Because I live in Georgia, writing this article about annual fall flowers should be easy as pie for me. I have a few plants that come to mind automatically, but then I start thinking…maybe I should check out some places in town to see if there’s anything new out there (I know what you’re thinking). So off I go to my local Home Depot. Where I live, it’s the closest (and the only) major home improvement store around and they always seem to have the best prices on plants and such. The colorful array of flowers I found were breathtaking and very hard to resist. I couldn’t help but make my contribution to the Home Depot cash register. Here are some annual flowers that will work great for you folks in the south this fall. Planting annuals in your garden this fall with give new life to fading summer colors. As the list of flowers that follow are either half-hardy or hardy, they should withstand the southern cold weather. Follow recommendations on seed packets or tabs that come with plant packs, as always. Don’t forget to mulch if you plant these flowers in the ground.
Annual Vincas
A half-hardy flower, these beautiful little darlings come in colors of pink, purple, red, orange or white. Vincas are great for border plants or in containers. They grow to about 10 to 18 inches tall and like full sun or even partial shade. Plant seeds or plants in rich, well-drained soil and fertilize about once a month. Seeds will take a week or two to germinate.
Zinnias
There are more types of zinnias than you can shake a stick at. You can find larger size zinnias or the dwarf size and they come in a lots of colors. These annual flowers will bloom until frost. If you plan to grow zinnias by seed, plant seeds up to 8 weeks before the first frost. Plants can be grown in beds or containers. Make sure your zinnias get plenty of sun and keep them well watered. Fertilize about once a month.
Impatiens
These are such a pretty annual flower. They remind me of vincas. Impatiens will do well in shady areas and will take about 15 days to germinate. They will only grow up to about a foot tall. Plant your impatiens in containers or beds. Make sure they get a nice drink of water when dry and fertilize every so often.
Pansies
Pansies, pansies, everywhere! Pansy seeds will take 10 to 20 days to germinate. I say just go and buy the plants! They will reach 6 to 8 inches in height. There are several varieties of hardy pansies that produce beautiful, mildly fragrant flowers. Varieties include Swiss Giant, Romeo Juliet, Swiss Giant Mixed and Black Prince. Requiring sun to partial shade, these wide array of colors are perfect for hanging baskets or edging. Keep the soil moist.
Annual Phlox
Annual phlox is considered a hardy annual. Clusters of blooms on each plant, annual phlox comes in colors of cream, white, rose or violet. Plan on about 15 days for these to germinate and they will only grow to be about 10 inches high. Perfect for beds. Keep watered and fertilize about every month.
Calendula
Also known as pot marigolds, these flowers also come in different colors and are edible! Most plants will produce shades of orange, yellow and primrose. Calendula flowers look a lot like daisies. These seeds will take 4 to 10 days to germinate and will grow to about 18 inches in height. Plant these seeds in well-drained soil. As these flowers thrive in full sun, deadhead old blooms to produce more blossoms. Water well and fertilize moderately. These flowers are nice in containers or in beds as a border and will attract butterflies.
Petunias
Another favorite for Georgia flower lovers! For my mother, planting petunias every year is as predictable as having turkey and dressing on Thanksgiving day. Do yourself a favor and buy the plants. They’re everywhere! If you decide to plant seeds, they will take about a week to germinate. You’ll need to keep the seeds a little moist, but as they get established, they don’t require much maintenance.
Snapdragons
These half-hardy annual flowers come in a wide variety of colors and come in two heights. The dwarf variety will reach about 10 inches in height, while the taller variety will reach up to 5 feet. Of course you may want to stake the larger variety. Snapdragons do well in beds and are beautiful as cut flowers. Keep these well fertilized and in full sun.
Bachelor’s Button
These hardy annuals have long stems and are so pretty. They come in colorful shades of white, blue, pink or red. These seeds will take 10 to 15 days to germinate and can reach a height of 24 inches. Water often. Bachelor buttons will accept sun to partial shade. These flowers are nice for beds, as cut flowers or bouquets.
Larkspur
A hardy flower, these tall and gorgeous flowers come in a multitude of colors. Larkspur will reach up to 36 inches in height and are great for planting in the background and nice for bouquets or dried flowers. These flowers grow best in sun to partial shade in beds or as a border. The seeds will take about 21 days to germinate. These flowers need plenty of water and you should fertilize often.
I hope that this list of annuals for the fall will give you southern gardeners some ideas. Even if you cannot plant these flowers in the ground due to physical problems, these flowers are going to prove easy to care for in pots or hanging baskets. Color makes you feel good. Happy gardening.
