Celebrate America’s 250th with Annuals

By Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers

We have an opportunity to celebrate a major milestone – the 250^th anniversary of the United States of America! While many will embrace our national celebration in their towns, states are taking part in special initiatives under the umbrella of America 250. You can mark this milestone with a personal touch by planting a few pots incorporating red, white and blue annuals. Fortunately, many of our top-performing varieties are available in these core colors. It’s an easy theme you can carry through your gardening season.

Early Spring Bloomers

For early spring, when weather is cool and there’s still chance of frost, we recommend Senetti pericallis.

Six blue varieties are available, including the top-selling Blue Bicolor and the novel new Blue Spoon, with spoon-shaped petals that radiate out like fireworks!

Red choices include Senetti Red Halo and Ruby Red. And there are two whites. White with a dark blue center disk and White Red Heart with an unusual red center disk.

When the weather warms up a little bit more, Grandaisy intergeneric hybrid argyranthemums produce large blooms. Two color choices are Red Improved and White Improved. Vigorous plants will fill large planters and beds quickly.

These two plant categories put on an amazing show through the spring but are miserable in peak summer heat. Senetti will stop flowering entirely and Grandaisy blooms will be smaller. If kept alive, they will rebound in the fall but not survive winter. Enjoy their spring glory!

Peak Spring Performers

For glorious color that will last through summer, you can’t beat petunias and calibrachoa.

Surfinia petunias are especially weather tolerant and a top choice for hanging baskets on Main Street. Keep them watered and fertilized regularly and enjoy them until temperatures dip into the 30s.

Million Bells trailing calibrachoas are the most weather tolerant in our line with superior garden vigor. Suntory Flowers introduced Million Bells to the world and made it a household name, synonymous with calibrachoa. 

Summer Sizzlers

Some like it hot and that’s where Sun Parasol and Sundenia mandevillas/dipladenias come in.

Choose from vigorous vining types or compact bushy ones. Large red blooms are simply irresistible, and white ones add a touch of class. We like to surround them with other heat-loving annuals – Soiree Kawaii vincas and Surdiva scaevolas.

Tiny, but terrific, Soiree Kawaii varieties are mini vincas that thrive in landscape beds and containers. The word, “kawaii,” means cute in Japanese. The Lady Liberty Mix is a blend of three Soiree Kawaii colors – Red Shades, White Peppermint and Blueberry Kiss.

Surdiva scaevolas are a more compact, restrained type. Older scaevolas have a wilder habit that can still weave nicely in large planters. Commonly known as fan flowers, these blooms are fan-shaped. They make nice fillers in mixed planters and hanging baskets or as a bedding groundcover.

Bloom Where You’re Planted

In the floriculture industry, we have our own community revitalization initiative, America in Bloom. (AIB)

Nearly 400 cities and towns have participated in 25 years. How can you participate?

1. Get your town involved in America in Bloom.

Do you have friends in local government or the chamber of commerce? Direct them to the AIB website or lead the charge. Deadline to register is February 28^th. 

2. Recognize your gardening efforts.

AIB has rolled out a fun new Gardens Across America self-certification program. 

3. Attend next year’s AIB symposium and awards program.

It will be hosted by the Prince George’s County chapter in Maryland near Washington, DC, in late September.

For more information about America in Bloom, visit www.americainbloom.org.

For more information about Suntory Flowers, visit www.suntorygardenclub.com.

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