How to Grow Flowers For Garden Colour
Flowers are a gardener’s joy – bringing colour, fragrance, and life to any outdoor space. With so many varieties available, you can grow blooms year-round in beds, pots, or containers to brighten up decks and courtyards. Some also earn their keep in the vege garden, attracting pollinators or helping to deter pests.
Planting
You can grow flowers year-round, even through winter with hardy varieties like pansies, violas, calendula, and snapdragons bringing cheerful colour to the cooler months.
As the seasons warm, the range expands with summer stunners like cosmos, dahlias, zinnias, and marigolds.
Whether planting into garden beds or containers, prepare your soil or potting mix a week or two before planting to give your flowers the best start.
- To prepare your flower bed for planting, firstly remove any dead or old plants and weeds.
- Apply evenly a generous layer of Daltons Enriched Compost approx 40L per 2m2 and thoroughly work it into the soil.
- As a guide, try and work it in to about 1 ½ spade deep. This ensures that the soil has been fully aerated and the compost has been mixed thoroughly with the existing soil, improving organic matter, nutrient content and microbial activity.
Choosing The Right Variety
Flowers generally fall into three main groups and can be grown at certain times of the year.
Annuals: Grow only once, then need to be replaced (some varieties self-seed), many varieties to choose from.
Perennials: Non-woody plants that last two or more years (they usually multiply and can be divided) and varieties come in a wide range of colours and sizes.
Biennials: Sown the first year, flower second year, then are finished.
Bulbs: There are also a wide variety of flowering spring bulbs you can grow that add a burst of colour after a long winter – lookout for the Daltons How to Grow Bulbs Guide for more information and varieties to grow.
Roses: For Rose lovers, Daltons also has a specific How to Grow Roses Guide if you wish to grow beautiful blooming roses in your garden.
Growing Flowers in Containers and Baskets
The best types of flowers that grow well in containers or baskets are varieties which are more robust and prefer the drier conditions found within a pot. You can also choose from varieties that are more compact or have a nice trailing habit (for baskets). Always use a good quality container mix such as such as Daltons Premium Potting Mix, or Daltons Premium Outdoor Container Mix – these have been specially developed to have moisture retaining qualities and deliver a well balanced slow release of nutrients. Many people grow annuals in pots – for best results toss out last season’s worn-out soil and replace with a fresh new soil mix. Alternatively, you can revive old soil with Daltons Premium Rose and Flower Fertiliser.
Ideal varieties for pots/container planting
Dianthus, Lavender, Geraniums, Pansy, Violas, Petunias, Marigolds, Primulas, Lobelias, Portulaca, and Livingstone Daisies.
Recommended annuals for lovely hanging baskets
Alyssum, Lobelias, Bacopa, Portulaca, Verbena, Cascade Petunias, Livingstone Daisies, and Ivy Geranium.
When To Plant Flowers
- Sowing Indoors: Seeds should be sown in trays indoors using Daltons Premium Seed Mix, then transplanted into the garden six weeks later (use the guide below).
- Direct Planting: Purchase seedlings from your local garden centre and plant them directly in the garden (use the guide below).
Summer Annuals
Annual flowers are typically grown in gardens or containers. While some varieties can tolerate shade, it's generally best to choose a warm, sunny spot for optimal growth. Here's a guide to planting flowers throughout the summer season:
August/September:
Sowing Indoors:
Ageratum, Asters, Livingstone Daisy, Lobelia, Marigolds, Petunias, Portulacas, Salvias, and Zinnias.
Direct Planting:
Alyssum, Calendula, Cornflowers, Hollyhock, Nemesia, Snapdragons, and Sweetpeas.
October:
Sowing Indoors:
Arctotis, Asters, Cosmos, Marigolds, Sunflowers, Petunias, Phlox, Salvias, and Zinnias.
Direct Planting:
Alyssum, Cornflowers, Delphiniums, Hollyhock, Nemesias, Portulacas, Statice, Sweet peas, Verbena, and Zinnias.
November:
Sowing Indoors:
Asters, Celosia, Chrysanthemums, Marigolds, Sunflowers, Petunias, Salvias, and Strawflowers.
Direct Planting:
Alyssum, Ageratum, Arctotis, Asters, Cornflowers, Cosmos, Marigolds, Nemesias, Phlox, Portulacas, and Zinnias.
Perennials
A wide selection of flowering perennials becomes available in garden centres from May.
Some perennial varieties to consider:
Aincluding Alstroemeria, Anigozanthos, Armeria, Asters, Astilbe, Cannas, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Dianthus, Gardenia, Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies', Hot Rox Scaevola, Iris, Lavender, Marguerite Daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens), Petunia, Phlox, Polyanthus, Primulas, Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Salvia, Scabiosa, and Verbena bonariensis.
Winter Annuals
These hardy flowers can tolerate colder conditions and add colour to your winter garden.
March/April:
Sowing Indoors:
Calendulas, Cineraria, Cornflowers, Lobelia, Nemesia, Pansy, Lupins (South Island), Snapdragons, Stock, Sweet pea, Sweet William, and Viola.
Direct Planting:
Alyssum, Aquilegia, Calendula, Cornflowers, Russell Lupins, Statice, Stock, Sweet Pea, and Viola.
May:
Sowing Indoors:
Cineraria, Cornflowers, Poppies, Russell lupins, Snapdragons, Stock, Sweet pea, and Wallflowers.
Direct Planting:
Alyssum, Calendular, Cornflower, Russell Lupins, Pansy, Stock, Sweet pea, and Wallflowers.
June/July/August:
Sowing Indoors & Direct Planting:
Last plantings can continue till early June and into July, then stop and enjoy the flowers!
Flowers for shady gardens
There are flower varieties available that tolerate shade well and don’t require as much sun. These are perfect for filling up those difficult shady areas in your garden; just ensure you prepare your soil well before planting (see planting steps above). Some varieties to try are:
Impatiens
Cineraria
Cyclamen
Clivias
Fuchsias
Helleborus
Heuchera
Hostas
Pulmonaria (Lungwort)
Regional tips
For guidance on regional planting please talk to your local garden centre and see what is available as in some instances, planting too early or late can lead to problems.
Feeding and watering
For all summer annuals, apply Daltons Premium Rose and Flower Fertiliser every 4-6 weeks during growing season. Apply the same for perennials. Water regularly to keep plants growing healthily – around twice a week until plants are well established, and then drop back to once a week (weather dependant). Avoid overwatering.
General maintenance
To ensure continuity of flowering, deadhead your flowers throughout the growing season. With some annuals such as cascade petunias, cut plants back once or twice during the growing season to encourage healthy new growth and flowering.
Pests and diseases
Slugs and snails can be an issue so protect plants with non-toxic pet and child friendly slug/snail pellets, or try organic alternatives such as beer traps, and surrounding plants with crushed shell, bark or saw dust.
It does help to include marigolds and calendulas in your flower planting (particularly in summer) as the pungent odour they produce can help deter pests. Use Daltons Organic Bio-Fungicides Granules as a non-toxic and organic natural protectant.
Gardening terms explained
Annuals: Only last a growing season.
Deadheading: The removal of finished flowers to encourage continuous succession flowering.
Free draining soil: Soil that is light and well broken up. Water can penetrate the soil and drain without pooling.
Hardy plants: Robust plants that can tolerate severe conditions.
Perennials Plants: Live for more than one growing season (typically three).
Replacement planting/or succession planting: Planting the same plant again as the previous one comes to an end.
Side dressing: To apply fertiliser around the sides of the plant.
