At Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL we are born and bred right here in Southwest Florida. Why do we mention that? Because we intimately know which plants thrive here, and we know exactly where to plant them in your garden. Flowering plants in particular are fragile, so that means choosing the right location for the type of annual we are using in your landscape design is key to having them bloom beautifully all season. An important part of that decision depends on how much or how little sunlight the plants will be getting in the location chosen for that flower bed. As is true with all plants, there are some annuals that absolutely love full sunlight, while others will do better with filtered sunlight (most annuals do not thrive in full shade however).
The other factor we must consider is which annuals we plant for the correct times of the year. For this we must keep in mind that not only do the daily temperatures change quite drastically here, but also the Southwest Florida weather patterns are quite different during our two main seasons of summer and winter, which is why we plant twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Summertime temperatures are extremely hot and sunny for most of the day, with a daily deluge of rain around 4pm. As such, plants that love sun and a lot of rain do best during the summer here. Here’s a brief list of the diverse types of annuals we like to plant in March for beautiful blooms all summer long:
Summer Annuals
- Caladium—One of our favorites, this perennial has lush multicolored leaves that range from white to red and purple. A popular foliage plant, it comes back every spring. It requires partial or full shade.
- Celosia or Cockscomb—We love this plant for the many beautiful colors it comes in from red to pink to yellow. It does best in the spring and early summer and requires partial shade to partial sun
- Gaillardia, known as Blanket Flower—Although easy to grow, this perennial’s flowering time period is short lived and although it’s considered a perennial, the plant rarely lasts longer than two seasons before dying out completely. It needs full to partial sun.
- Gazania Daisy –These beauties with flowers that range from white to golden orange need full to partial sun.
- Gerbers Daisy –With their multitude of colors from red to pink to white or yellow, these are bouquet ready flowers tend to do best in the spring and early summer. They require partial shade and partial sun,
- Ornamental Cabbage (a.k.a. Flowering Kale) – These hardy plants like full to partial sun and do best in the spring and early summer.
- Pentas—With their clusters of star shaped flowers, pentas come in pink, red, purple, lavender, and mixed blooms such as pink flowers with red centers. They are a perennial that prefers to be planted in late spring in a site that receives full sun.
- Portulaca, also known as Moss Rose—Often used as ground cover due to their low profile, portulaca flowers are tiny but brightly colored in a mix of deep lavender, blue, cream, yellow, pink, red and white. A hearty plant, they love full sunlight and well-drained soil.
- Purslane—This tropical perennial has succulent leaves and stems and tiny flowers that come in a range of colors from red and pink to yellow. Like most succulents they like full to partial sun and sandy soil.
- Vinca—Often used as a ground cover, Vinca loves the sun and also does well with partial shade. It comes in a range of colors from a beautiful periwinkle (and in fact it’s called periwinkle in some places) to bright tangerine, white and pink.
- Wax Begonia—This one depends on which type of Begonia is planted. The bronze leaf Begonia wants full sun to partial shade, but the green leaf Begonia wants full shade.
- Zinnia—These pretty wildflowers love full sun and do well in partial sun as well.
We are a landscape design and installation company based out of Fort Myers, Florida. We are very different from your average landscapers. Throughout this catalog, you will learn how we work, how our process makes us unique, as well as some of our favorite plant variations we love to work with. No matter what size project you have or what budget you are working with, our customer service oriented team is here to help you receive quality care and service in every interaction with Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL.
Call us today at 239-645-6455 to create the landscape of your dreams! Our on-staff landscape designer works with you, the homeowner, creating the perfect landscape design that fits your home and your personality.
