annuals | In the Garden With Jera

It’s wispy, it’s colorful, it’s a fast grower and not very fussy! It’s Linaria! Linaria is one of my favorite direct sow spring bed fillers. With a lightweight and easily pulled root system this plant is a spring necessity. I scatter it en mass throughout my beds to provide early spring color. Because it’s so easy to pull after it’s spent, it’s easily cleaned up when it gets too not.

Linaria, or spurred snapdragon, makes a long lasting vase filler and is cut and come again while cooler weather prevails. There are many colors and bi-colors in the mix I buy. I buy by the ounce as I really do sprinkle it all around! I can expect white, yellow, purple, pink and mixed colors and just adore the delicate look of these plants. I plant in fall and this plants takes off slowly all winter without a concern for water, freezes etc. If you are a gardener who likes plants that are not fussy, this is your plant. Linaria in my garden grows 18-24 inches tall but starts blooming even shorter if the weather is right. It prefers cooler weather in the south and rarely lives past early June here. This is a perfect starter flower for new gardeners. Check out the photos of this easy spring wonder!

If you’re looking for a petunia with heat tolerance, bounces back in the rain and can make it through mild winters look no further than the tidal wave silver petunia.

This plant is easily started from seeds-although they can get pricey. You can also start new plants from the tender growing ends of existing plants. Spring is the best time as woody plants in fall do not root! I propagate about 12 new plants a year by taking cuttings. I pull off the lower leaves and stick the cutting directly into moist potting soil. I set the pot in the shade outside and keep it watered. Within a few weeks I have 12 new plants to set in the landscape.

This plant spreads. My largest was 5 feet in diameter! It will also mound if planted in masses, and spill over containers and walls. I’ve had several overwinter but they will only live 2 summers which is why I continually propagate. Each of the photos below contain only one plant per photo, so you can see how large they can become. These are great all purpose petunias. What they lack in color they gain in being self deadheading and vigorous, easy plants to have in your garden.