Start Your Spring Flower Garden Now!
Spring seems to fly by so fast. Especially in years when the temperatures stay cool longer. Before you know it the end of April is here and you haven't even started your spring planting. But even if you miss the early spring planting period, that doesn't mean you can't have a yard full of fragrant, colorful flowers in late spring and through the summer. There are several types of plants that grow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7-10 that thrive in the summer months when planted in April. And luckily, Huntsville falls right within those zones! Plant Hardiness Zone Map - Alabama
Here is a handy list of plants that are ideal for planting in late spring:
Bare Root Perennials
These plants are perfect for April planting because they are fast growers and will fill your landscape with radiant color during the summer. Bare root perennials are sold by nurseries and online catalogs after they have grown for a year and had their growth trimmed to about an inch above the crown. When purchased they are ready to be transplanted outdoors after removing soil from the roots. Some examples of bare root perennials are: Daylilies, Astilbe, and Clematis.
Annuals
There are several, easy to grow, summer-blooming annuals that can be planted in April. Sunflowers are quite sturdy and don't require a lot of attention once planted. They will thrive in a variety of soil conditions and they include short ones that grow a few feet tall, to tall plants that can grow to be 8 feet and taller. Cosmos are easy-to-grow flowering plants as well and provide brightly colored blooms for your garden.
Flowering Shrubs and Citrus
Choose drought-tolerant shrubs to plant in April and they will do well through the summer. Ceanothus, otherwise known as the California Lilac, produce blossoms of delicate, tiny blue and purple flowers. Because there are so many, the entire bush looks like it is blue or purple. Another good bush to plant in April is the Common Flannel Bush. Also a California native, this bush produces vibrant yellow flowers that bloom all at once. Rosemary Bushes have fragrant leaves that can be used for cooking and little blue or purple flowers for color. Citrus Trees come in many varieties that have sweetly scented blooms.
So, if you didn't get a chance to plant flowers in early spring, it's not too late to add a garden full of vivid colors to your landscape!
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Photo Credit: gardner.com