With the weather warming up, it is a great time to start your annual color beds. The first thing to do is make sure the soil is well prepared. Make sure you raise the planting beds since this helps the roots become established and remain healthier by providing better drainage. Seasonal color plants require a good soil mix in order to thrive. It is OK to use existing soil but mix it with a quality soil such as Professional Growers Mix or Jiffy Potting Mix and mushroom compost to enrich it.

Once the planting beds are prepared chose the type of annuals that appeal to your taste and style. Annuals survive only during the growing season but give great color throughout the entire season. Warm season annuals come in a wide array of colors so you can create a color palette in your garden as individual as you are.

Make sure you know how much sun the annual beds receive each day. This is critical for choosing the correct type of plants for your beds, since some plants do well in full sun while others may prefer shade. Ask a garden center professional for advice if you are unsure which plants would do well for your situation. For larger beds, you may want to choose accent plants to give them more interest. The following are a few good choices for accent plant, Dracaena Spikes, Purple Fountain Grass, Coleus Cordoline, Plumbago, Lantana and Dusty Miller.   

For sunny area annual beds, consider using Lantana, Begonia, Petunia, Million Bells, Portulaca, Vinca, Geranium, Mexican Heather, Gerber Daisy, Purple Hearts, sun-loving Coleus, Ageratum, Dianthus, Dahlia and Zinnia. For shadier areas, try using Impatiens, Coleus, Caladium or Green-Leaf Begonia.

Once the beds are planted add fertilizer that promotes blooms, then spread mulch around the annuals to help keep in moisture and weeds out. Come by and browse the many different types of annuals that are available at the garden center. Ask the garden center professionals for good recommendations that will enhance your landscape.

Happy Gardening.