Time near to get cool-season flowers in the ground

If cool-season flowers -- such as pansies -- could tell you when to plant them, they'd scream for planting in the fall. It's ideal for bedding plants to produce many more blooms and the bright, sunny days bring out the rich colors these plants are famous for.

There are all kinds of cool-season flowers to choose from: The more popular ones are pansy, alyssum, calendula, petunia, stock, sweet pea, hollyhock, viola, snapdragon, and ornamental kale and cabbage. Some bedding plants are hard to find as transplants, so purchase seeds. These include hollyhock, gaillardia, African daisy, California poppy and sweet pea.

Annuals exhibit the brightest colors in the plant world and are versatile. Grow them in full sun, partial shade, on top of bulbs, underneath shrubs or trees, in beds and borders, and in pots, window boxes and baskets. Window boxes and movable planters are perfect for annuals to provide bright splashes of color.

Some of the most striking color combinations are mixtures of the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. Combinations of secondary colors: green, violet and orange also are attention getters. For a more subtle color effect, combine flowers in a gradual sequence of colors, such as red to orange, yellow to green or blue to violet. Best of all, use your own eye to determine which color combinations you find most pleasing.

Our soils hardly ever freeze, so roots keep up with the plant's top growth. But it takes a good foundation to bring on the show. That, of course, begins with good soil preparation. Compare soil preparation to your bank account. The more money or compost you put in the bank, the more interest or blooms in return. If you cheat on soil preparation, the dividends will be fewer blooms.

Annuals do have the ability to tolerate a wide range of soils. You improve their chances for bushels of blooms if you plant them in well-drained, highly organic soils. To accomplish this, add 3 to 5 inches of compost or potting soil and cultivate the soil to a depth of 6 inches or more, incorporating the organic amendment as you turn the soil.

When purchasing annuals, select new improved hybrids. They are more vigorous bloomers. Choose plants with color showing to know what you're getting.

The most important component of successful fall-flower planting is to purchase healthy, vigorous plants. Buy your plants from a nursery you trust, but always check each flower before purchasing it. Delicately push the plant out of its pot and look at the roots. Stay away from circling roots, a good indication the plant is pot bound and will never perform as hoped. Don't pull the plant out. Instead, gently push it out.

Study the packet label to find out how far to space them apart. For some reason, homeowners overplant, never realizing how big plants may get. If you crowd them, they'll never produce up to their potential.

When planting, avoid straight lines. You want your landscape to look natural and more interesting. They also make excellent temporary plants to set in among new plantings of perennials, shrubs and evergreens until they mature.

After transplanting, shade annuals from direct sun for a few days to prevent wilting. Better than that, transplant them on a cloudy day.

Because we expect so much from annuals over a short period of time, feed them monthly with a complete flower-type fertilizer. It doesn't matter if the fertilizer is liquid or dry, just make sure these willing performers receive nutrients needed to keep blooms coming.

Finally, remember that many flowers will bloom more profusely if you remove the old blossoms as they fade. Geranium, calendula, marigold, cosmos and stock fall into this category. Remove the spent flowers with sharp scissors or hand pruners. Never pull blooms off by hand. It may only remove the petals and leave the flower embryo, allowing seeds to develop. It's the formation of seeds that puts a damper on continued flower production.

BIRDWATCHING AT PRESERVE

The Red Rock Audubon Society will be your tour guide to help you spot birds at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Learn how to attract birds to your landscape. Bring your binoculars for your viewing pleasure. For more information, call 822-7705.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.