White Perennial Flower Garden. Designed By: Lear + Mahoney Landscape. If you are a lover of white, make sure that your white mansion is complemented with bold and large flowers with big petals. There are different sizes of flowers that can be customized according to the looks of the garden. Perennial, zones 3-8. E: 2 plants: Orange calendula (aka pot marigold) Calendula officinalis: A ring of orange petals surrounds each flower's yellow-orange center. F: 2 plants: Garden thyme Thymus vulgaris) The tiny, pale-purple blooms of this culinary herb are a magnet for bees. Perennial, zones 5-9. G: 2 plants: Snow Princess sweet. Plan-A-Garden from Better Homes & Gardens is easy to use because it supports drag. Better Homes & Gardens Planner. With free garden planners, you can turn your garden dream, whether a rose garden or Victorian flower garden, into a reality. The Better Homes & Gardens Plan-A-Garden is one of the best free online garden planning and landscape. Our perennial gardens are designed to bloom throughout the entire season in a variety of vibrant colors. All of these perennials are easy to grow, low maintenance varieties that are sure to please. Pre-planned Gardens also make great gifts. All instructions are included.
My father called them 'old maids,' just like his mother before him, and as a child I recall puzzling over what zinnias had in common with my favorite teachers at school. He planted great swaths of zinnias in any available space, and it often became my job to clip off the spent blossoms and gather the best ones for bouquets.
And so I came into my gardening life with a natural love for zinnias, which are perhaps the only annual flower I plant in my vegetable garden year after year. Growing zinnias on the same schedule as tomatoes, I plant zinnias for myself, the bees, and for the monarch butterflies that migrate south in the fall. Indeed, the parent species of modern zinnias were found in southwestern Mexico, only a few hundred miles from the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, where millions of monarch butterflies spend the winter. When the monarchs pass through my garden in late September, they recognize the zinnias instantly, and always stop for a few sips of nectar.
Note that Europe's most famous migratory butterfly, the painted lady, can be lured into gardens with zinnias and many other nectar-bearing flowers during the summer, but southbound migrants fly so high (at about 500 meters) that refreshment stops are impractical.
Great Garden Zinnias
Over the last thirty years, dozens of new zinnia varieties have been introduced, so that one can choose between compact, powdery mildew-resistant 'Profusion' zinnias, which form low cushions of color, mid-size varieties like 'Cut and Come Again', which were bred in France in the 1880's, or tall, large flowered varieties like 'State Fair' and 'Benary Giant', which make great cut flowers. Many bug and butterfly watchers have observed that low-growing zinnias are less attractive than taller varieties, and single-flowered strains are preferred over doubles. Two variety names - Whirligig and Zowie – are often named as butterfly favorites by gardeners; a study from the University of Kentucky found that the heirloom 'Lilliput' variety attracted twice as many butterflies as 'Oklahoma' and 'State Fair'.
Consider your interior décor when choosing zinnias, because you can make endless bouquets with the newly opened blossoms. For example, soft yellow is easy to mix and match in bouquets, but orange can present a challenge. Growing zinnias in mixed colors gives you plenty of flexibility, and you can save seeds from varieties you especially like.
Growing Garden Zinnias
Semi-tropical zinnias need warm conditions to grow well, so I wait until late spring to start seeds indoors. Seed germination is usually fast and sure, but then the seedlings need plenty of light to keep them happy. I grow my zinnia seedlings alongside tomato and pepper seedlings, which have similar preferences for warm temperatures and intense light.
Zinnias need fertile soil in full sun, and varieties that grow more than 24 inches (60 cm) tall benefit from staking. Unstaked plants that are blown over by storms will continue to produce flowers, but the stems will be short and curved, and more difficult to use in arrangements.
Most zinnias are susceptible to powdery mildew, which is most severe on tired old plants. To make sure I have plants blooming when the monarch butterflies come in fall, I start more zinnia seeds in early summer.
To save zinnia seeds for replanting, simply collect a few blossoms that are at least halfway brown, and let them dry in a paper bag until they shatter. You will find dark, pointed seeds attached to the bases of outer petals, with more coming along in the center. When allowed to dry until hard and almost crisp and stored under good conditions, zinnia seeds will stay viable for five years or more.
Finally, petals snipped from organically grown zinnias are edible. They have little flavor, but make great color accents whether you use them to dress up a serving tray or add interest to a pitcher of herb tea – a trick my country grandmother might have tried with some of her old maids, if only she had known it was possible.
By Barbara Pleasant
Once you've selected the crops for your garden and decided on the layout, it's time to create a garden planting calendar! Keeping your seed starting, transplanting, and harvesting activities organized will make a huge difference in growing a successful garden. Once you've scheduled out your garden crops into an easy planting calendar, you'll be ready to get those veggies in the ground!
How An Organized Planting Calendar Can Lead To An Abundant Harvest
Having an abundant garden means that you're able to grow the right amount of healthy crops with a reasonable amount of time and effort. If you've already selected your garden crops, you'll have noticed that each plant has different preferences.
Some plants like to be grown indoors for the first few weeks of their lives, while others will do well when planted directly in the ground. Some can survive chilly weather, while others will suffer when temperatures drop. You need to go through the process of creating a planting calendar before you start your garden to ensure each crop gets the correct treatment.
How To Schedule Your Plants In The Right Order
Perennial Garden Planner
Once you've selected your crops, it's time to schedule them out for the year into a planting calendar. Seed planting dates are generally referenced to the last spring frost date for your area. You will have recorded this date earlier in your free garden planner while completing the growing zone step.
(If you don't yet have your free garden planner, you can grab a copy and read about the previous steps in the garden planning process here).
Step 1: Putting Your Seeds In Order
The first step is to sort through your seeds, either using the catalog/website or the packets themselves. Lay the packets out on a flat surface and put them in order of the date that the seeds are to be first planted. Some seeds will be planted indoors (indoor seed starting), while others can be planted directly into your garden soil outside (direct-seeding). Use the first date that the seeds will be taken out of their packet (either indoors or outdoors) when putting them in order.
If you don't have your seed packets yet, or if this info isn't easily available from the vendor, you can use an online calculator instead. This outdoor planting calculator will give you outdoor planting dates for many common crops based on your last frost date. Simply count backwards to get the indoor planting date if the crop is to be started indoors.
Step 2: Write Down Your Crops In Order
Once you have your seeds in order of their first planting date, use the scheduling table at the end of your free garden planner to write down the crops in order in the top row. This table will become your planting calendar. Start with the earliest seeds to be planted at the top left-hand side of the first sheet.
Perennial Garden Planning
How To Schedule Your Crops To Create A Planting Calendar
How To Design Perennial Garden
Once your seeds are written down in order of which to plant first, you'll need to schedule actual dates. Seeds from local companies may give you a specific month or planting date, but most packets will just provide guidance on how many weeks before/after the last frost date in your area.
Step 3: Record The Indoor And Outdoor Planting Dates On Your Calendar
Once you have the estimate of your last frost date, count backwards/forwards to find out when to plant each seed. You can manually calculate the planting date for each seed yourself, or use an online calculator.
Fill out the planting date rows of your garden planner for each crop. If the seeds for a certain crop need to be started indoors, you'll have two planting dates (indoors and outdoors). Seeds that will go directly into the garden (called direct-seeding) will only have one date (the outdoor planting date).
If you're growing a lot of crops, you may wish to group some of the dates together so that you're not having to start new seeds every day of the week. I like to group mine together in frequencies no greater than once per week.
Remember that it's generally better to start seeds slightly later than to start them too early. Most gardeners 'rush the season' when creating their planting calendar, after waiting all winter to get gardening again. If you can't wait and really must start some seeds, try growing some microgreens to hold you over.
More Factors To Think About When Scheduling Out Your Gardening Season
And so I came into my gardening life with a natural love for zinnias, which are perhaps the only annual flower I plant in my vegetable garden year after year. Growing zinnias on the same schedule as tomatoes, I plant zinnias for myself, the bees, and for the monarch butterflies that migrate south in the fall. Indeed, the parent species of modern zinnias were found in southwestern Mexico, only a few hundred miles from the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, where millions of monarch butterflies spend the winter. When the monarchs pass through my garden in late September, they recognize the zinnias instantly, and always stop for a few sips of nectar.
Note that Europe's most famous migratory butterfly, the painted lady, can be lured into gardens with zinnias and many other nectar-bearing flowers during the summer, but southbound migrants fly so high (at about 500 meters) that refreshment stops are impractical.
Great Garden Zinnias
Over the last thirty years, dozens of new zinnia varieties have been introduced, so that one can choose between compact, powdery mildew-resistant 'Profusion' zinnias, which form low cushions of color, mid-size varieties like 'Cut and Come Again', which were bred in France in the 1880's, or tall, large flowered varieties like 'State Fair' and 'Benary Giant', which make great cut flowers. Many bug and butterfly watchers have observed that low-growing zinnias are less attractive than taller varieties, and single-flowered strains are preferred over doubles. Two variety names - Whirligig and Zowie – are often named as butterfly favorites by gardeners; a study from the University of Kentucky found that the heirloom 'Lilliput' variety attracted twice as many butterflies as 'Oklahoma' and 'State Fair'.
Consider your interior décor when choosing zinnias, because you can make endless bouquets with the newly opened blossoms. For example, soft yellow is easy to mix and match in bouquets, but orange can present a challenge. Growing zinnias in mixed colors gives you plenty of flexibility, and you can save seeds from varieties you especially like.
Growing Garden Zinnias
Semi-tropical zinnias need warm conditions to grow well, so I wait until late spring to start seeds indoors. Seed germination is usually fast and sure, but then the seedlings need plenty of light to keep them happy. I grow my zinnia seedlings alongside tomato and pepper seedlings, which have similar preferences for warm temperatures and intense light.
Zinnias need fertile soil in full sun, and varieties that grow more than 24 inches (60 cm) tall benefit from staking. Unstaked plants that are blown over by storms will continue to produce flowers, but the stems will be short and curved, and more difficult to use in arrangements.
Most zinnias are susceptible to powdery mildew, which is most severe on tired old plants. To make sure I have plants blooming when the monarch butterflies come in fall, I start more zinnia seeds in early summer.
To save zinnia seeds for replanting, simply collect a few blossoms that are at least halfway brown, and let them dry in a paper bag until they shatter. You will find dark, pointed seeds attached to the bases of outer petals, with more coming along in the center. When allowed to dry until hard and almost crisp and stored under good conditions, zinnia seeds will stay viable for five years or more.
Finally, petals snipped from organically grown zinnias are edible. They have little flavor, but make great color accents whether you use them to dress up a serving tray or add interest to a pitcher of herb tea – a trick my country grandmother might have tried with some of her old maids, if only she had known it was possible.
By Barbara Pleasant
Once you've selected the crops for your garden and decided on the layout, it's time to create a garden planting calendar! Keeping your seed starting, transplanting, and harvesting activities organized will make a huge difference in growing a successful garden. Once you've scheduled out your garden crops into an easy planting calendar, you'll be ready to get those veggies in the ground!
How An Organized Planting Calendar Can Lead To An Abundant Harvest
Having an abundant garden means that you're able to grow the right amount of healthy crops with a reasonable amount of time and effort. If you've already selected your garden crops, you'll have noticed that each plant has different preferences.
Some plants like to be grown indoors for the first few weeks of their lives, while others will do well when planted directly in the ground. Some can survive chilly weather, while others will suffer when temperatures drop. You need to go through the process of creating a planting calendar before you start your garden to ensure each crop gets the correct treatment.
How To Schedule Your Plants In The Right Order
Perennial Garden Planner
Once you've selected your crops, it's time to schedule them out for the year into a planting calendar. Seed planting dates are generally referenced to the last spring frost date for your area. You will have recorded this date earlier in your free garden planner while completing the growing zone step.
(If you don't yet have your free garden planner, you can grab a copy and read about the previous steps in the garden planning process here).
Step 1: Putting Your Seeds In Order
The first step is to sort through your seeds, either using the catalog/website or the packets themselves. Lay the packets out on a flat surface and put them in order of the date that the seeds are to be first planted. Some seeds will be planted indoors (indoor seed starting), while others can be planted directly into your garden soil outside (direct-seeding). Use the first date that the seeds will be taken out of their packet (either indoors or outdoors) when putting them in order.
If you don't have your seed packets yet, or if this info isn't easily available from the vendor, you can use an online calculator instead. This outdoor planting calculator will give you outdoor planting dates for many common crops based on your last frost date. Simply count backwards to get the indoor planting date if the crop is to be started indoors.
Step 2: Write Down Your Crops In Order
Once you have your seeds in order of their first planting date, use the scheduling table at the end of your free garden planner to write down the crops in order in the top row. This table will become your planting calendar. Start with the earliest seeds to be planted at the top left-hand side of the first sheet.
Perennial Garden Planning
How To Schedule Your Crops To Create A Planting Calendar
How To Design Perennial Garden
Once your seeds are written down in order of which to plant first, you'll need to schedule actual dates. Seeds from local companies may give you a specific month or planting date, but most packets will just provide guidance on how many weeks before/after the last frost date in your area.
Step 3: Record The Indoor And Outdoor Planting Dates On Your Calendar
Once you have the estimate of your last frost date, count backwards/forwards to find out when to plant each seed. You can manually calculate the planting date for each seed yourself, or use an online calculator.
Fill out the planting date rows of your garden planner for each crop. If the seeds for a certain crop need to be started indoors, you'll have two planting dates (indoors and outdoors). Seeds that will go directly into the garden (called direct-seeding) will only have one date (the outdoor planting date).
If you're growing a lot of crops, you may wish to group some of the dates together so that you're not having to start new seeds every day of the week. I like to group mine together in frequencies no greater than once per week.
Remember that it's generally better to start seeds slightly later than to start them too early. Most gardeners 'rush the season' when creating their planting calendar, after waiting all winter to get gardening again. If you can't wait and really must start some seeds, try growing some microgreens to hold you over.
More Factors To Think About When Scheduling Out Your Gardening Season
Some gardeners also choose to group their dates by external factors. In my area, for instance, many gardeners love to plant their whole garden outdoors on May Long Weekend. It's a bit of a tradition. They will do all of their direct seeding during that weekend, and back-calculate all their indoor crops so they're ready for transplanting outside on May Long Weekend. This works well for people who want to do it all in one go.
Still others like to embrace spiritual factors when creating a planting calendar. Biodynamic gardening, for instance, includes gardening by the moon's cycle and zodiac symbols. Planting and harvesting dates are scheduled in accordance with the lunar calendar (waxing or waning moon, et cetera), as well as the type of symbol (earth, water, air, fire).
Finishing Your Garden Plan for the Year
Once you've finished your garden map and created a schedule for planting your crops, you've finished the garden planning process! Your free garden planner should now be full of all the info you'll need in the spring. You're now ready to get out into the garden with confidence!
If you don't yet have your free printable garden planner, now is the time to get your copy. Start at the beginning, and plan out a wonderful garden for the year!
The planner includes a special table to help you schedule your garden, a page for mapping, as well as the other sections required for planning a successful garden.
