Hardy annuals ship a burst of color to the cool season, transforming the winter yard proper right into a warm-season spectacle. They tolerate frost and thrive throughout the delicate conditions of spring and fall. In warmth climates, they perform all winter. In chilly climates, they could bloom all summer season season or take a break and resume in fall. Hardy annuals to sow in February are sturdy and resilient, ready to withstand the transition between late winter and early spring.
Chilly-hardy annuals lengthen the bloom present for weeks or months. They convey an early current in spring to welcome the season sooner than heat-loving bloomers emerge. They supply pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies, and totally different pollinators when many various vegetation aren’t however in flower.
Sow the subsequent hardy annual seeds in February to supply them a headstart on rising sturdy roots for enduring altering local weather. Start them indoors upfront of your final anticipated frost date, or winter sow them to work with pure conditions. The ultimate frost date in your rising area has crucial bearing on when to sow.
Calendula
Zeolights Calendula (Pot Marigold) Seeds
Snapdragons
Magic Carpet Combine Snapdragon Seeds
Sweet Pea
Extreme Scent Sweet Pea Seeds
Seed-Starting in February: Methods and Timing
There are a variety of most important strategies to sow hardy annual seeds in February, primarily sowing them immediately throughout the yard, winter sowing in defending containers, or seed-starting indoors. Your approach of other pertains to your rising zone, frost date, and selection.
Winter sowing offers seedlings a jumpstart on warm-season rising. Direct sowing, even in snow, or seeding exterior in mini selfmade “greenhouses” permits publicity to pure elements, the place seeds germinate as conditions are most suitable. With publicity, seedlings develop sturdy roots for easy transplanting with no hardening-off interval. Winter sowing in containers presents a defending approach acceptable for the hardy annuals on our itemizing.
Indoor seed starting offers a additional managed setting to warmth seeds and nurture seedlings sooner than shifting them open air to their optimum temperatures. That’s very good for lots of hardy annuals in order that they’ll have the ability to flower rapidly after planting.
Timing
Most cool-season flowers are capable of plant 4 to six weeks sooner than the final word frost date throughout the spring. Direct sow or transplant seedlings. To start out out seeds indoors, allow eight to 10 weeks sooner than frost, counting on the vary. Harden off seedlings for numerous days as a lot as two weeks open air sooner than in-ground planting. If subfreezing conditions creep up, use frost materials, burlap, or sheets to protect youthful seedlings until they arrange.
For the winter sowing approach, plan for six to eight weeks sooner than transplanting into beds or containers. Native climate and temperature naturally affect germination.
Look at the varietal information or seed packet on days to maturity (DTM). DTM is the amount of days it takes from seeding or transplanting to flowering. Rely out the occasions to maturity related to your frost dates to seek out out sowing cases.
In zones 7 and reduce, winter security like hoops or row covers is also important, notably for late freezes. To help vegetation tolerate chilly snaps, current even moisture based mostly on cultural requirements. Use mulch for insulation to handle soil temperatures and retain moisture.
Calendula
Calendula is a frost-tolerant with yellow, orange, pink, and bicolor daisy-ray flowers. Its single or double blooms ship warmth to chilly days and have an extended bloom time. Leaves and flowers are edible and beautiful in modern or dried florals.
Calendula grows best in fall and spring. In warmth climates, it performs over the winter. The flowers emerge from spring through frost in cool climates, taking a break in extreme summer season season heat. It flowers quickly from seed, with buds opening in about 30 days.
Try winter sowing in containers or start seeds indoors, notably in chilly climates. Transplant as rapidly as soils are workable. Current mulch for the fast-growing seedlings as defending insulation. Calendula would possibly self-sow for a further spherical of future blooms.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are hallmarks of the cool season, with bloom spikes in tones from classic to neon that complement any present. In delicate winter climates, they bloom all winter prolonged. In colder climates, snaps flower in spring, summer season season, and fall.
Snapdragons take 60 to 80 days to mature from seed. For the proper germination and earliest flowering, start them indoors eight to 10 weeks sooner than the first frost date. February is nice for many individuals to sow these fundamental, hardy annuals indoors or with protected winter sowing. Wait to direct sow until 4 to six weeks sooner than the frost (or when the soil is workable).
As quickly as established, snapdragons are hardy to 25°F (-4°C) and possibly lower with mulch and security. Take away spent blooms to keep up them from going to seed to promote continued blooming.
Violas & Pansies
Pansies and violas survive winter in delicate climates and withstand seasonal transitions in colder climates. In northern climates, develop them for a fall or spring present. Like snapdragons, they flower reliability in chilly local weather and tolerate frost.
Use pansies and violas to brighten the doorway of the border in a mass, or tuck them into containers and window containers for multi-season attraction. Go for trailing pansies like ‘Cool Wave’ for delicate blooms that spill over a pot.
These hardy annuals tolerate temperatures throughout the 20s (about -7°C) and sometimes lower, making them acceptable for February rising. Leaves would possibly flip gray all through chilly snaps nevertheless get nicely as temperatures warmth. Violas are easy to develop in well-draining soils. They revenue from deadheading to promote additional blooms (pansies, notably), channeling vitality into further flowering.
Feverfew
Feverfew brings a blanket of petite daisy flowers from early summer season season through frost. Foliage is feathery and aromatic with fairly just a few pure makes use of, along with drying for teas.
Winter sow in February in defending containers, or start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks sooner than the ultimate frost. Or, direct sow 4 to six weeks sooner than the final word frost. Seeds need publicity to sunlight to germinate; scatter them and frivolously tamp them with out masking them.
Feverfew is a short-lived perennial that grows for about two to three years, though it reseeds readily for annual blooms. Use it in naturalized areas, rock gardens, and borders the place it might presumably reseed freely or deadhead spent blooms to cease undesirable spreading.
Sweet Peas
Ornamental sweet peas carry a perfume and enchanting blooms on stems that cling and climb. The intensely sweet perfume accompanies petals in pink, mauve, crimson, blue, peach, and white.
The frost-tolerant beauties develop quickly from seed. The winter sowing approach works properly, the place these sown this month germinate as conditions swimsuit. Direct sow or start them indoors 4 to six weeks sooner than the ultimate frost. Absolute best rising temperatures are between 55 and 65°F (13 and 18°C).
For best progress, sweet peas need a assist building like a tripod or trellis. Use them as a container focus for vertical curiosity. For a quick grower that doesn’t need assist, seek for ‘Little Sweetheart,’ pretty in pots and hanging baskets.
Stock
Stock is an previous type annual or tender perennial with fragrant, jewel-tone flowers on stiff stems. With single or double white, pink, crimson, purple, ivory, and copper flowers, it makes a shocking scale back flower with a sweet perfume.
Stock is hardy to 25°F (-4°C), however it certainly doesn’t withstand scorching summers or frigid winters. It grows merely from seed, typically germinating in seven to 10 days. Indoor-sow these hardy annual seeds in February, about 8 to 10 weeks sooner than transplanting. In delicate climates, take care of them as early spring or fall annuals with a winter sow.
Stock does best in rich, pure, and well-draining soils, though it withstands generally moist soils.
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum perennializes in zones 5 and warmer nevertheless sometimes grows as an annual to retain a tidy kind. Whereas petite, they’re large on the number of blooms, with a profusion of white, pink, or purple pincushions. The showy, fragrant clusters enchantment to pollinators.
The dainty annuals are highly effective and hardy right down to twenty°F (-7°C) as quickly as established. Try the winter sow approach; since sweet alyssum self-seeds, it’s an excellent candidate for an early spring emergence in insulated containers exterior. Defend tender seedlings from late freezes.
Inside the heat of summer season season, the slim inexperienced leaves flip yellow and fade. Crops would possibly rebound aand resume blooming with fall’s cooler temperatures (on the very least in northern climates).
Love-in-a-Mist
Love-in-a-mist has delicate, feathery foliage and ethereal flowers surrounded by bracts that give a misty look. The deeply scale back petals are blue, pink, white, or lavender, and prolonged, darkish seed pods delay curiosity post-bloom.
Nigella performs best as a fall or spring annual and wilts in scorching conditions. Winter sow to find out sturdy roots earlier-flowering. For subsequent spring, direct sow seeds throughout the fall for a spring present.
Love-in-a-mist spreads readily (sometimes too readily) by way of self-seeding. Deadhead spent blooms and take away seed pods sooner than they drop to cease the unfold.
False Queen Anne’s Lace
Ammi isn’t invasive like its Queen Anne’s lace relative nevertheless produces associated domed umbel blooms with sprays of white florets. False Queen Anne’s lace offers ethereal attraction as border filler and for modern or dried preparations. The annual performer holds Royal Horticultural Society Award of Yard Benefit standing.
Look to ‘Dara’ for a mauve, burgundy, and crystal pink shimmer. The tall stems attain three to 4 ft on well-branched, slender stems. ‘Inexperienced Mist’ begins a verdant gentle inexperienced and opens to crisp white.
Normally sown one to 2 weeks pre-final frost, winter sowing the hardy annuals in February offers them a headstart. As quickly as established, Ammi is relatively drought tolerant, though it flowers best with frequent moisture. Deadhead spent blooms for faster reflowering and to cease self-seeding. That’s an invasive species in some areas of North America.
Larkspur
Larkspur is elegant, with large, deep blue bell flowers on tall stems. They stand out behind the border and make a putting present in a gaggle. In climates with delicate summers and chilly winters, larkspur flowers through fall. In every other case, it thrives throughout the spring’s cool conditions.
‘Shades of Blue’ cools the present in a range from darkish to sky-blue blooms. Direct sow as rapidly as a result of the soil is workable, or start indoors six to eight weeks sooner than the ultimate heavy freeze. Roots are delicate to disturbance at transplanting, so go for pulp pots which will go throughout the ground at planting.
Scabiosa
Scabiosa, or pincushion flower, carries a faint, sweet scent that pulls butterflies and totally different pollinators. Periwinkle, violet, pink, white, or crimson flowers appear on prolonged, wiry stems and scale back flowers ship daring distinction and depth to preparations.
‘Black Knight’ is a moody heirloom that punctuates the affiliation with burgundy-chocolate pincushion blooms and light-weight lavender-white stigmas. Deadhead spent blooms and harvest typically to delay flowering. Let some go to seed to extend the curiosity with distinctive seedheads.
Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks sooner than the final word frost, or give the winter sowing approach a go.
Bells of Ireland
Bells of Ireland have tall bloom spikes loaded with bells in shades from pale lime to candy apple. The distinctive annuals make rich additions to modern and dried flower preparations, the place they fade to strawy tones. Their tall blooms serve the once more of the border and distinction fantastically with dark-leaved foliage and daring flowers.
An heirloom, Bells of Ireland develop merely from seed. Winter sow the annuals in February to provide chill time, or start indoors six to eight weeks sooner than the frequent final frost date. Chilly stratification would possibly improve germination prices.
Go away spent bloom spikes to dry and scatter naturally for reseeding in successional seasons. Bells of Ireland don’t thrive in scorching and humid summers.
Sweet William
Annual dianthus reveals domed clusters filled with vibrant petals. Sturdy stems preserve the flowers above slim, lanced foliage and carry a fragile fragrance. The blossoms have flat, open faces with fringy edges.
‘Sweet Rose Magic’ boasts good uniformity, sturdy branching, and tolerates gentle frost. Blooms are color-shifting, rising white, turning pale pink, and rising older to deep rose.
Start seeds indoors or out, seeding eight to 10 weeks indoors sooner than frost-free conditions. Deadhead to foster continued flowering. Within the occasion you keep in an area the place this plant is invasive, develop it in containers.