Annuals for Containers
Many types of annual plants and flowers do very well in containers. Container flowers are useful if you have very small areas where you can't have a planted garden, or if you live in an apartment or condo where you want to brighten areas of your landscape without having to invest much time in the landscape. Container plants are the types of plants that are going to give you life, color, and greenery when you want to garden and have little space.

Posted Wednesday, April 5, 2006

What are some of your choices when you are thinking about planting a few annuals in containers? There are hundreds if not thousands of plants that you can choose from, but often gardeners find types such as marigolds, petunias, impatiens, begonias, and ageratums are most enjoyable, as they require little additional attention after they are planted.

What are a few things that you will need to consider when you are choosing the annuals or plants that you are going to have in your containers?

Consider how much sun this area where you are placing your containers is going to receive. If the area is in the sun all the time, a full sun plant will thrive best. In an area where it is sunny in the morning but shaded in the afternoon, a partially sun loving plant will survive easily. Choose a plant that is going to fit your idea of where you are going to place the container.

Additional ideas and topics that you will need to consider when you are purchasing plants for containers are:

Will these be hanging baskets, requiring flowers that grow down or are they containers that are on the porch or deck and will require flowers that grow upwards?

Does your area get a lot of wind or rain? If you have a high wind factor, sometime the most delicate plants are not the best suggestion, but a plant that has a thicker stem and that will not grow as tall will work out best for your situation.

Do you want to grow flowers from a seed?

The best annuals that are easily grown from seed are going to include marigolds, alyssum, nasturtiums, and morning glories among so many other types. There are annual flowers that will grow from seed, that you can start in the containers, in the greenhouse or in your home in the late winter months so they are ready for flowering by early spring to be planted in your outdoor gardens.