Homeowner Tip #17: Growing Awesome Annuals

As you purchase and begin planting this season's batch of annuals, follow this advice for great results:

1. Look for stocky seedlings with bright green foliage when shopping for annuals.

2. Soak hard-coated annual seeds overnight before planting. Nasturtium and morning glory are two species that benefit from this treatment.

3. Keep color in mind when you plan your garden. Plant flowers with complementary colors near each other. For example, blue, white and pink flowers are a good combination in the same border.

4. Include annual vines in your garden. Sweet pea, climbing nasturtium, morning glory and moon vine can grow up and over your garden.

5. Use annuals to provide fill-in color, if you have an established perennial border.

6. Mulch annual flowers to eliminate weeds and maintain soil moisture.

7. Pinch back buds with your fingers to encourage stem growth.

8. Snip off flowers as they fade to encourage continuous blooming.

9. Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation to water your plants.

10. Promote new growth on small-flowered plants, such as alyssum, by shearing them back in midsummer.

For more gardening tips, contact Sugar Pine Realty/GMAC Real Estate at 209-533-4242.