At Archer Services, our goal is to continue to design, enhance, and maintain elegant lawn and landscape layouts for clients. That’s why when it comes to landscape flowers for Spring and Summer, we choose only the most elegant annuals that help make your yard stand out. This month, we’ve highlighted, in detail, three very colorful and somewhat popular flowers. Discover more below as we share general features and insight on Gerbera Daisies, Heliotropes, and Impatiens.
Planting Beautiful Bright Gerbera Daisies
People recognize these South African beauties by their bright color options that provide an instant splash of elegance to any landscape design. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this flower is that it’s the fifth most popular flower in the world, and most people do not know this! However, the key to keeping these flowers in bloom for as long as possible is to purchase the plant at its youngest stage. When the flower centers still have a flat bright-colored disc, it is a young plant that you’ll want to select.
In-House or Outdoor Landscape Care
If you want to incorporate Gerbera daisies into your landscape, you’ll want to plant them in the Springtime to ensure a lasting bloom. Furthermore, they don’t do well when they’re planted in direct sunlight. We recommend planting them in shaded areas so that they have a break from the sun when it’s especially blazing hot during the afternoon hours. Also, planting them on the East side of your home should provide you with the best results of the daisy bloom.
Lastly, you shouldn’t have too much water in the soil when you pot or plant this large variety of daisies. Super moist soil means that the flower may be subject to fungus, mold, and harmful insects. Therefore, drip irrigation directly into the soil works best. We also recommend that you use a moisture meter to help gauge and maintain the adequate amount of moisture in the soil.
Adding the Fragrant Heliotrope Flower to Your Landscape
The heliotrope may seem to look like a popular annual, but most people aren’t familiar with it. At Archer Services, we’ve highlighted this particular flower in hopes to increase its popularity in the Greater Houston area. In fact, one of the first things you’ll notice about this flower is its wonderful aromatic fragrance. If you enjoy the sweet smell of cherry-almond-vanilla, you’ll love the heliotrope flower.
The second feature that you’ll notice with this flower is its gorgeous purple color. I mean, who doesn’t love the color purple?! Planting Heliotropes in your landscape will certainly enhance any yard with its vibrant purple hues throughout the Spring and Summer. This flower also comes in white to further complement any well-manicured front yard. Perhaps another great feature about heliotropes is that they’re very easy to care for in a regular landscape maintenance program.
Ideal Blooming Conditions
The most important thing you should know about caring for heliotropes is that they need water. You do not want to overwater and saturate their roots, but do water them. Fortunately, a good indication that these flowers need water is when the leaves begin to look burned and turn brown. Be sure to keep them watered and pluck off the burned leaves.
Though these flowers will tend to bloom towards the sunlight, here in Texas, they cannot handle our direct sun and heat exposure. Therefore, it’s best that you plant them in a slightly bright shaded area. This way, they have the best of both worlds; they get a little sun, but also the great shade helps keep their soil and roots moist a bit longer. Remember, the soils should drain, but not dry out. As you plant heliotropes, be sure to plant them with other flowers that love water.
Our Most Popular and Elegant Annual Flower
If you’re looking for a gorgeous annual to bloom profusely with its bright colors from Spring to late Fall, then may we suggest impatiens? They’re quite the most popular annual for shade to partial shade. In fact, impatiens are considered tropical flowers because they do extremely well in warm climates like Houston. Perhaps it’s for this reason that they are so popular in Southeast Texas.
Simple Care for Complex Elegance and Beauty
Overall, there are three important things to remember when it comes to caring for Impatiens. First of all, they need a good amount of morning sunshine each day. The shade is not their friend and they do not do well under the extreme afternoon sunshine. So, morning sun only.
Secondly, you’ll want to ensure that they receive the proper amount of watering each day as well. In fact, impatiens flourish from lots of water and well-drained soils. Just like with morning sun, be sure to water them well with drip irrigation in the mornings.
And as for soils, the third thing to remember is to be sure to use organic potting mix soils that you can mix well with your existing soil. Furthermore, the soil needs to drain well, and you can feed impatiens every two weeks with liquid fertilizer. Overall, if you want a vibrant and beautiful landscape to last from early Spring to late Fall, impatiens are your best bet yet.
Need more information about landscape design and lawn care? Call us at 281-203-7615.
