Now that May has arrived, the season to plant our summer-blooming annuals is officially underway. This week heading into Mother’s Day, is when the greenhouse at your favorite garden store is going to be overflowing with colorful plants.
This week, I want to share with you my personal selections for the best performing flowers. These selections are not from scientific trials like they have at the zoo. Which, by the way, is actually where the best performing flowers are selected every year. After living in my current house for 24 years, these are the ones that have risen to mine and my wife’s favorites.
We have a pretty simple standard, yet not always easy standard to meet. Beyond planting, we want them to be as low-maintenance as possible. At the same time, we want them to be so colorful the neighbors ask about them. Over the years, these have drawn the most attention.
Lantana
My favorite was an extremely easy pick. It is lantana. Lantana is a colorful annual that thrives in the blazing hot sun. I plant it on the west side of the house where it gets full sun from the early afternoon until the sun sets. In the hottest weeks of the summer, I never have to water it more often than twice a week.
Lantana comes in a range of bright colors. They bloom in clusters of tiny blooms. Planted in May, they become a solid mass of color by the end of June. They will continually bloom into late October. The different varieties grow in different sizes. There are both tall and shorter varieties. They are great in beds or in containers. You cannot go wrong with lantana.
Another great feature of Lantana is that it is also amazing for attracting pollinators. From what I’ve seen, I don’t know a plant that is better. Our lantana is constantly buzzing with insects.
Dragon wing begonia
Our runner-up to lantana would be dragon wing begonia. This variety of begonia has large, attractive foliage for which it is named. They are also very colorful, loaded with either pink or red flowers. I plant these where I need height. They will grow 24-36 inches tall.
Begonias can be planted in the sun or shade. In the sun, they are the most drought-tolerant flowers I have ever planted. A few years ago, I learned a trick about the winged and wax leaf begonias that I did not know. You can control the size by how much water you give them. If you water them frequently, they will grow bigger. You can hold back the water; they will grow slower and smaller.
Coleus
You don’t have to have flowers to have color. This is why I love coleus. There are also several varieties of this plant. The foliage ranges in color from bright lime green to deep purple. In between, there are many shades of green, red, pink and mixed colors. They range in size, growing from 12-36 inches. These plants are great for shaded areas. They will tolerate the sun but will need to be watered more often.
SunPatiens
For colorful blooms in the shade, I have been most successful with SunPatiens. The name would imply just the opposite. These are a hybrid variety of impatiens. Impatiens are known to thrive in the shade. The hybridization made these more tolerant of the sun. They will thrive in both. Again, with more sun, they will need to be watered more frequently. The blooms come in many colors. The foliage is also colorful and attractive.
Mother’s Day is Sunday. I would just like to remind everyone that moms love flowers. I never met one that didn’t. Please keep this in mind when looking for the perfect gift she deserves.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mother’s Day flowers: Expert breaks down 4 best gift options
