The spring season is set to arrive soon, meaning gardening season is on the way! Wojton’s Nursery offers over 10,000 square feet of greenhouse space- granting an endless variety of gardening opportunities! For beginners and experts alike, knowing where to start can be difficult. This guide will create a solid starting point for those who might be a bit timid when it comes to trying something new. Just like people, every plant has different needs and preferences. Knowing what plants are best supported by your spring environment is key to a bountiful bloom. Here are some flowers that thrive in the spring, and how to care for them.
Sweet Pea
Sweet pea flowers thrive in the early, cooler months of spring. To ensure that your sweet peas will live their best life, planting them about six weeks prior to your areas’ last frost date is necessary. Due to their sensitivity to the summer heat, it is best to get these flowers into the ground by late winter to early spring. The sweet peas’ aversion to heat doesn’t mean that they won’t thrive in sunlight! Full sun exposure and weekly watering is what this plant craves. The delicate sweet pea can withstand living in hardiness zones of 7 or less. For more information on where your plant hardiness zone lies, and what hardiness zones are, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Most sweet peas are annuals, so yearly replanting will be needed!
Pansies
Pansies are famous for their wide range in color and their iconic dark center markings. Depending on your local climate pansies can be either annuals or perennials, however most gardeners treat them as annuals due to their intolerance towards extreme heat. Pansies do their best when planted anywhere between early spring to fall, and when they are exposed to full or partial sun. Soil temperatures between 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal, and their plant hardiness range lies within zones six and up. These flowers must be watered regularly, as lack of hydration is most commonly what leads to their downfall.
Lilies
When planted in the spring, lilies put on a dazzling show lasting from summer through the first frost. Spring planting is recommended in areas that face harsh winters. It’s most important to plant lily bulbs about a foot deep in an area where the soil drains and dries quickly, as stagnant water can do damage to the bulb. Like most flowers, lilies are huge fans of the sun, needing up to eight hours of direct sunlight per day in order to achieve full blooms. If rainfall in your area is less than one inch per week, watering your lilies freely is important. Lilies are perennials, meaning they are capable of regrowing every year. These beauties are cold hardy, with their hardiness zones ranging from 4 all the way to 9.
For a beginner, these flowers are low maintenance and do well in most areas. With proper attention and care, you can transform your garden into a beautiful work of art. For more information on crafting your garden and other easy-to-care-for plants, visit Wojton’s Garden Center.