There’s something about a flower bed in full bloom that can change your whole attitude if you’re having a bad day and will make your day even cheerier if you’re having a great day.
Before we get into the specifics, if this is your first flower bed, you should give some thought to what kind of flower bed you want and how much time you can invest. Personally, during the summer months, I do a lot of camping and other activities plus I have a big yard to mow and a big vegetable garden to tend. I don’t have time to pamper my flower bed so I selected plants accordingly.
The criteria that I used to select the perennials in my flower bed and the annuals that I plant every year in hanging baskets, pots and borders was simple. The Perennials needed to be easy to grow and able to withstand the hot, humid and sometimes dry conditions of Iowa’s summers. In other words, except for infrequent watering, fertilizing and weeding, they’re pretty much on their own. Also, they needed to survive the harsh winters and come back the following year. Finally, they needed to be aesthetically pleasing and attract bees, butterflies and humming birds. The annuals also needed to be low maintenance which means not a lot of deadheading while, at the same time provide endless, summer long color. For the Perennials, I decided to choose plants that are native to Iowa. I figure any plants that grew in Iowa hundreds, even thousands of years ago without human intervention were just the plants that I was looking for.
So why am I telling you all this? While making mistakes and learning from them is part of the fun of gardening, no one likes to spend money only to see it wasted because you didn’t have time to give the plants what they needed to thrive. Some people may have hours every day to coddle their rose bushes, for example. For other people, like me, a beautiful, expensive rose bush wouldn’t stand a chance for survival. I’m not trying to show disrespect to roses or rose gardeners, in fact just the opposite. I envy the knowledge and patience of rose gardeners. Many of them propagate their own hybrids which makes them horticultural experts in my book. I’m just noting that you should be aware of the commitment the varieties that you select will need.
Annuals
An annual grows from seed, then flowers, then produces seed and then dies when the frost comes. To prolong the blooming process, most annuals need to be “deadheaded”. If the blooms are left on the plant, they will wilt and then dry up and produce seed to ensure propagation. Consequently, the plant will produce few blooms if any after they go to seed. However, if you pinch off the blooms when they start to wilt, the plant will continue to bloom. There are hardy annuals which can withstand a light frost and there are half-hardy annuals which require warm soil and shouldn’t be planted until the danger of frost is past.
perennials
The varieties of annuals are almost endless and I would fill this website if I tried to list them so you’ll need to do some research and experiment. I use annuals exclusively in hanging baskets and pots. I can tell you without a doubt, in my opinion, the absolute BEST annual for my use is the Wave Petunia. They are absolutely amazing! They will continue to spread and bloom profusely throughout the summer with very little maintenance, they don’t need to be deadheaded and they seem to be impervious to pest or disease problems. All you need to do is keep them watered and fertilized. If you let them get thirsty, they’ll wilt and the stress seems to set them back a little. They’re heavy feeders so I give them Miracle Grow about every 10 days without fail. I did an annual project for the Master Gardeners at the medical clinic in my small town for many years. It involved planting and maintaining 2 large whiskey barrel planters at the clinic entrance. I always used Wave Petunias and by the end of July they had spilled over the sides and touched the ground. The blooms were so thick that you couldn’t see the sides of the whiskey barrels. They were always beautiful and I received many compliments.

Some other annuals that I use for pots and baskets are Begonias, impatiens, and Geraniums. Always use a good potting soil like Miracle Grow and keep them watered and fertilized. If you’re going to be gone for more than a couple of days, make sure you get a neighbor to water for you. You can also get water reservoirs that insert into the soil and will keep them watered for a limited time.
perennial
Perennials are described as an herbaceous plant that lives longer than 2 years. In cold weather regions, they die back to the ground in the fall and return in the spring from their roots, bulbs, corms, tubers or rhizomes.
There are thousands of varieties that grow from full shade to full sun, in wet to dry conditions, and in wide ranges of soil PH. As I mentioned earlier, I stay with perennials that are native to my region. If you want to do the same, research which perennials are in your native group and take a list of the ones you like to your garden center when you’re ready to buy. A good source for that information is your local extension office. They have brochures that are free or minimal cost that will provide you with all the information you need. If you purchase perennials from a catalog, make sure that you note the hardiness zone that is listed for each plant. If you live in zone 4 and you order that nice, colorful perennial that you saw in the catalog without noticing it is hardy only to zone 7, it won’t be back the following year. You can find out what hardiness zone you live in by checking the USDA hardiness zone map.
If you’re starting a new flower bed it’s ideal perennial flowersif you prepare the area in the fall so it’s ready at spring planting time. You should dig or till the area deep and add plenty of organic material (see “Give Back to Your Garden Soil”). You should also take soil samples and check the PH level. Generally speaking, most perennials will be ok in soil PH of 5.8 - 6.8 however there are some that prefer a PH outside of that range so when you decide what plants you’ll purchase, check the recommendation.
The perennials that I have in my garden are Coneflowers, Bee Balm, Bellflower, Coreopsis, Fleabane, Daylily, Coral Bells, Blanket Flower, Black-Eyed Susan and Daisies. They are all tough, hardy, will withstand dry spells and will attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. I also have a honeysuckle vine that really attracts the hummingbirds. Perennials will spread nicely so in a few years those 2 or 3 Coneflowers, for example, that you put in will be a patch several feet across. Keep that in mind when you plant but you can always dig some up and give them to your friends.
The rule of thumb for watering is about 1” per week but I rarely meet that schedule. Because of that, I’ve lost some perennials that I tried to grow. But, as I mentioned earlier, if they need to be pampered, they won’t survive in my flower bed.
Biennials
Biennials take 2 years to complete their life cycle. They grow vegetation the first year and then bloom and die the second year. Some examples are Hollyhock, Foxglove and Canterbury Bells. The only one that I’m familiar with is the Foxglove. I planted them and they bloomed beautifully the second year as advertised. I thought that they would come back from the seed the next year but no luck.
Summary
With all the varying heights and colors of annuals,perennial plants perennials, and biennials, you’re only limit to what you can create is your imagination. Some people believe that their flower garden should be uniform and organized with all the flowers of the same type, color and size together. Me, I think that hundreds of years ago on the prairies of Iowa, the purples and yellows and reds and blues were all mixed together. Have fun. Try different plants with other different plants. If you don’t like it, dig them up and move them (check for the proper time of year).
After you get your flower garden established, pull up a chair and watch the bees, butterflies and humming birds!