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When I plan my garden, I try to separate plants into three categories: short, medium, and tall, and to plant some of each in the garden plot. Of course, the short ones go in the front, the medium size ones go in the middle and the tall ones go in the back, to give a pleasing look to the resulting garden.
My top 10 favorite bedding plants for a continuously blooming flower garden are:
In the Short category:
French Marigolds—they are very easy to grow, and come in several different colors, and make a very good border plant. They help keep bugs at bay because most insects don’t like their smell. They grow 8-18 inches tall.
Trailing petunias—these grow gracefully and sort of vine like, and look very nice planted so that they trail over a rock wall. The do well in full sun or partial shade and grow up to 6 inches in height.
Moss Rose—these grow very low to the ground and make a good ground cover. They provide good continuous, colorful blooms.
In the Medium category:
Nasturiums—I love these because they are so easy to grow, and, you can eat the flowers. They make a wonderful, different addition to summer salads. They tolerate drought conditions and like full sun. They grow to 12 inches in height, and spread out well so they fill the garden space well.
Geraniums—these plants bloom in a red cluster of blossoms, and blooms all summer long. They grow up to 18 inches tall, and really stand out in the garden.
Coleus—the actual flower of this plant are tiny, but the leaves are so colorful you won’t miss them. They are a very good plant for partial shade, but they need a lot of water and the flower heads need to be picked off as soon as they bloom to keep the plant looking good. They are well worth the effort, though. They grow up to 24 inches, and spread out well so just a few plants make a big statement.
And in the tall category:
Snapdragons—these are one of my favorites because they provide tall-stemmed blooms for cut flowers that are very fragrant. They are good for sunny areas and are drought tolerant so they need little water. They grow up to 36 inches tall.
Cosmos: another one of my personal favorites, these plants grow very tall and have feathery, graceful leaves. The flowers come in many colors from salmon to dark purple. Good for sunny areas, drought tolerant, and them make a beautiful bouquet combined with snapdragons for a cut flower vase. The grow up to 36″ tall.
Zinnias—My all time favorite! These flowers are so pretty and come in such a variety of colors it is hard to pick just one color. They are very easy to grow from seeds, and make excellent cut flowers. Drought tolerant and love full sun to partial shade. They always have a place in my flower gardens. They grow up to 36″ tall.
And last, if you have room, Sunflowers make such a statement you just have to give them a try. They are huge, growing up to 6 feet tall sometimes, but the resulting flowers are gorgeous. They attract birds and butterflies to your yard, and you can leave the flower heads on the stalks over the winter for birds to eat.
I used the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service website to research information for this article.
The above is a random extract from Associated Content, visit Associated Content for the actual writer of this article.