Plant a special garden filled with colorful, sun-loving flowers.
These easy-go-grow favorites will keep it looking good all season long.
Plants have different light requirements, and to ignore them is folly.
Plants that like full sun will languish and die if planted in the shade.
Varieties range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet in height.
Noted for their distinctive odor, marigolds discourage garden pests.
Adding them to vegetable gardens, flowerbeds or containers will reduce the need for insecticides.
Slugs are the only garden pest that finds marigolds attractive.
If they appear on the scene, act quickly before they devour every plant.
Marigolds are hardy in zones 3 through 9 and do best planted in full sun.
Divide them after a couple of years to produce even more plantsat no additional cost.
Attractive additions to any sunny garden, Shasta daisies are cheery, long-lasting cut flowers.
Butterflies and bees find Shasta daisies attractive, but fortunately, deer do not.
Remove dead flowers for repeat blooming.
Begonias
An enduring garden favorite is colorfulBegonia x semperflorens that will grow in shade or sun.
It comes in white, pink, and brilliant red with either green or bronze foliage.
Those with bronze foliage are especially fond of sun.
Trimming off dead flowers and damaged leaves will assure continuous blooming throughout the summer until frost.
Water thoroughly, but allow soil to dry before watering again.
Begonias grow well in zones 3 to 11 and bloom until frost.
Related:Types Of Begonias
Petunias
Petunia x hybridacomes in many colors.
There are even some striped varieties.
Petunias are low-growing annuals that rarely get above 12 inches tall but can spread in every direction.
New varieties are useful as ground covers as well as border plantings.
They make excellent container plants and shine in hanging baskets paired withfernsorivy.
Some varieties of petunia have a wonderful fragrance, but many do not.
If it matters to you, be sure to ask before buying seeds or non-blooming plants.
Petunias are hardy in zones 3 to 11.
They need regular fertilizer during blooming times and average water.
Remove spent blossoms to keep blooms coming.
Prune leggy stems to maintain a nice shape.
