How, when and why to prepare for annual flowers in Phoenix, Arizona

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If you're in the Phoenix, Arizona area, like I am, or anywhere that people flock to in the winter to get away from the snow and cold, October is the season to prepare for planting annual flowers.  And like everything else you do in the garden, preparation makes all the difference.

Annuals grow well here, and will be beautiful all winter and into early spring, but you can't just dig a hole in the desert, plunk them down, and hope for the best. Well, you can, but all you'll get for your trouble is dead plants. So calm down a bit before you go to the garden center, and do some preparation work first.

I prepped this area yesterday and it's ready for planting. I trimmed away where the leaves of the palm tree were covering it up, to reveal the space, sprinkled some mulch (which I get for free, as it falls from my trees), and added a sprinkling of coffee grounds (which I save every morning when I make coffee). I watered it well, with Miracle Gro, and the plan is to get the plants in in the next week or two.

September is still too hot here, and even early October can be iffy for planing tiny annuals from six-packs (which is what I recommend). Don't be afraid to drag your feet a bit, and let the weather cool off some more, especially if you've chosen a nice sunny area, which will be perfect in cool weather, but deadly if it's still getting to be over 80. You can plant annuals all winter, of course, but the idea is to get them into the ground and growing so you can enjoy them for as long as possible.

I'll be planting alyssum again this year, which does great here. Once it's established, it grows like a weed and blooms like crazy. I like the white blooms, as they look great at night, with the garden lights.

I'll let you know how it goes!

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