I know the rule is to wait for Memorial day but that just seems so far away and the forecast seems warm. I picked some up this weekend and hate seeing them in those little pots and cell packs.
Ok, New Englanders, when are you planting annuals?
I planted snaps yesterday...they are hardy annuals....but I'll wait another week to put in the rest.....
I know I'm farther south but I planted petunias already
I did snaps, centaurea, allysum and mail-ordered perennials this weekend. My tomatoes have been outside in a mini greenhouse for a month, through the cold spell and all. I potted them up first in big pots buried up to the top leaves. Now they are starting to take off, so next weekend they're getting planted under hoops and a frost blanket. I would have done it this weekend but ran out of time. I hope they don't get too lanky this week!
Then everything else - nicotianas, zinnias, MGs and the like- goes out into the MGH until I have time to deal. Petunias and basil get planted last.
I'm determined to have a proper cold frame for next year, started digging this week, but no way to have it finished in time. I already have the solar opener. That's what used to work the best, especially for the tomatoes. They never got too big too soon.
Pam
We've been moving some perennials because my son is reorganizing some of our flower beds but it has been too cold here for aught but pansies and lettuce. Not freezing, but down in the low forties and windy which is not conducive to good annuals. I have good growth on peonies, iris and daylilies and good foliage on hydrangea and other shrubs. Good lilacs this year. Our spring was really strange. we had a hot period back in March, but it has been raw and damp ever since. Hopefully the sun will come out soon. No annuals till then.
Martha
Yeah, raw and damp here, too. I'll keep an eye on the forecast. Boy, we had lousy lilacs this year.
Yes, I did, too! Am heading to the local nursery soon for annuals...Pam, sounds like you're working hard!
Sorry about your lilacs! mine have been great. Here's a pic from my Garden Club flower show that we had last month. For one of the design categories, I recreated my wedding bouquet which contained white lilac, carnations, baby's breath and ferns. Here's a picture of the arrangement with my wedding photo. I don't know where the florist got the white lilac back at the wedding since we were married in February, but for this April show, my white lilac cooperated completely with more than enough flowers to make up the arrangement.
Martha
Very pretty!
How about annual flowers seeds? Is it warm enough now to go right in the ground????
Pretty bouquet! I will plant my annuals this week, Jen, & you're warmer....
I've had some petunia's outside for the last week and they are still alive!! Wasn't intentional...but it happened. Normally wouldn't put them out until Memorial Day weekend.
I'm planning on planting my annual flowers this week. Most will be potted. No frost in the forecast. Supposedly May 15 is the last frost date on average. Veggies won't be planted until Memorial Day or later though I may try to sneak something in earlier.
Another frost tonite ~ not sure how deep or nasty. Just crappy ugly (at my age on a 18 in. stool) to toss sheets over giant Will Goodwin hugely budded Clemmie on lamp pole, twice a wk. over 2 wks w/temps in 70s during the day & a drop of near 30 degrees some nites IS GETTING OLD & wobbly scary at my mid-70's age. Huge lightpost plant with sheets all over together looks like I'm doing Halloween Ghost Oct. scene. And parrot tulips, Amethest & Blue Centaura w/big buds tossing sheets over all, & dragging newbie annuals into the kitcehn ..... ME thinks I need another plan of letting all 7 major Flower gardens at home & veggie summer residence at tiny camp "do their" THING, as what's going to happen to them when I;m NOTstill ABOVE THE GRASS?? Does anyone else near my age have these worrisome thoughts?
CorinneKL@aol.com or on this forum, VtRoots above.
I do what I can.....if they get frost nipped, well, they get nipped.....if I need to replant, I do....I can't worry about Mother Nature.....I lost some of my iris buds to freeze, but others are OK, so I'll have to wait til next year to see the ones that were frozen.....
So far I haven't lost any iris buds, at least not as of last weekend, and cold wasn't predicted for this week... But Marilyn, I think we're a little higher up and colder than you, so I guess mine formed later. Still I'll be surprised if my newer ones bloom at all this year, there were no signs of anything happening last I looked.
I improved my lighting this year and added SuperThrive root stimulator which really pushed the seedlings along. Some are blooming already, others are outgrowing their space. I'm getting claustrophobic with so many plants in the city and at the house ready to go, I'm kicking them all out and planting ASAP.
So there, Mothere Nature, so there!
LOL.....good for you, Pam.....I did plant some annuals today....angelonia, snaps, & wax begonias...going out now to put in some glads.....
found all my potted up mini hostas which I didn't get time to plant last year. 2 out of three of my 1.99 bargain mini rosebushes from the grocery store made it through the winter. My climbing rose bloomed today. Annuals probably next week. I am going to put the nasturtium seeds into the half baskets hanging on my fence tomorrow.
Martha
I think I'm late in their planting, but I'm planting glads today. I was blaming my lack of pruning for my lilacs' poor showing. The baby lilac bushes were fine this year.
The warm period in March plus the cold nights afterward completely killed a few Southern magnolias in pots. I ordered larger pots of them this year in more upright growing cultivars. If not happily planted and protected, the tender evergreens are going into a makeshift coldframe under my deck stairs in fall. The rain will fall through the decking above and through their polypropeline jackets. Amazing to learn that camellias have been much tougher than expected out of doors this spring. No more annuals until the fancy shrubs and trees are happy. I also like to wait until the petunias are leggy and on sale at the nurseries.