Eager gardeners head home with flats of blooming annuals, imagining that their beds will be filled with happy flowers looking as great as they did at time of purchase. Not necessarily, Dr. Brent Pemberton of Texas AgriLife Research at Overton told Master Gardener interns. Flats of annuals are grown in greenhouses protected from temperature fluctuations and whipping winds that they experience outdoors. In addition, plants in full bloom have a harder time acclimating to a new environment - better to select younger, budding plants.
Another, perhaps more significant, issue is whether selections are suited for our region. Chain store outlets often retail the same varieties nationwide without consideration for local suitability. For best results, ask knowledgeable nurserymen for recommendations of good performers for the area. Another way to learn about new and recommended varieties is to consult such websites as www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu for "Texas Superstars" and http://flowers.tamu.edu, the Texas AgriLife Research Overton site, to find pictures and lists of new outstanding performers.
A shopping list of specific varieties helps the home gardener purchase with greater confidence that plants will perform as anticipated.
Joan Driver, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
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