Paint your garden with cool-season flowers - includes planting tips from professional gardeners - Special Issue: Fall/Winter Garden Guide

Sunset, Fall-Winter, 1994 by Micjael MacCaskey, Lynn Ocone, Lauren Bonar Swezey

FALL IS THE TIME TO SET the stage in your garden for a grand show of dazzling flowers from winter through spring. Cool-season annual flowers planted in early fall have time to develop better roots before flowering in winter and spring, and--because they start blooming earlier than comparable plants set out in spring--they bloom over a longer period.

So prepare your planting beds, and make a shopping list. We describe 20 colorful plant groups to choose from, starting on page 8. Most are annuals--they complete their life cycles in one season; a few are biennials or perennials treated as annuals. Some old favorites as well as some of the newer varieties are available only through seed catalogs; you'll find many companies listed on page 96. For design ideas, see "Planting tips from the pros," starting on page 11.

WHEN TO PLANT

Above, we list approximate planting dates for various regions of the low-elevation West. Close to the coast, you can plant earlier or later with good results. Inland, planting before temperatures drop in mid-October is risky.

If you are sowing seed of plants such as forget-me-nots directly in garden beds, do it right away. Seed will use the heat of late summer to germinate, and seedlings will come along just as the temperatures begin to cool.

WHAT SIZE PLANTS TO BUY

Cool-season flowers are available in a variety of containers. The three most commonly sold containers are six-pack or pony pack (48 plants per flat); jumbo or color pack (36 plants per flat); and 4-inch or quarts (16 plants per flat).

In mild climates, the smallest plants are probably your smartest choice. They bloom longer, and they cost less, too. In hot inland areas, start with the jumbo size; they're more resistant to heat and drought, and require water less frequently than small plants. While plants from 4-inch pots bloom more quickly than six-pack plants, their overall bloom cycle is shorter.

Whatever size you choose, look for plants with strong, actively growing roots, and tops not yet in flower. Plants in the bud-and-bloom stage (few flowers, but many buds) provide the longest cycle of bloom; they have roots that are actively growing, so transplant shock is minimal.

GET PLANTS OFF TO A GOOD START

A day or two before planting, prepare soil thoroughly. Over 100 square feet, spread six to twelve 2-cubic-foot sacks of planting mix, commercial compost, or nitrogen-fortified and composted ground bark. Add to that 2 pounds of a 5-percent nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 5-10-10 (or 1 pound of a 10-percent nitrogen fertilizer). Work the amendment and fertilizer into the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches, then rake the surface smooth. Water prepared soil.

Remove plants from containers; if roots have grown into a tight mass, gently ease apart the bottom of the rootball. Space most smaller annuals 8 to 16 inches apart. At this spacing, you'll need about 50 to 100 plants per 100 square feet.

Plant so the rootball is slightly higher than soil level. Cover it with soil and tamp lightly to firm. Water well.

Keep the newly planted bed moist (not soggy) until roots have taken hold, usually in 10 days to two weeks. Avoid overwatering, which can encourage fungus diseases. A month after planting, begin feeding with liquid fertilizer.

For winter-spring bloom, plant at these times:

San Francisco Bay Area: Mid-September through mid-October

Central Valley of California: Late September through mid-October

Coastal Southern California: October and November

Inland Southern California: Mid-October through mid-November

Palm Springs and Phoenix: October through mid-November

Here are 20 flowerful choices

BACHELOR'S BUTTON (Centaurea cyanus)

Upright, from 12 to 30 inches with narrow gray green leaves and 1- to 1 1/2-inch flowers in blue, pink, red, and white.

How to grow: Prefers light soil. Space transplants adequately to promote branching and minimize powdery mildew. Full sun.

Tips: Good cut flowers. Named varieties give a range of size and form, in single or mixed colors. Tall varieties need staking. Greatest availability is from late fall on.

CALENDULA (C. officinalis)

Bushy, upright plants 12 to 30 inches. Abundant blooms resembling double daisies grow to 4 inches across in white, cream, orange, yellow, and apricot.

How to grow: Easy by direct seeding or from transplants. Full sun.

Tips: Good cut flower. Petals edible. Powdery mildew is a problem in coastal regions.

CHRYSANTHEMUM (C. multicaule, C. paludosum)

Buttery yellow daisies of C. multicaule grow 1 to 1 1/4 inches across on 6-inch stems above mat of green foliage. C. paludosum has 1- to 1 1/2-inch flower heads with white rays and yellow centers on 8- to 10-inch stems; dark green leaves are deeply toothed.

How to grow: Give average water, full sun.

Tips: Plants may live a second year. Excellent for edging, containers, hanging baskets.

DIANTHUS

Annuals, and biennials and perennials often grown as annuals. Fringed flowers are 1/2 to 1 inch or wider in intense solid colors or in combinations of pink, purple, red, and white on plants 6 to 24 inches tall. Plants bloom from spring or early summer into fall.