Best ways to maximize flower growth in your garden

May is here and you might already be planting summer annuals. If you’re not planting yet, most likely you are planning your gardens. This week I would like to give you some tips for getting the most out of your plantings this season.

If you have large beds to plant, consider planting a combination of annuals and perennials. You might be unfamiliar with the difference between the two types of flowers. Annuals are flowers that live their life in one season. They live until frost and freezing temperatures return in the fall.

Perennials are flowers that are referred to as "hardy." This means they survive the winter and return the following season. The tops of the plant die completely and the following season a new plant grows from the roots in the ground.

Besides the hardiness, the significant difference between annuals and perennials is the blooming cycles. Annuals bloom continually through the entire season, while perennials have limited blooming times. Different varieties bloom at different times.

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Mixing annuals and perennials in a large bed is a good idea because perennials can add a different color and texture to the bed. They will be back to do this job every year. Annuals can fill the rest of the bed to provide constant colorful blooms throughout the summer. By using a mix of perennials, you can reduce the amount of flower you have to buy every year.

Whenever you are growing something, it is very important to have good soil. Good soil is essential for strong roots to develop. Before planting your flowers or vegetables, consider cultivating the soil in your beds. Cultivating will loosen the soil, making it easier for the roots to grow.

Cultivating can be done manually with a shovel or garden spade, or with a power tool called a mini-tiller, which is a small version of a rototiller and is great for small areas. When you are cultivating, you should add some amendments. Organic compost will boost the soil with beneficial microorganisms. Pine soil conditioner is another great product that will keep the soil from compacting.

The soil is also very important when you are planting in containers. The flowers you are buying are grown in what is known as a "soil-less" potting mix, which is primarily sphagnum peat moss with additives such as vermiculite and perlite. Growers use this soil-less mix because flowers perform so well in it.

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You can purchase a soil-less potting mix to use in your containers – and you should. It is more expensive than ordinary potting soil, but it is a worthwhile investment because your flowers will grow and bloom considerably better in this soil. At the end of the season, you do not have to throw it out. Potting soil can be used as long as you can keep it.

Your annual flowers will also perform much better if they are on a regular fertilizer regimen. I like to use a combination of granular fertilizer and liquid. The granular food I use is Fertilome's Start n Gro. It is a slow-release fertilizer that will continually feed for up to three months. I use this as a steady meal.

For the liquid I like to use Fertilome's Blooming and Rooting Fertilizer. It is similar to Miracle Gro, but Bloomin and Rooting has substantially more phosphorus, which is what encourages abundant blooms and strong roots.

I use Start n Gro when I first plant, then I use the Bloomin and Rooting fertilizer on a weekly basis. Since it is mixed with water, I use it once a week as part of my watering routine.