tall for my liking though. I'd rather something closer to the ground.
Posted on 9/24/26 at 7:04 pm to boxcarbarney
low growing/mounding asters are a good choice. Perennial and beautiful blue flowers. Look into dwarf alpine and wood’s blue. Asters are fantastic and play well with others
Posted on 9/25/26 at 6:32 am to boxcarbarney
quote:
They do get a little too tall for my liking though.
I planted some Zinnia last year and they got 4-5ft+ and were falling all over the place. Looked bad by midsummer...I didn't go back with them but had some come up in my compost pile.
Maybe I will try a shorter variety...I assume they exist.
Posted on 9/25/26 at 8:48 am to cgrand
quote:
low growing/mounding asters are a good choice
I'll look into those.
Early this summer I planted zinnias and Lantanas in the big garden. Both got way too big. The Lantanas tripled in size quickly and were starting to take over the garden. I pulled them out.
The other flowers, maybe zinnia, also grew way too big. I cut them back, and they're still over a foot tall.
Posted on 9/25/26 at 9:11 am to boxcarbarney
Ok, I was completely wrong about the zinnias. I don't have those. I have Vinca flowers. They're still too tall though.
Posted on 9/25/26 at 11:48 am to boxcarbarney
Vincas do great in south Louisiana summer heat and sun. I planted vincas and pentas in my front garden late March. I get afternoon sun in the front yard, and they’re still looking great. Had to water them a couple times a week in June and July because we didn’t get too much rain during that time.
I tilled the beds thoroughly and added slow release fertilizer and bone meal in March before planting. Used liquid fertilizer about once a month. This is the first summer I didn’t have to dig up dead annuals in early June. Petunias can’t handle Louisiana heat after June 1.
Will be planting pansies mid-November. I tried planting pansies in October, but it’s still too hot down here for that.
I tilled the beds thoroughly and added slow release fertilizer and bone meal in March before planting. Used liquid fertilizer about once a month. This is the first summer I didn’t have to dig up dead annuals in early June. Petunias can’t handle Louisiana heat after June 1.
Will be planting pansies mid-November. I tried planting pansies in October, but it’s still too hot down here for that.
Posted on 9/25/26 at 12:22 pm to Crescent Connection
i may wait until December for pansies, depending on how the Mums look.
Posted on 9/29/26 at 5:37 am to boxcarbarney
quote:
Lantanas
There are dwarf varieties out there. We planted some last year and they are 1.5ft tall max.
Posted on 9/29/26 at 9:27 am to ApisMellifera
lantanas usually lay over and grow horizontally anyway. The only ones I see getting huge are the “ham and eggs” varieties. I have tons of yellow and purple and they stay low but spread out
caution, once you plant lantana you always have lantana
caution, once you plant lantana you always have lantana
Posted on 9/29/26 at 9:41 am to boxcarbarney
quote:
if you want foolproof, maintenance free, beautiful flowers zinnias are hard to beat. They germinate easily from seed, bloom profusely and will reseed if you let them.
Otherwise I will stay on my native wildflowers soapbox and suggest the following
American basket flower
Indian blanket
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Mexican hat
Black eyed susan
purple coneflower
Cowpen daisy
native hibiscus
This.
I will add that my turks cap and Salvia are doing great. I have more salvia than anything and I don't expect that will change.
Posted on 9/29/26 at 9:55 am to TimeOutdoors
I had to dig up my Turks Caps they were in a spot that I just can’t keep hydrated. These were growing here when we moved in 20 years ago. Safely in pots in the shade for winter relocating
Salvias are awesome. These are from a small pack of seeds this spring
Texas red sage, another carefree and beautiful option
Salvias are awesome. These are from a small pack of seeds this spring
Texas red sage, another carefree and beautiful option
Posted on 9/29/26 at 10:30 am to cgrand
My turks cap is in pots as well.
One thing I have tried to grow for a few years and not had success with is jewelweed. I have a nice bog area that I thought it would grow well in, but I just have not been able to get the seed to germinate even after keeping in the fridge all winter.
One thing I have tried to grow for a few years and not had success with is jewelweed. I have a nice bog area that I thought it would grow well in, but I just have not been able to get the seed to germinate even after keeping in the fridge all winter.
Posted on 9/29/26 at 12:09 pm to boxcarbarney
Sunpatiens are (imo) the best flowering annual in south louisiana. tons of colors and even different foliage options, great performance from spring through mid june-ish. The mid-late summer heat and sun will eventually nuke these but they are awesome until then. Plant with vincas, and the vincas will eventually fill in through the summer when the sunpatiens start to get leggy and thin out/die. other summer performers include salvia, zinnia, angelonia, lantana. Cool season color in my rotation are snapdragons, mums, pansy
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