Quote:
Originally Posted by megveg
Hello! I'm new to this whole gardening thing and was wondering some things 
I want to start a small garden. Not food of any sort because my dad has a half acre of tomato plants peppers squash and other edibles, but some nice flowers that I could have to look at or read by
I live in Massachusetts and know nothing other than frost is bad for plants. My downstairs neighbor collaborates on the garden with my dad and has some exotic flowers from costa rice but they die after 1 season.
I was hoping to plant some annuals that will spring up every year and are easy to maintain. Being in MA our soil is very rocky and lacking nutrients and the spot I want to plant in is shady and already has a bunch of shrubs and things around it.
My mom once had a bleeding heart plant that did well in the spot that I picked (the poor plant was mowed over and killed by my brother :/) so maybe I could get one of those since it thrived so well in that spot.
I need some ideas for shade loving annuals and easy to maintain (won't be over grown) and have some pretty flowers. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free
Thanks |
I think you mean perennials, which come back after winters?
It is really hard to give advice generally without seeing the location. If the area gets 1/2 day sun, you could put in some of the new day lilies that continuously bloom all summer. Stella D'oro is one variety..dwarf and cute.
Annuals don't come back in your Zone, unless they reseed.
Counting on seeds doesn't work well, because some don't come back true to form. Petunias are like this...they will reseed but lose their colors and change to a more generic flower.
I would sign up for Park's seed catalog, and also Thompson Morgan. They have websites too, with lots of information and
pictures of flowers along with where to put them for best results.
There is a lot of failure in gardening. So don't get discouraged. Just move on.
Perennials like daisies and black eyed susans are easy to do too, but you need some sun for them as well. At this time nurseries may not have alot of stock left, esp for annuals. Sometimes they put stuff up on sale to get rid of it too. I go to a seasonal guy who sets up shop on a vacant lot nearby and he has tremendous bargains, if you know what you want etc.
Reading the catalogs helps you in the end to choose what you like and what will like the spot you are intending to fill.
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All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.-- Galileo Galilei
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Weezie looking at petunias 8.25.2017
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