The options may seem endless as you begin searching for colorful plants to use in your flower beds for our North Texas soil and climate. We’ve culled the list down to our top 5 favorite annuals to create beautiful pops of color that best compliment your Dallas/ Fort Worth yard.
Annuals
Annual flowers grow for a single season and then die off when the first freeze hits. Using the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, north and central Texas lies in Zone 8, which means colorful annual beds can survive well into late fall. Annual flowers tend to come in a variety of sun-tolerance, height and colors, which are all factors to consider as you are planning your perfect flower bed.
Although this is the appropriate time to be planning your planting areas, warm season annuals should wait to be planted until one to two weeks after any overnight freezes, typically in April.
Our Favorite 5 Annuals for North Texas
Zinnia: This is a sun-loving and hardy plant that will bloom in almost any soil type. The blooms resemble a daisy, but have more petals for a denser flower, and come in yellows, oranges, pinks, greens and reds. On average, Zinnias reach 12”-16” in height and are great to use as cut flowers in arrangements.
Purslane: The delicate-looking cup shaped flowers are actually quite hardy and low maintenance, but bring a lower-growing shape to your beds. Typically planted at the edges of flower beds or hanging baskets, Purslane is fast-growing and can spread up to 16-inches. Some varieties of this annual can be propagated by cuttings to spread the color to other parts of your yard.
Impatiens: One of the most popular plants to bring instant color to the shady parts of your lawn are the happy blooms of Impatiens. They do well in partial to full shade with well-draining soil, and are often found in plant bed borders, containers or hanging baskets. Growing up to 8” in height, you can find blooms in pinks, reds, purples and whites.
Vinca: Also known as Periwinkle, Vinca makes for great potted plants on decks and patios. Some varieties even cascade down for beautiful window planters or hanging baskets. Vinca prefer full-sun and love the heat, so flowers will continue to bloom throughout the heat of the summer and into late fall.
Petunia: For a bit more height and bed coverage, choose a hardy-breed Petunia. These full-sun plants tend to thrive in hot, dry areas and span up to 24-inches tall and 36-inches wide. The trumpet-shaped blooms come in a variety of bright colors including purples, pinks, blue, white, red and yellow.
Whether you decide to create your own flower beds, hanging baskets and planters or hire a professional, keeping up with your beds will include proper fertilization, watering, weeding and mulching. For assistance on setting up your fertilization and weed control schedule, weed pulling or mulch installation, trust your affordable home services experts at OneNeighbor. Our partners use high-quality products and are experts in the local area. See how OneNeighbor can help with your lawn care in Dallas/ Fort Worth, TX, Tampa Bay, FL and Houston, TX.
