Garden Club of Cape Coral | Brighten your garden with winter annuals
Throughout December we experience the hustle, bustle and joys of the holiday season. After New Year’s has passed, however, the winter doldrums may set in, even in Florida. So why not brighten your landscape with some winter annuals. The trick is knowing which ones to plant and when.
There are two basic annual seasons in South Florida, winter and summer, with different plants for each. The winter annuals are the same ones that you may have planted for the summer up north. The cooler temperatures in a Florida winter emulate a climate typical to the northern spring and summer. Be careful, though. Planting these annuals too early in the fall may result in losing the plants due to the intense heat. And check for the plant’s hardiness zone. Lee County is primarily in USDA Hardiness Zone 10b. Some parts of the county, especially the central areas, may be in Zone 10a. You can use your ZIP code to find your exact zone on the USDA interactive map.
Some South Florida annuals may last for several years if planted where they can be protected from the hot summer sun. Winter annuals that can be grown in Southwest Florida include pansies (Viola x wittrockiana), calendula (Calendula officinalis), petunias (Petunia xatkinsiana), sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima) and coleus (Coleus scutellarioides).
The calendula produces a yellow or orange daisy-like blossom and attracts butterflies. It grows to 1 to 1.5 feet and can be planted in full sun or partial shade. It is difficult to find transplants so look for seeds. Calendulas self-sow, so you may see volunteers pop up next year. Pansies have a tolerance for cold and need partial shade and well-drained soil to stay healthy. The “faced” pansies have flowers with color blotches with a darker colored center resembling a face. The solid-colored blooms are called “clear-faced” pansies. Sweet alyssum blooms in an array of colors from fall to winter. It grows in mounds 12 inches tall and wide and produces flowers which smell like honey, thus attracting bees and butterflies. Sweet alyssum and petunias prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Petunias can vary in terms of size, shape, hue and color pattern. I once visited a botanical garden at Christmas and saw petunias segmented in red and white with a bright, candy cane look.
Flowers aren’t the only way you can add interest or color to your landscape. Coleus can produce continuous color to your garden with their vibrant leaves. Most varieties need partial shade and well-drained soil. The dusty miller has a lacy texture and looks as if it has been covered with a light film of snow. It is easy to grow and prefers full sun. Blooms should be removed on both plants to allow for new growth.
The cooler winter temperatures provide more pleasant conditions for gardening. Plant nurseries sell annuals when it is time to plant them and can help you with your selection. And after the holiday feasting, gardening can lift our spirits and provide great physical exercise.
Carole Kerns is a Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Lee County Extension and a volunteer at the Berne Davis Botanical Garden.
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