Old-Fashioned Annuals

No matter what your design scheme, these colorful, time-tested favorites will add a touch of nostalgia to your garden.

One of my early memories of visiting my grandmother was filling my pockets with the orotund black seeds of the erstwhile - fashioned four o’clocks ( Mirabilis jalapa ) by her kitchen threshold . They were the staring food for bird or could function instead as small missile if a battle ensued with my younger brothers . I do not remember being concerned in the fact that these colorful , cannular - shaped peak opened , as if on clue , at about the same time every good afternoon . That fact entrance me now . When I bring up to fellow nurseryman the association of four o’clocks with my granny , I experience many nod of concord . It would seem that four o’clocks were the quintessential granny ’s plant life of the 1950s .

For 100 , gardeners have grown brightly hue annual from seed , since seeded player is reliable , prosperous to ship , and comparatively inexpensive . These plant provide season - recollective color ( and often an intoxicant fragrance ) , which can be used in masses or as filler in an herbaceous prime border as well as in containers . Some so - call in yearly — for example , four o’clocks or bloodstone ( Heliotropium arborescens)—are actually tender perennials that function as annuals in colder zone . Each of the follow annuals has proud of gardener , both in the United States and overseas , for 100 of years . In many example , heirloom cultivars are still usable to strengthen our roots and solidify our connection with those gardener who have gone before us .

Cosmos is perfect for the back of the border

BOTANICAL NAME : Cosmos bipinnatuscvs . BLOOM clip : SummerPLANT SIZE : Up to 5 feet tall and 18 inches wideCULTURE : Prefers full Dominicus and does n’t mind juiceless soils . Highly rich soil , however , produce piles of foliage but few flowers .

Although introduced in 1799 , cosmos did not become popular for the garden or as the case of breeding efforts until the other 1900s . The residue is now history . The diverseness ‘ Sensation ’ gain the All - American Selection Award of Merit in 1936 for its well-defined colors of pink and white-hot , on early - blooming , 3 - foot- to 4 - groundwork - magniloquent plant life . ‘ Purity ’ is the glisten white class of cosmos in the ‘ Sensation ’ series .

The garden author Louise Shelton urged her readers in the early 1930s to forgo the more vivid violet shades of cosmos because they approached the then - contemn color of magenta . She suggested using only snowy or pink cosmos in the border . Cosmos ’s tallness makes it hone for the back of the border . Historically , it was also used for massing , where its fragile foliage enhanced an ethereal effect .

Pot marigold works well in a sunny

BOTANICAL NAME : Calendula officinalisand cvs . BLOOM TIME : Summer to fallPLANT SIZE : Up to 30 inch improbable and 18 inches wideCULTURE : flourish in full sun and during the cooler season . It does n’t like hot temperature but will grow in most well - drained land . Deadhead for abundant , time of year - longsighted blooms .

potbelly marigold average 12 column inch in height , with prime color drift from whitish yellow and bright yellow to abstruse orange . Both individual and double flowers are useable . Gardeners of the early 1900s considered the orange refinement to be gaudy , and they be given to fend off it except when combining orange pot marigolds with yellow - flowered plant , like the “ true ” marigold ( Tagetesspp . and cvs . ) .

Pot marigold occupied the vegetable garden in early American homestead and decorated ornamental beds and border . The plantsman Liberty Hyde Bailey considered them to be “ one of the most universal garden blossom . ” It ’s best cultivated in a sunny situation and will ego - sow for many years after its innovation into a garden . I like to utilise tidy sum marigolds along the edge of a ardent - colored border or in the herb garden , where it supply a lovely contrast to purpleness - foliaged shiso ( Perilla frutescens‘Atropurpurea ’ ) .

Joseph’s coat features vibrant ornamental foliage

BOTANICAL NAME : Amaranthus tricolorand cvs . BLOOM meter : IrrelevantPLANT SIZE : Up to 48 column inch improbable and 18 inches wideCULTURE : Does well in full sun and all but soggy dirt . It can be curtly - lived in year with excessive rain and humidity .

Thomas Jefferson grew this colourful foliage plant at Monticello . A fearless yearly , Joseph ’s coating has decorative red , sensationalistic , and green leaf on a plant that varies in height from 18 column inch to 48 inches grandiloquent . The diminished peak are inconspicuous in comparison to the gist of the foliation .

other gardener cultivated Joseph ’s coat in the heyday garden or in the conservatory . Modern cultivars have chicken ( A. tricolor‘Aurora ’ ) as well as maroon - shaded ( A. tricolor‘Molten Fire ’ ) leave , but the species still offers the flashy leaf . Its bright coloured leave made it a useful plant for a tropic burden . New York nurseryman Peter Henderson write in 1890 that Joseph ’s coat was “ one of the most beautiful of ornamental - leaved plants . ” Today it can be mass in a layer or combined with cannas ( Cannacvs . ) , dahlias ( Dahliacvs . ) , castor noodle ( Ricinus communisand cvs . ) , and other bold and brilliant , fond - colored heirloom annual .

Four o’clock has fragrant, ephemeral blooms for the border

BOTANICAL NAME : Mirabilis jalapaand cvs . BLOOM TIME : early on to late summerPLANT SIZE : Up to 24 in tall and 24 inches wideCULTURE : Can take just about anything you’re able to dish out . It can tolerate any soil , a high temperature , and defilement . All it asks for is full sun .

The 1876 St. Louis seed catalogue of Henry Michel describesMirabilis jalapaas a “ great favorite , combining beauty of foliage , profuseness of bloom , of plentiful and varied colour , and scrumptious fragrance . ” In the 19th 100 , this 2 - foot- to 3 - foot - grandiloquent , tubular - blossom out sweetheart was uncommitted in crimson , red striped with white , lilac loot with white , chamois , yellow , yellow and cerise , violet , and clean .

The four o’clock was utile as a bedding plant or filler for the herbaceous border . Another use was to make a hedgerow ofMirabilis jalapafor the tush of the garden or layer , spacing the plants 12 inches apart . In 1838 , an perceiver reported that the “ sphingid bang this plant , ” which aid cross-pollinate its sweet scented bloom of youth .

Petunia is an ideal edging plant

BOTANICAL NAME : Petuniaspp . and cvs . BLOOM metre : SummerPLANT SIZE : Up to 18 inch tall and 36 inches wideCULTURE : Likes full sun and a lean , well - drained territory . Avoid planting in wet region . Deadhead plants for the best display of bloom .

The species petunias , including the currently availablePetunia integrifolia , were usher in from South America in the first half of the 19th one C . By the 1870s , there were several hybrid types , including tumid - blossom singles and doubles , some fringed and some despoil . One former writer write in 1879 that the petunia was too vulgar to be view close up and was best placed in bed with “ distance loaning spell . ” Petunias were also lever for massing in front of shrubbery .

A figure of other genus Petunia are still available in current catalogue . ‘ Howard ’s Star ’ is distinguished by a fundamental star shape on sundry - color scope . ‘ Giants of California ’ were uncommitted in this country by 1907 ; a large , single - blossom strain , they were also uncommitted in several different colors . ‘ Balcony ’ was introduced by the Joseph Harris Co. and was described in 1934 as : “ The most showy of all petunias … particularly desirable for window box , vases , hanging baskets , etc . , as well as for beds and molding . Plants are larger than bedding type and … of a rich velvety grain in absolved undimmed color , bear in unusual profusion all summertime . ”

Zinnia offers a wide range of flower colors

BOTANICAL NAME : Zinnia eleganscvs . BLOOM prison term : SummerPLANT SIZE : Up to 30 inches marvelous and 12 in wideCULTURE : roll in the hay full sun and blistering , dry weather . It does well in most soils . Give passable space for air circulation as these industrial plant are susceptible to mildew . Deadhead to encourage peak .

Over 15 bloom color were offer in 19th - C catalogs for zinnias , including whitened , sulfur lily-livered , gold yellow , orange , cherry-red - orange , scarlet , light tan , lilac , rebel , Battle of Magenta , ruby , violet , purple , and dark purple . The double - flowered form were the most popular . This yearly can order in height from the dwarfs , at 3 inch to 12 inches , to the magniloquent zinnias , at 20 inch to 30 inches . For 150 years , American gardener have appreciate old maid flower in the garden and also grow them as trimmed blossom .

Early designers suggested that zinnias did not appear to their proficient advantage in masses but look well in mixed borders , and could be effectively grow as single industrial plant in the lawn — which would create a maintenance nightmare for today ’s lawn lawn mower . Zinnias could also be used to make a low hedge , due to their dense ramification habit and medium height . It has been a rough-cut sight throughout the twentieth century to see a zinnia hedge or border draft a veg garden . One garden writer recommended that giant rose - colored zinnias be combined in the herbaceous border with dwarf white cosmos .

Several heirloom multifariousness of zinnias are still in the seminal fluid barter include ‘ Cactus ’ , distinguish for its resemblance to the cactus - bloom dahlias , and ‘ California Giants ’ , another cactus - flowered variety . ‘ Lilliput ’ , known in the United States by 1910 , carries release - size flowers on 2 - foot - tall stem , while ‘ Scarlet Flame ’ is a adorable Dahlia pinnata - flowered cultivar with bright red bloom .

Balsam shines in partial shade

BOTANICAL NAME : Impatiens balsaminaand cvs . BLOOM TIME : Summer to early fallPLANT SIZE : Up to 30 inches tall and 18 column inch wideCULTURE : Does best in fond tad and moist , well - draining loam . lend compost constituent matter to the grunge for optimal performance .

Balsam flower were initially single and rose - red , but under nineteenth - century cultivation , double blossoms developed on 1 - fundament to 2 - foot stems . The to the full double flowers of the camellia - flowered serial publication compare favorably with pink wine , and as one 1863 article described , “ no wax workplace nor any other imitation of homo can liken with it in plenteous appearance and daze stunner . ” The 19th - century seed purveyors offer the ship’s boat balsam in variegated , rose , “ flame - colored , ” over-embellished , white , and crimson .

Although eclipsed in mod times by their cousins , the bedding impatiens ( Impatiens wallerianacvs . ) , the camellia - flowered balsam are deserving growing to convey a sense of amatory gardens to the present . A diverseness of colors are still available , include rose , lilac , and creamy yellow .

Mignonette thrives in poor soil

BOTANICAL NAME : Reseda odorataand CV . BLOOM TIME : summertime to early fallPLANT SIZE : Up to 24 inches marvelous and 9 column inch wideCULTURE : Another cool - season annual for full sun to fond shade . It ’s tolerant of poor soil stipulation , specially rocky or arenaceous terrain .

The oldest kind of mignonette had modest spikes of inconspicuous heyday with delightful fragrances—“perfuming the whole neighborhood about the premises . ” The early catalog all praised its heady smell , but that attribute seems to have been lost in modern seed strains . The pale peach – color bloom of the cultivar ‘ Machet ’ are known for their fruity scent . Gardeners should liken unlike seed strains to confirm the strong sweet-smelling fragrance . A garden writer in 1886 observed that one reason for a lack of aroma was because the soil “ is too rich . ” Similar to the nasturtium ( Tropaeolumspp . and cvs . ) , mignonette does good in soils of lower rankness .

One recommended 19th - hundred companion for mignonette was clarkia ( Clarkia unguiculataand cvs . ) , another annual that reputedly thrive in a exchangeable short - land situation . A pleasing combination from my own garden pair mignonette with bright cherry mintage snapdragons ( Antirrhinumspp . ) . The Red River of the snapdragon highlights the swooning red in the ( otherwise ) modestly hued mignonette flowers .

Heliotrope perfumes the air with the scent of vanilla

BOTANICAL NAME : Heliotropium arborescenscvs . BLOOM TIME : SummerPLANT SIZE : Up to 4 foot marvellous and 18 inches wideCULTURE : Plant in full sun to fond subtlety and provide redundant water during dry spell . It like fertile soil but does n’t like to have soused animal foot .

Heliotrope is a sensitive 1 - foot- to 2 - metrical foot - marvelous subshrub with vulgar foliage , which was available in former times with flowers in lily-white and shades of lavender , regal , and blue — some with white centre . Gardeners valued the fragrant heliotrope as a bedding works for full sunlight or as a perimeter edger in compounding with sweet alyssum ( Lobularia maritimacvs . ) or white petunias ( Petuniacvs . ) . One twist - of - the - century gardener recommended using puritanic ageratum ( Ageratum houstonianumcvs . ) and purple heliotrope together for a “ fine effect , ” although a modern contemporary might deliberate this too much of a in effect thing . In my garden , I enjoy combining heliotrope in a bed with old rose ( Rosaspp . and cvs . ) and lavender ( Lavadulaspp . and cvs . ) .

Some early gardener intend the bloodstone ’s bouquet resembled that of a cherry pie , although most would gibe that the sweetness actually combines hints of vanilla extract and Amygdalus communis flavoring . Unfortunately , late-20th - century training exertion have dilute the fragrance of this old - fashioned plant , and it is worthwhile to seek out the old forms to enjoy the legendary sweet fragrance . other white varieties with figure like ‘ Snow Wreath ’ and ‘ The Queen ’ have been replaced by the cultivar ‘ Alba ’ , and the clean heliotrope is systematically quite fragrant . Among the purplish heliotrope , ‘ Fragrant Delight ’ and ‘ Iowa ’ are rated for high scent .

Get our later point , how - to article , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .

Signing you up …

Episode 3: Annuals Worth Buying

Designing with Annuals

Fertilizing the Old-Fashioned Way—With Manure

Great Plants: Flower Power: Old-Fashioned Faves

Join Fine horticulture for a free engaging live webinar have Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant diagnostician as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical manager …

When I spotted a special sand clam cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I knew I was in problem . With a delightful people of colour pattern …

When we only prioritize plants we desire over plants our landscape needs , each time of year is filled with a never - ending leaning of chores : pruning , pinching , lacrimation , treating , amend , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be measured when you participate the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re likely to trip on something , but because you might be dive - fail by a pair …