When you're around so many different plants, and grow many different varieties as they come out year to year, it's inevitable for you to find your absolute favorites. Whether it's how they grow, their color or just a long-time fav, there will always be certain ones you're drawn to. I thought it would be fun to compile a list of our favorite plants, specifically annuals, for you guys! These are in no particular order:
Wave Petunia "Purple" - although it's closer to pink than purple, this beaut is an aggressive grower with lots of blooms and vibrant color. It does great in hanging baskets, planters or in the ground! The vista series is a close second...they are also very aggressive growers!
Calibrachoas "Hula Series" - There are many great calibrachoa series out there, and we grow and sell many of them. But the Hula Series is without a doubt our favorite. It has larger blooms than most series, a great dark center and doesn't grow as leggy as some others can.
Geranium "Calliope Dark Red" - These red geraniums have amazing color and grow larger than most geraniums! We love to use these in planters and in the ground. They're fantastic! They have recently came out with other colors of the Calliope series, but we haven't had them long enough to determine if they can make this list.
Sweet Potato Vine "Marguerite" - Ahh, this is a popular one and for good reason! It loves our hot summers and is great in hanging baskets, planters and in the ground. It can handle our sun, but doesn't necessarily need much of it! There are many varieties and colors of sweet potato vine, but Marguerite's vibrant neon color and aggressive growing habit is definitely our fav.
Purple Fountain Grass- This has become all the rage lately, and for good reason. It grows fast, has great plums, fantastic color and looks great in the ground or in the center of large containers. A great, easy combo is purple fountain grass, sweet potato vine and purple wave petunias!
Bonfire Begonias- Bright red-orange blooms on dark green foliage make this plant a show stopper. They like full sun to part shade and make stunning hanging baskets and mixed planters.
Coleus - There are too many stunning colors and textures of coleus to narrow it down to one particular one. Coleus as a whole has become a staple on the Bloomer's Gals porches. Keep in mind that there are full sun and full shade varieties, so make sure to research which ones will do best in your yard!
Heliotrope- The smell of this plant alone makes it a show stopper. With it's brilliant purple blooms on deep, dark, green foliage and it's strong vanilla scent, this one is a must have.
Dahlias - There are many different types of dahlias, and although many are great plants, the Hypnotica Series stands out. They have fantastic color on large blooms and they love the sun.
Tut Grasses - Between Baby Tut, Prince Tut and King Tut, there is a Tut grass to fill your every need. King Tut can get up to 6 feet tall! Unfortunately the Tuts are not perennials here, but they are very universal. They can handle the drought, yet can also work as a pond plant!
SunPatiens "Variegated White" - Loves our heat and has a unique variegation on its leaves, topped with gorgeous white blooms. This is stunning mixed in with dark coleus!
Lofos "Wine Red" - Not nearly raved enough about, this plant is absolutely stunning! It grows long, ivy-like stems with gorgeous, dark, wine colored trumpet shaped flowers. We use this a lot in our hanging baskets.
Non Stop Begonias- By far, one of the easiest shade plants out there. With their frilly, double blooms and vibrant color, non stop begonias look great indoors or on shady patios.