Annual Beauty
Among the many annual flowers that can be propagated from seeds sown in late August until autumn, the following respond well: California Poppy, poppy (papaver), pansy, snapdragon, herb treemallow, cow soapworth, sweet alyssum, larkspur, pot-marigold (calendula), candytuft, sweet pea, cornflower, dianthus (Chinese pink), calliopsis (coreopsis), gypsophila.
Self-sowing annuals include: salvia (sage, mealycup), California poppy, morning glory, larkspur (rocket, delphinium), gypsophilia (baby’s breath), sweet alyssum, love-in-a-mist, nicotiaia (ornamental tobacco), portulaca (moss rose), cornflower, petunia, calendula, cleome (spiderflower), four-o-clock, cosmos, snow-on-the-mountain, browallia, coreopsis, summer-cypress (kochia).
Annuals with short blooming cycles require several sowings for a succession of bloom. They include: forget-me-not, purple candytuft (Iberis umbellate), Drummond’s phlox, cape marigold (winter), poppy (papover), calliopsis, gypsophila, love-in-a mist, cornflower, sweet alyssum, mignonette (Reseda odorata).
These are difficult to transplant and should be sown where they are to flower: lupine, nasturtium, sweet pea, godetia, poppy showy pricklepoppy, blue laceflower, evening primrose, califlower poppy, scarlet runner, love-in-a-mist, gypsophila, sunflower, herb treemallow.
These annuals are slow growing: petunia, sweet-sultan (basketflower), verbena, flax (linum), snapdragon, pinecushion-flower (scabiosa), strawflower, lobelia, immoretelle everlasting, wingled ever-lasting (ammobium), china-aster, salpiglossis, goldencup, rhodanthe (helipterum).
These annuals will endure considerable shade: monkeyflower, cockscomb, godetia, balsam, flowering ornamental tobacco, coreopsis, lobelia, Virginia stock, periwinkle.
Annuals that grow in very poor soil include: California poppy, corn poppy, four-o-clock, godetia grandiflora, gaillardia, sweet sultan, sweet alysum, cleome, portulaca, calliopsis, impatiens (garden balsam), nasturtium, love-lies-bleeding (amaranthus), petunia, bartonia, feather cockscomb.
These tolerate acid soil: flowering nicotinia, coreopsis, verbena, marigold.
Among those requiring a neutral or alkaline soil are: balsam, Drummond phlox, nasturtium, zinnia, candytuft (iberis), mignonette (reseda odorata), corn poppy.
Pinching back the growth tip and removing faded blooms encourages new growth of flower buds for these: ageratum, petunia, annual chrysanthemum, snapdragon, dianthus pinks, browallia, verbena, phlox, salpiglossis, zinnia.
These should not be pinched back: stock, poppy, balsam, celosis (cockscomb), miscellaneous everlastings, celosia (cockscomb). These are the best for use as dried flowers for winter bouquets: statice or sea lavender, strawflower (helichrysum), acroclinium, xeranthemum.
Night-scented annuals that are good for outdoor areas you use in the evenings are: tall mullein (verbascum), nicotinia flowering tobacco, night-scented stock, evening primrose.