'Rose Bon Bon' cosmos. Photo courtesy ReneesGarden.com
A fun, easy and inexpensive way to try new plants is to grow them from seed. Annuals, in particular, are almost always worth a try.
Annuals go from seed to flower to seed to death in one growing season, so we don’t have to wait two or three years for the rewards like we do with perennials, or even longer for blooming trees and shrubs.
Here’s a sampler of some new annuals to try:
North American native
‘Rose Bon Bon’ is a cultivar of a North American native cosmos (C. bipinnatus) bred in France. Considered florist quality because of its cut flower attributes, ‘Rose Bon Bon’ is a double cosmos, with frilly pink, almost rose like petals surrounding a bright yellow eye.
Sow cosmos seeds directly in the soil outdoors in a sunny location when there’s no longer danger from frost. That’s usually mid-May in central and northern Indiana and early May in the southern part of the state. Keep seedlings evenly moist. Once established, cosmos tolerates dry conditions. ‘Rose Bon Bon’ will get three to four feet tall. Seeds also can be sown indoors four to six weeks before that last frost dates. Available at Renee’s Garden, $2.79, plus shipping.
Late-blooming annual
Marbles Mix, like most four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa), smells like orange blossoms when it opens late in the day. By day, hummingbirds visit the trumpet-shaped white flowers marbled with pink, rose, red and yellow. At night, moths drop in. Marbles Mix gets 36 inches tall and does fine in the front of a bed or in the middle. These also can be grown in pots.
Sow seeds directly outdoors in well-drained soil in a sunny location from mid- to late May. Available at Burpee, $3.95, plus shipping.
Tasty annual herb
‘Christmas’ basil (Ocimum basilicum) has a fruity, pine aroma, which adds a bit more zest to pesto and other savory dishes. Ideal for in-ground plants or for growing in a container, basil does best in full sun.
Sow directly outdoors in the ground mid-May. Basil can be started indoors four to six weeks before the last frost date. Keep seedlings evenly moist. Once established, basil can go slightly dry between waterings. ‘Christmas’ gets 16 inches tall and has purple flowers that turn pink as they age. Available at: Territorial Seed and Johnny’s Selected Seeds, $2.95, plus shipping.