Our winter weather here in Southwest Florida comes as a surprise to some residents who move down here from Northern climates. Our weather becomes downright balmy during the day, and actually gets pretty cold on some nights in mid-January. But what most people don’t know is it also gets very dry here in the winter. During the summer it rains every day, but during the winter it is quite a different story. Being native Floridians, our landscape designers at Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL, have thorough knowledge of the types of annuals and perennials to plant in the fall for the winter months. We also know how much sunlight each one needs. Something we always consider is that the location of the sun shifts in terms of your yard. For example, the sun is directly overhead during the summer months, but during the winter months, the sun is lower in the Southern sky, which means it may be blocked by trees or buildings for part of the day, so we need to consider how much shade those plants will get in the winter months.
Here’s a brief list of the diverse types of annuals we at Peer Landscaping like to plant in October for beautiful blooms all winter long:
Winter Annuals
- Coleus – These do well in both seasons, though they need slightly different sunlight in each. This plant wants partial sun in the winter with more shade in the spring.
- Dianthus – Also called pinks, these belong to the carnation family. They also do well in both winter and summer and they like full to partial sun.
- Dusty Miller – The distinctive silvery leaves of this plant is the perfect foil for the bright blooms of other annuals. A winter annual this is a plant likes full to part sun.
- Geranium – A longtime favorite of gardeners and those who love houseplants, geraniums come in so many colors and different shapes of flowers. This plant wants partial shade to full sun, but requires more shade in warmer weather.
- Lobelia – Known for it’s distinctive blue color this plant wants at least four to six of direct sunlight.
- Marigold – These golden beauties do well in winter and in the summer and want full to partial sun exposure.
- Petunia – With a wide variety of colors that range from black to red to purple and even striations of red and yellow. In the winter these like full sun to partial shade.
- Snapdragon – One of the few flowers that comes in almost every cover, these flowers like full to partial sun.
- Sunpatients – Unlike its shade-loving cousin the impatient, this is a flower that thrives in full sunlight.
- Sweet Alyssum – Aptly named for it’s deliciously sweet scent, this is one of the few annuals that do really well with heat and drought. Covered in tiny flowers that range in color from white to salmon, purple or yellow, they need full to partial sun to thrive.
- Viola – With over 500 different species in this genus (including violets), these edible flowers are cool season bloomers, which is why they are winter only. They require full to partial sunlight.
Preparing the Beds
At Peer Landscaping of Lee County, FL we like to focus on making sure that there is a perfect soil blend that is installed to make sure that the soil does not hold to much water but also does not drain too quick. Successful annual beds really depend on this kind of thoughtful preparation. We will take the time to remove grass and weeds, loosen and aerate the soil and then add organic compost and fertilizer to add moisture and enrich the soil. Flower beds should typically be fertilized prior to planting, and we will do so with a fertilizer that is controlled release and will last for months.
As we are planting the annuals, we water them well before and after putting them into the ground. You will have to hand water the newly planted flowers for a couple of weeks until their root systems are established. As we plant them, we loosen and spread out the roots, and then add mulch to the beds afterward to keep the moisture in and the weeds away.
No matter which annuals are your favorite, we can help you enjoy a gorgeously colorful flower bed all year long with our twice a year annual planting. Give us a call at Peer Landscaping and let’s get started creating your dream garden!
The team at Peer Landscaping knows every landscape is different and custom to the homeowner – it’s a blend of art meets outdoor architecture. No two clients have the same idea or concept for their outdoor living space. Therefore no two landscapes we work on will ever be the same. We custom design each outdoor spaces to reflect the personality and individuality of our customer. When you hire the team at Peer Landscaping to custom design your outdoor living space, we’ll work with your HOA and/or property manager(s) to ensure we don’t violate any HOA codes while creating your customized outdoor space.
We pride ourselves at Peer Landscaping with offering professional landscape design and installation at competitive pricing. Whether it’s a large job or a small one we complete every project with professionalism, respect, and on time. We offer many services from one time installation to ongoing pruning and maintenance. We look forward to earn your trust and your business.
