Summer is a wonderful time of year across the country to add a pop of color to flower beds, planter boxes, and outdoor installations. The choice of annual flowers allows for a large variety of showy flower options and colors, which can easily be changed from season to season a year to year to keep things fresh and interesting.
How to Plan
Choosing the best annual flower installations should start with a discussion with your commercial landscape design team. These professionals can work with you to develop a plan to highlight the colors and the options in traditional favorites and new and interesting annuals to give a completely new and interesting look to the exterior of any commercial property.
Flower beds in direct sunlight can be difficult to maintain. This is particularly true if they are surrounded by concrete or asphalt as this will reflect heat, increasing the need to carefully choose heat resistant plants. There will also be a need to plan watering options over the summer months, particularly when heat and dry conditions are a concern.
Top Options
When it comes to direct sunlight, there are some great annual flower installations that are heat and drought tolerant and also extremely showy. The different heights of these plants and the various sizes of blooms and leaves will complement each other in the installation and add a textured and variegated look.
Lantana, which is an annual in central and northern locations and a perennial in the south is a great plant as it will spread and grow to a significant height. Offering clusters of very showy flowers of all colors, it is ideal for the back of beds or in groups.
For smaller flowers up front, marigolds, Cosmos, petunias, and Celosia offer various colors and different foliage. These are also very durable in the heat and will bloom all summer long.
The landscape designer may also recommend plants for color and interest in annual flower installations. Dusty Miller, as well as sweet potato vine, can be included to add a unique look to the bed.
