Ready, Set, Go!

Our unseasonably cool April has slowed gardeners down a bit this year. Many of us, especially those of us out in the northern and western Baltimore suburbs want to get going with our container plantings and annual beds outside. Mother's Day may be the rule for tender annuals like impatiens and begonias, but many plants can go outside right now without worrying about low temperatures and frost.
Verbena is available in many colors. It is great to use as a trailing plant in a planter or as a very colorful groundcover that will bloom all summer. We use them in combination with geraniums and petunia in our farm greenhouse-grown hanging baskets.

Another hanging basket favorite is the Wave petunia. Burgundy Star was new last year. If performed well through our cool spring and hot summer in 2010.

The family of black petunias is new this year. Phantom, Pinstripe and Black Velvet have all garnered lots of attention from garden writers this year.
 Many other annuals do well planted now and often blooming all summer long. Take a look at beautiful pink diascia, snapdragons, alyssum, dusty miller and all sorts of hybrid petunias. In the meantime, be patient. Warmer weather is just around the corner.