I’ve been getting quite a few emails from people wondering what seeds I’ll be planting next year. Last month I shared what vegetables I’ll be growing and sources for ordering strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, so today I thought I would share what flowers I will be growing this year. Some flowers will be started under grow lights, and others I will direct sow.
In years past, I have not grown a wide variety of flowers. More often than not I just stuck to sunflowers, daisies and a few perennials. But I really wanted to expand my flower garden this year, so that’s why the list below is soooo long.
Here’s a list of the flowers I’ll be growing in my 2013 garden:
Pansies – Swiss Giant Blend & Got the Blues {window box and front walk}
Lobelia – Cascade of Color {hanging baskets}
Zinnia – Envy, Fantasy and Fireball Blend {garden}
Alyssum – Rosie O’Day, Oriental Nights, and Tiny Tim {hanging flower baskets and walkway}
Candy Tuft – Sweet Candy Blend {front landscape, around the lamp post}
Echinacea – White Swan {front landscape near planter box}
Grass – Bunny Tails {fairy garden}
Penstemon – Rocky Mountain Blue {fairy garden}
Hyssop – True Hyssop {fairy garden}
Talinum – Jewels of Opar {fairy garden}
Cup and Saucer Vine – Blue and White Blend {garden gate arbors}
English Daisy – Pomponette Blend {front patio}
Linaria – Fairy Bouquet {for the fairy garden of course!}
Snapdragon – Tall Maximun Blend {back garden}
Chinese Lantern {growing these to dry for the fall}
Larkspur – Sublime Blend
Ornamental Eggplant – Pumpkin on a Stick {growing these for fall decorations}
Hollyhock – The Watchman {perennial garden, along the fence}
Coleus – Black Dragon and Rainbow Blend {front flower post}
Marigold – Pacific Beauty Blend {to use in the garden}
Morning Glory – Sunrise Blend {along the fence}
Poppy – Lauren’s Grape, Flander’s and Oriental Blend {back garden, growing to cut}
Sweet Pea – Villa Roma Cerise and Cupani {Villa near the front porch, Cupani along the fence}
Sunflowers – Florist’s Sunny Bouquet, Drop Dead Red, Vanilla Ice, Moulin Rouge, and Sunspot {the taller once will be planted along the fence and the shorter ones will be planted throughout the garden}.
What do you think? Did I miss anything? What are some of your favorite flowers, and what will YOU be growing in your garden this summer?
~Mavis
Go HERE to see what vegetables I am growing this year.
Go HERE to see what fruit varieties I am growing this year.
Jade G says
I was just going to also chime in on the Morning Glory… It is a weed here! SO hard to get rid of!
Randi says
Mavis- be careful with the Morning Glory! I had a very bad (read: invasive took YEARS to remove) experience with Morning Glory. It is a pretty vine but will really spread underground runners if you don’t contain it.
crlzmmr says
I’ve never had any problem with the “annual” Morning Glory.
Yes, it self seeds, but I’ve had no problem getting rid of it when I want to.
But the “perennal” Morning Glory is another thing entirely.
About the only good thing I can say about it is:
” #@**&%#@* Stupid Vine!”
Years ago I planted it in my yard (because it is so pretty).
Did it grow up the fence?
No! It crawled across the yard, down the slope,
and now covers the neighbor’s yard like Kudzu.
Mavis says
Ohhhhh but I love morning glory so much! Maybe I will plant it towards the back fence instead.
Diana Smith says
Be sure you really love morning glories as they reseed vigorously and it took last summers drough to finally rid myself of Grandpa Ott type…they took over fence and they wound themselves around my butterfly bushes and roses . The variety you selected might not be quite so bad as the heirloom types for spreading but bewre. Also,hollyhocks can become real pests,too. They make a zillion seeds and everyone grows…plus their roots go to China and really hard to dig up. And most revert back to pink in a season or two no matter what they started out as. Not to be a downer as I generally grow over 30 different varieities of flowers annually and save seeds!!
Gayle says
LOVE Linaria and it’s common name – toadflax. So delicate and appropriate for your fairy garden.
I concur on the morning glory!
Some of my favorites that I return to over and over:
~ Calendula (easy and great for pest control in the veggies)
~Mirabilis – Four o’ Clocks
~ Thunbergia -black-eyed susan vine
~ Coleus – ‘inky fingers’
~ Hare’s tail grass
~ Godetia
~ Cerinthe major – Honeywort – very unusual, smells great and cool seeds!
~ Lavatera
Lots more, but those are some of my favorites.
Jenn says
Consider a container for the Chinese Lantern too!
Mavis says
Thanks! I will. 🙂
Wendy says
Chinese lanterns can easily take over through self seeding if you leave the lanterns out. Pretty though!
suzanne says
Morning Glorys have not presented them selves to be a problem in my garden here in the PNW. Ditto with the Chinese lantern tho they do self seed a wee bit, just enough to transplant. Climates are so interesting. If You ever find yourself in Kingston Wa. and want some Hellborus or Christmas rose plants or wish to stroll around the old Heronswood gardens a tour can be arranged. I work the Potager. They were just purchased by the local tribe and a major over hall is in progress. The local crepe shop is to die for too!
christie says
Mavis:
I went to the Botanical Interests website. I’m intrigued with their “cow pots”. have you used them ?
~ christie
Mavis says
I have not used them before but they sound cool.
Crystal says
I love putting in Nasturtiums every year. They are a beautiful flower that comes in a variety of colors from yellow to red, including orange and even some pink. The leaves are also amazing. Plus, the whole thing is edible, with a slightly peppery taste, so they make a great flavorful addition to a salad, or to just munch on in the garden. I also love using the flowers to decorate cakes, especially chocolate ones. They are seriously the one flower that is a must have every year in my garden.
And, I will add my issues with morning glories. I also live in the PNW and have had two gardens that were a constant battle to keep the morning glories from taking over. Plant them somewhere that you can give the whole hill to them, no where near your vegetables. They are somewhat like planting a blackberry bush (in how hard to get rid of they are), only without the thorns.
Tiffany says
I admire your list. I’ll be growing tulips and lots of weeds.
meg says
Hello Mavis,
I am a Western Washington gardener as well and I have fallen in love with Bachelor Buttons over the past two summers. They are easy to grow, just direct sow and they are so dainty and pretty. They grow really well with cosmos and larkspur. How many days until spring???? I am already counting down. Love your site!
Mavis says
I LOVE Bachelor’s Buttons too! They are so pretty!
mary ann grohman says
i had seen a vine somewhere on one of your websites i thought. it was a vine called fairy angel or angel fairy. very fairy like flowers. got the new catalog and can’t find it anywhere. ????
Mavis says
Here is my flower post. I’m not sure which one you were referring to. http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/2013/01/mavis-garden-blog-my-favorite-flowers-for-2013/