Hardy annuals deliver a burst of shade to the cool season, reworking the winter backyard right into a warm-season spectacle. They tolerate frost and thrive within the gentle circumstances of spring and fall. In heat climates, they carry out all winter. In chilly climates, they might bloom all summer time or take a break and resume in fall. Hardy annuals to sow in February are sturdy and resilient, capable of face up to the transition between late winter and early spring.
Chilly-hardy annuals lengthen the bloom show for weeks or months. They bring about an early present in spring to welcome the season earlier than heat-loving bloomers emerge. They provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies, and different pollinators when many different crops aren’t but in flower.
Sow the next hardy annual seeds in February to offer them a headstart on creating sturdy roots for enduring altering climate. Begin them indoors prematurely of your last anticipated frost date, or winter sow them to work with pure circumstances. The final frost date on your rising space has the most important bearing on when to sow.
Calendula
Zeolights Calendula (Pot Marigold) Seeds
Snapdragons
Magic Carpet Mix Snapdragon Seeds
Candy Pea
Excessive Scent Candy Pea Seeds
Seed-Beginning in February: Strategies and Timing
There are a couple of major methods to sow hardy annual seeds in February, primarily sowing them immediately within the backyard, winter sowing in protecting containers, or seed-starting indoors. Your technique of selection pertains to your rising zone, frost date, and choice.
Winter sowing offers seedlings a jumpstart on warm-season rising. Direct sowing, even in snow, or seeding open air in mini selfmade “greenhouses” permits publicity to pure parts, the place seeds germinate as circumstances are most fitted. With publicity, seedlings develop robust roots for simple transplanting with no hardening-off interval. Winter sowing in containers affords a protecting technique appropriate for the hardy annuals on our checklist.
Indoor seed beginning offers a extra managed atmosphere to heat seeds and nurture seedlings earlier than transferring them exterior to their optimum temperatures. That is ultimate for a lot of hardy annuals in order that they’ll be able to flower quickly after planting.
Timing
Most cool-season flowers are able to plant 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the ultimate frost date within the spring. Direct sow or transplant seedlings. To start out seeds indoors, permit eight to 10 weeks earlier than frost, relying on the variability. Harden off seedlings for a number of days as much as two weeks exterior earlier than in-ground planting. If subfreezing circumstances creep up, use frost material, burlap, or sheets to guard younger seedlings till they set up.
For the winter sowing technique, plan for six to eight weeks earlier than transplanting into beds or containers. Local weather and temperature naturally impression germination.
Verify the varietal info or seed packet on days to maturity (DTM). DTM is the quantity of days it takes from seeding or transplanting to flowering. Depend out the times to maturity associated to your frost dates to find out sowing occasions.
In zones 7 and decrease, winter safety like hoops or row covers could also be obligatory, particularly for late freezes. To assist crops tolerate chilly snaps, present even moisture in accordance with cultural necessities. Use mulch for insulation to control soil temperatures and retain moisture.
Calendula
Calendula is a frost-tolerant with yellow, orange, pink, and bicolor daisy-ray flowers. Its single or double blooms deliver heat to chilly days and have an prolonged bloom time. Leaves and flowers are edible and exquisite in recent or dried florals.
Calendula grows greatest in fall and spring. In heat climates, it performs over the winter. The flowers emerge from spring by means of frost in cool climates, taking a break in excessive summer time warmth. It flowers shortly from seed, with buds opening in about 30 days.
Attempt winter sowing in containers or begin seeds indoors, particularly in chilly climates. Transplant as quickly as soils are workable. Present mulch for the fast-growing seedlings as protecting insulation. Calendula might self-sow for one more spherical of future blooms.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are hallmarks of the cool season, with bloom spikes in tones from vintage to neon that complement any show. In gentle winter climates, they bloom all winter lengthy. In colder climates, snaps flower in spring, summer time, and fall.
Snapdragons take 60 to 80 days to mature from seed. For the very best germination and earliest flowering, begin them indoors eight to 10 weeks earlier than the primary frost date. February is good for many people to sow these basic, hardy annuals indoors or with protected winter sowing. Wait to direct sow till 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the frost (or when the soil is workable).
As soon as established, snapdragons are hardy to 25°F (-4°C) and maybe decrease with mulch and safety. Take away spent blooms to maintain them from going to seed to advertise continued blooming.
Violas & Pansies
Pansies and violas survive winter in gentle climates and face up to seasonal transitions in colder climates. In northern climates, develop them for a fall or spring show. Like snapdragons, they flower reliability in chilly climate and tolerate frost.
Use pansies and violas to brighten the entrance of the border in a mass, or tuck them into containers and window bins for multi-season enchantment. Go for trailing pansies like ‘Cool Wave’ for delicate blooms that spill over a pot.
These hardy annuals tolerate temperatures within the 20s (about -7°C) and generally decrease, making them appropriate for February rising. Leaves might flip grey throughout chilly snaps however get better as temperatures heat. Violas are simple to develop in well-draining soils. They profit from deadheading to advertise extra blooms (pansies, particularly), channeling vitality into additional flowering.
Feverfew
Feverfew brings a blanket of petite daisy flowers from early summer time by means of frost. Foliage is feathery and fragrant with quite a few natural makes use of, together with drying for teas.
Winter sow in February in protecting containers, or begin seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks earlier than the final frost. Or, direct sow 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the ultimate frost. Seeds want publicity to daylight to germinate; scatter them and flippantly tamp them with out overlaying them.
Feverfew is a short-lived perennial that grows for about two to a few years, although it reseeds readily for annual blooms. Use it in naturalized areas, rock gardens, and borders the place it will possibly reseed freely or deadhead spent blooms to forestall undesirable spreading.
Candy Peas
Decorative candy peas carry a fragrance and enchanting blooms on stems that cling and climb. The intensely candy fragrance accompanies petals in pink, mauve, crimson, blue, peach, and white.
The frost-tolerant beauties develop shortly from seed. The winter sowing technique works effectively, the place these sown this month germinate as circumstances go well with. Direct sow or begin them indoors 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the final frost. Excellent rising temperatures are between 55 and 65°F (13 and 18°C).
For greatest development, candy peas want a assist construction like a tripod or trellis. Use them as a container point of interest for vertical curiosity. For a fast grower that doesn’t want assist, search for ‘Little Sweetheart,’ fairly in pots and hanging baskets.
Inventory
Inventory is an old style annual or tender perennial with aromatic, jewel-tone flowers on stiff stems. With single or double white, pink, crimson, purple, ivory, and copper flowers, it makes a beautiful minimize flower with a candy fragrance.
Inventory is hardy to 25°F (-4°C), nevertheless it doesn’t face up to scorching summers or frigid winters. It grows simply from seed, normally germinating in seven to 10 days. Indoor-sow these hardy annual seeds in February, about 8 to 10 weeks earlier than transplanting. In gentle climates, deal with them as early spring or fall annuals with a winter sow.
Inventory does greatest in wealthy, natural, and well-draining soils, although it withstands often moist soils.
Candy Alyssum
Candy alyssum perennializes in zones 5 and hotter however usually grows as an annual to retain a tidy kind. Whereas petite, they’re huge on the variety of blooms, with a profusion of white, pink, or purple pincushions. The showy, aromatic clusters entice pollinators.
The dainty annuals are powerful and hardy down to twenty°F (-7°C) as soon as established. Attempt the winter sow technique; since candy alyssum self-seeds, it’s a great candidate for an early spring emergence in insulated containers open air. Defend tender seedlings from late freezes.
Within the warmth of summer time, the slender inexperienced leaves flip yellow and fade. Crops might rebound aand resume blooming with fall’s cooler temperatures (at the least in northern climates).
Love-in-a-Mist
Love-in-a-mist has delicate, feathery foliage and ethereal flowers surrounded by bracts that give a misty look. The deeply minimize petals are blue, pink, white, or lavender, and lengthy, darkish seed pods prolong curiosity post-bloom.
Nigella performs greatest as a fall or spring annual and wilts in scorching circumstances. Winter sow to determine sturdy roots earlier-flowering. For subsequent spring, direct sow seeds within the fall for a spring show.
Love-in-a-mist spreads readily (generally too readily) through self-seeding. Deadhead spent blooms and take away seed pods earlier than they drop to forestall the unfold.
False Queen Anne’s Lace
Ammi isn’t invasive like its Queen Anne’s lace relative however produces related domed umbel blooms with sprays of white florets. False Queen Anne’s lace provides ethereal enchantment as border filler and for recent or dried preparations. The annual performer holds Royal Horticultural Society Award of Backyard Benefit standing.
Look to ‘Dara’ for a mauve, burgundy, and crystal pink shimmer. The tall stems attain three to 4 ft on well-branched, slender stems. ‘Inexperienced Mist’ begins a verdant gentle inexperienced and opens to crisp white.
Usually sown one to 2 weeks pre-final frost, winter sowing the hardy annuals in February offers them a headstart. As soon as established, Ammi is comparatively drought tolerant, although it flowers greatest with common moisture. Deadhead spent blooms for sooner reflowering and to forestall self-seeding. That is an invasive species in some areas of North America.
Larkspur
Larkspur is elegant, with massive, deep blue bell flowers on tall stems. They stand out behind the border and make a putting show in a bunch. In climates with gentle summers and chilly winters, larkspur flowers by means of fall. In any other case, it thrives within the spring’s cool circumstances.
‘Shades of Blue’ cools the show in a variety from darkish to sky-blue blooms. Direct sow as quickly because the soil is workable, or begin indoors six to eight weeks earlier than the final heavy freeze. Roots are delicate to disturbance at transplanting, so go for pulp pots that may go within the floor at planting.
Scabiosa
Scabiosa, or pincushion flower, carries a faint, candy scent that pulls butterflies and different pollinators. Periwinkle, violet, pink, white, or crimson flowers seem on lengthy, wiry stems and minimize flowers deliver daring distinction and depth to preparations.
‘Black Knight’ is a moody heirloom that punctuates the association with burgundy-chocolate pincushion blooms and lightweight lavender-white stigmas. Deadhead spent blooms and harvest often to extend flowering. Let some go to seed to increase the curiosity with distinctive seedheads.
Begin seeds indoors six to eight weeks earlier than the ultimate frost, or give the winter sowing technique a go.
Bells of Eire
Bells of Eire have tall bloom spikes loaded with bells in shades from pale lime to sweet apple. The distinctive annuals make wealthy additions to recent and dried flower preparations, the place they fade to strawy tones. Their tall blooms serve the again of the border and distinction fantastically with dark-leaved foliage and daring flowers.
An heirloom, Bells of Eire develop simply from seed. Winter sow the annuals in February to offer chill time, or begin indoors six to eight weeks earlier than the typical last frost date. Chilly stratification might enhance germination charges.
Go away spent bloom spikes to dry and scatter naturally for reseeding in successional seasons. Bells of Eire don’t thrive in scorching and humid summers.
Candy William
Annual dianthus reveals domed clusters full of colourful petals. Sturdy stems maintain the flowers above slender, lanced foliage and carry a fragile perfume. The blossoms have flat, open faces with fringy edges.
‘Candy Rose Magic’ boasts good uniformity, robust branching, and tolerates gentle frost. Blooms are color-shifting, rising white, turning pale pink, and ageing to deep rose.
Begin seeds indoors or out, seeding eight to 10 weeks indoors earlier than frost-free circumstances. Deadhead to foster continued flowering. When you reside in an space the place this plant is invasive, develop it in containers.