0Annual flowers & bedding plants - Queensland Gardening Pages (Brisbane & Qld)

The Queensland Gardening Pages

Information & resources about plants & gardens for Brisbane & Qld

Annual Flowers & other Bedding Plants

Annuals generally germinate, flower, set seed and die within a single year. Some species may survive more than a year under favourable conditions, but are treated as annuals for the purposes of producing bedding displays, and discarded after they've passed their prime.

"Bedding plants" generally refers to plants, annual or perennial, employed in short term displays. Perennials used in this way might include cannas, pelargoniums, salvias, coleus and other coloured foliage plants, massed in garden beds to create stunning effects over a period of weeks or months, after which the beds are cleared and prepared for fresh planting. Cuttings or divisions of these plants may be taken for future displays.

Few home gardeners in Queensland are using annuals and other bedding plants as major features of their gardens these days. After all, they are a lot of work. Furthermore, hot and/or dry weather conditions can mean dissappointing results, especially from flowers.

While carpets of colour today are mainly limited to the more high-profile municipal locations, special festivals and garden competitions, bedding plants still have a place in the modern garden.

For a few dollars, you can dress up high impact areas like entranceways, and fill in temporary bare spots while you're waiting for your more permanent plantings to grow. Annuals, especially the advanced plants, are also good for decorating the garden for special occasions like a parties or garden weddings.

If you don't have a suitable garden bed available, don't forget that annuals and bedding plants can be used in pots, hanging baskets and planter boxes (see also Container gardening)

On other pages:

Cottage Gardening in Queensland

Seeds and seed raising

Container gardening

Pots and Containers

Potting Mixes and Growing Media

Vegetables

Suppliers of seeds or plants of annuals/bedding plants for Qld

Many chain stores sell packeted flower seeds, but it may be difficult to find something unusual. Some garden centres stock alternative brands of seeds, plus the popular annuals and bedding plants suitable for most domestic landscaping applications in punnets or pots. Herb nurseries might supply some old-fashioned cottage garden flowers or varieties with traditional culinary or medicinal uses.br>

News

Goondiwindi students sunflower champions
Goondiwindi State High School have won the annual Sunflower Competition withan entry weighing 1.837kg. More information atThe University of Queensland website: Goondiwindi growers top the scales (May 2010)

More Information

Container gardens are a great way to have fun and be creative with annuals and bedding plants. Your chances of success are also increased with the many specialised potting mixes, fertilisers and pots on the market, helping you overcome the local environmental conditions.

Annuals are often heavily used in garden competitions. A page has been set up on this site to post information about garden competitions in Queensland as it comes to hand:
Garden Competitions

With seed you can get a lot of plants very cheaply. Seed is the most successful and practical way to grow many of the more robust annuals. For the busy or inexperienced gardener, punnets are generally much easier and faster, especially for some of the more delicate species, and not much more expensive if you only need a few plants anyway.

Many traditional annuals are only suitable for the cooler months of the year here in Qld. Look out for new types, heat and drought tolerant varieties, and perennial or semi-perennial species (even if you only grow them as annuals) for a prolonged display.

Large quantities of plants can be raised more cheaply from seed, but requires more time and effort and a certain amount of skill. Seed might be the only way to obtain unusual or heritage varieties (this goes for herbs and vegetable, too). Mail order suppliers are usually the best places to look for unusual varieties. However, many chain stores offer popular lines in packets which are reasonably priced and ideal for beginners. See Seeds and seed raising for more on this topic.

If you require very large quanitities for a special application (e.g. Garden weddings), whether as seedlings or at blooming stage, you may find it worthwhile ordering from a wholesale grower. Be sure to organise your order in plenty of time.

More Links

The following are for general information, research and ideas - some species or cultivars referred to in links may be unavailable in Australia or unsuitable for Queensland conditions

General

Annual Flowers Fit Well in any Landscape Hendry County Extension Service, Univ Florida

Annual Flowers for Florida University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences USA

Flower Bed: Annuals AZ Master Gardener Manual, Arizona

Seasonal Color...Care and Management Texas A&M Univ.

Bedding plants and displays Royal Horticultural Society, UK

Bedding Plants: Selection, Establishment and Maintenance University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences USA

Plant annuals for color General advice. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (PDF)

Annual Flowers: Flower Types North Carolina State University

Plant winter annuals to add color to your landscape University of Florida (PDF)

Annual Flowers for Specific Uses in Nebraska NebGuide from University of Nebraska

Under-Utilized Bedding Plants for the North Carolina Landscape

Maintenance of Annual Flowers

Transplanting Annuals

Make Your Bedding Plants Last Longer University of Florida (PDF)

Revive Annual Flowers Purdue University

Photoperiod and Bedding Plants University of Massachusetts (PDF)

Annuals in the Floida landscape - Why failures occur and how to overcome them Reproduction of a 1983 article, Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society (PDF)

Plan to transplant for faster gardens Office of Agricultural Communications Mississippi State University, USA

Sowing annual seed Pennsylvania State University (PDF)

Propagating Annuals from Cuttings Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Flower Garden Design Basics Cornell University

Planning the spring flowering beds Descibes some of the intensive work required to keep flower beds looking good at this garden. Filioli Estate, near San Francisco (PDF)

Planting the Parterres Filioli Estate, near San Francisco (PDF)

Knot Gardens Filioli Estate, near San Francisco (PDF)

These groups are covered on separate pages:

Pelargoniums (Geraniums)

Ornamental Sweet Potatoes

Zinnias

Catharanthus

Pink Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) At "Grow me Instead", a website about invasive ornamentals and alternatives

Pink periwinkle Catharanthus roseus National Weeds Strategy, Australia

Catharanthus Roseus Vinca, Periwinkle Lee County Extension, Florida

A Guide for Commercial Production of Vinca The University of Georgia USA

Periwinkles: Favorites During Summer Heat (Catharanthus roseus / Vinca rosea) Office of Agricultural Communications Mississippi State University, USA

Vinca: A Case of Mistaken Identity Missouri Environment and Garden, University of Missouri

Annual Vinca Clemson University, South Carolina

Pretty and dependable, that's Catharanthus roseus John&Jacq~s Garden, Malaysia

Madagascar Periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) Online Manual of Subtropical Landscaping Plants, Palm Beach Community College, Florida

Vinca Madagascar Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus. Home Gardening Flower Growing Guides, Cornell University

Catharanthus roseus Ecocrop database, FAO

Celosia

Cockscomb, Celosia Online Manual of Subtropical Landscaping Plants, Palm Beach Community College, Florida

Plumed Celosia Cornell University

Wheat Celosia Cornell University

Crested Celosia Crested Cockscomb

Cleome

Cleome, French Hollyhock: Tried, True Summer Blooms Office of Agricultural Communications Mississippi State University, USA

Cleome hassleriana Cal's Plant of the Week, University of Oklahoma

Spiderflower Cleome hassleriana. University of Illinois Extension

Impatiens

Balsam Discusses weedy properties of Impatiens walleriana. At the "Grow Me Instead" website, Australia

New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens 'New Guinea Hybrids') at the "Grow Me Instead" website, Australia

Impatiens Clemson University, South Carolina

Impatiens walleriana Missouri Botanical Garden

Starting Impatiens from Seeds Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Impatiens - A Popular but Over-used Annual Hendry County Extension Service, Univ Florida

Lisianthus

'Maurine Blue' Lisianthus [Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn.] - A University of Florida Cultivar University of Florida

New Plants for Florida: Lisianthus University of Florida

Lisianthus Latin: Eustoma grandiflorum University of Arkansas

Lobelia

Edging Lobelia University of Arkansas

Lobelia Covers several species in the genus. Plantzafrica.com

Lobelia erinus University of Florida (PDF)

Lobelia erinus The Ohio State University

Lobelia Lobelia erinus. Cornell University

Lobelia Lobelia erinus. University of Florida

Lobelia erinus North Carolina State University

Lobelia erinus

Lobelia Lobelia erinus University of Illinois Extension

Heat Tolerance of Lobeila (Lobelia erinus) Purdue University

Pansies and Violas

Success with Pansies in the Winter Landscape: A Guide for the Landscape Professional University of Georgia, USA

Pansy Care University of North Carolina Wilmingtom

Versatile Violas Missouri Environment and Garden, University of Missouri

Pansies Missouri Environment and Garden, University of Missouri

Pansy Auburn University

Pansy Texas A &M University

Viola x wittrockiana Pansy Univ. Florida

Snapdragon

Nose of the Dragon Snapdragon. Univ. Florida (PDF)

Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus. Cornell University

Snapdragon (dwarf) Cornell University

Antirrhinum majus Cal's Plant of the Week, University of Oklahoma

Antirrhinum majus Univ. Florida

Snapdragon Culture in Florida Reproduction of a 1954 article, Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society (PDF)

The Genus Antirrhinum (Snapdragon): A Flowering Plant Model for Evolution and Development A Cold Spring Harbor Protocols article

Sweet Peas

Lathyrus.info

National Sweet Pea Society United Kingdom

Sweet Peas Texas Cooperative Extension

2005: Year of the Sweet Pea Missouri Environment and Garden, University of Missouri

Sweet Peas - A Flower Garden Favorite Washington State University Clark County Extension

Lathyrus odoratus (PDF) at the Australian Weeds and Livestock website, NSW (discusses toxicity of weeds and other plants to animals)

Others

Ageratums now offer long performance season Mississippi State University

Ageratum Flossflower, Ageratum houstonianum. Cornell University

Kale Ornamantal Kale (Brassica oleracea) Washington State University

Calendula officinalis Cornell University

California Poppy Eschscholzia. Notes on history and naming. Parker County Master Gardener Association, Texas (PDF)

Gomphrena offers beauty, toughness Mississippi State University

Gomphrena globosa - Globe Amaranth Cal's Plant of the Week, University of Oklahoma

Globe Amaranth, Gomphrena globosa University of Wisconsin-Extension Master Gardener Program

Kalanchoe - A potential new pot crop for Florida (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) Reproduction of a 1978 article, Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society (PDF)

Photoperiodic Flower Induction of Several Kalanchoe Species and Ornamental Characteristics of the Flowering Species (abstract only available without subscription)

Kalanchoe Clemson University, South Carolina

Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima University of Wisconsin-Extension Master Gardener Program

Melampodium provides a rock-solid performance Mississippi State University

Melampodium divaricatum Missouri Botanical Garden

Cheerful faces of Butter Daisy (Melampodium divaricatum) John&Jacq~s Garden, Malaysia

Medallion Flower Melampodium paludosum. University of Illinois Extension

Nemesia and Diascia Univ. Florida

Sunflowers Washington State University Clark County Extension

Sunflowers for Summer Fun Purdue University

Nasturtium (Alaska) Latin: Tropaeolum majus Nasturtium University of Arkansas

Tropaeolum majus, Nasturtium The Florez Nursery blog, NSW

Santolina Encyclopedia of Stanford Trees, Shrubs & Vines (PDF)

Santolina rosmarinifolia subsp. rosmarinifolia (= S. virens) UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, University of British Columbia, Canada

Verbena Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, South Carolina

Brazilian Verbena Leads The Class (Verbena bonariensis), Office of Agricultural Communications Mississippi State University, USA

More to come in future updates