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Keeping a garden full of flowers throughout the year

Posted on 9/24/26 at 11:07 am
Posted by boxcarbarney
Above all things, be a man
Member since Jul 2007
27516 posts
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?
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
51321 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 1:13 pm to
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
Posted by tigergal918
Member since Feb 2022
521 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 1:53 pm to
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 by UptownJoeBrown
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2024
12809 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 2:49 pm to
Fake ones.

I’m serious.
Posted by LEASTBAY
Member since Aug 2007
16796 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 4:47 pm to
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 by boxcarbarney
Above all things, be a man
Member since Jul 2007
27516 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 4:52 pm to
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 by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
51321 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 7:04 pm to
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 by DMAN1968
Member since Apr 2019
13744 posts
Posted on 9/25/26 at 6:32 am to
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 by boxcarbarney
Above all things, be a man
Member since Jul 2007
27516 posts
Posted on 9/25/26 at 8:48 am to
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 by boxcarbarney
Above all things, be a man
Member since Jul 2007
27516 posts
Posted on 9/25/26 at 9:11 am to
Ok, I was completely wrong about the zinnias. I don't have those. I have Vinca flowers. They're still too tall though.
Posted by Crescent Connection
Member since Jun 2008
2456 posts
Posted on 9/25/26 at 11:48 am to
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.
Posted by boxcarbarney
Above all things, be a man
Member since Jul 2007
27516 posts
Posted on 9/25/26 at 12:22 pm to
i may wait until December for pansies, depending on how the Mums look.
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