In Full Bloom: Full Sun-Loving Flowers
I decided to do some research and learn what kinds of flowers will thrive in full sun and what I can do to help protect these flowers. The following is some of what I learned.
First here are some flowers that are supposed to thrive in full sun.
Asters: These are annuals (annuals are flowers that complete their entire lifespan in one year). They flower late in the season.
Bachelor Buttons. These are labeled as annuals. But mine keep coming back year after year. They also thrive in even poor soil.
Poppy: This is a perennial (meaning they come back year after year). They bloom early in the spring.
Cosmos: These are also labeled as annuals, yet they reseed themselves. Reseeding means that they usually come back on their own. They also thrive in poor soil.
Hollyhocks: These are perennials. But hollyhocks usually will not bloom until the second year.
Lupines. These are perennials. They prefer rich soil.
Marigolds: These are considered one of the easiest flowers to grow. They are annuals. The sparky mix kind will bloom from spring to frost.
Morning Glories: These are annuals that need a support like a trellis.
Black-eyed Susan: This is a perennial. It blooms all summer.
Shasta daisy: This is a perennial. It blooms all summer.
Snapdragon: This is an annual. It has long colorful spikes that are called snaps. It flowers all summer.
Strawflower: This is an annual that gets especially tall, 24″ to 36″. Plus, the more sun it gets the brighter the colors get.
Sunflowers: These are annuals. The sunflower itself usually last up to 5 weeks. If you buy the autumn beauty variety it can withstand a lot of heat and even drought.
Zinnia: This is an annual.
Geraniums: These are annuals.
Full sun flowers are flowers that can thrive in eight or more hours of direct sunlight a day. You can check the tags that come with each flower to see what type of exposure it can handle.
After you picked out and planted your sun loving plants you still have some things to do.
Fertilizing: Most experts say you should do this every 6 to 8 weeks.
Watering: Strange as this may sound, daily watering isn’t a good idea. Experts prefer you water less frequently. They just want you to water more heavily. Deeper watering less often helps the root system to grow stronger. Remember though, if you are getting a lot of rain, nature is handling that duty for you. Over-watering can be bad.
Mulching: This should be done right after planting your full sun flowers. You should have about a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch. Mulching helps keep the moisture within your soil, helps keeps weeds from growing and keeps the soil cooler.
Weeding: This may not be a fun activity. But those weeds keep your flower beds from looking good and if allowed to grow they can choke your flowers. They should be pulled as soon as you see them.
Grooming: Some flowers require no grooming. Other flowers need deadheading, trimming and pinching. Follow the instructions that came with the flower.
Now you have the basics covered. Take the time to enjoy your flowers.
