Question
I am on the board of a homeowners assoc. and would like a colorful entrance. We are in south florida and would like plants that bloom all year. About two to three foot high and some lower. What would you suggest?

Answer
Here is a very good article on selecting annuals for florida:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG018

From the article I would like to highlight this:
quote
When selecting annuals for beds or borders, it is best to limit the choice to as few kinds as possible. Combinations of many flower colors and plant forms can distract from the overall appearance of the display. Attractive flower beds can be created by using one plant species
unquote

Example: Red Annual salvia (e.g. salvia speldens "flame") combined with yellow or orange marigolds (or combined with white petunias earlier in the year).

Annual Salvia is 1.5-2' tall and have spikes of flower. combined with bushy lower growing plants like marigolds or petunias is a very nice look. All (petunias, marigolds and salvia) are easy, low maintenance annual plants.
(Note: annual salvia is different from the perennial salvia. Annual salvia blooms longer and is called Salvia Splendens).

Marigolds and Petunias bloom continously. About every two weeks go through the plants and remove dead flower heads to avoid plant setting seeds. These flower heads should be pinched/cut off. This will ensure continous bloom. Some marigold are sterile and will bloom without the need for deadheading. Wave Petunias (a new hybrid brand name of petunias) shred dead flowers themselves requiring no deadheading. Salvia should be deadheaded when the flower spikes die back (about once per month). Just break off the spike itself and new spikes will grow out.

All 3 plants above can grow until kill by frost if deadheaded regularily.

Begonias (wax or non-stops) are also excellent for shady conditions (partial shade). Wax begonias have many single flowers whereas non stops have fewer, but very showy double flowers. They last a long time.

Impatiens comes in a multitude of colors and the plants can range from ground cover height to 3' tall depending on how much fertilizer they get and how close they are spaced (spaced close = tall plants). In your area, they require a lot of shade, and A LOT OF WATER. Fertilize regularily, but use a weak, diluted fertilizer.

If shade is an issue, begonias and especially Impatiens are good choices.


Wave petunias are pretty good with heat, but if you have full sun and very hot temperatures, they may not do well past May. In that case try sweet william (dianthus) instead of petunias. They are low growing but more mounted.

Just remember to fertilize annuals regularily, water frequently, and deadhead spent flowers.

no annual will last forever. By deadheading, watering and fertilizing you can extend their usefull life, but eventually they will need replacing.