Hardy and Tender Annual Flowers
I am frequently asked which flower varieties are hardy enough to plant in April and which tender flowers I should wait to plant until May. There are two reasons to wait until May to plant the tender annual flowers. 1. There is a good possibility of frost occurring until the end of April. 2. Tender annuals are heat loving. They tend to become stunted under cool growing conditions. Later planted ones often pass up the earlier planted ones.
Hardy (Cool) Annuals (plant in March and April)
Alyssum
Candytuft
Carnation
Cleome
Dianthus
Dusty Miller
Gazania
Godetia
Hollyhock
Flowering Kale )
Lobelia
Nasturtium
Nierembergia
Pansy
Petunia
Poppy
Blue Salvia
Snapdragon
Sweet Pea
Viola
Tender (Warm) Annuals (wait until May to plant)
Ageratum
Aster
Begonia
Celosia
Cosmos
Dahlia
Geranium
Impatiens
Marigold
Moss Rose (Portulaca)
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)
Phlox
Scarlet Salvia
Schizanthus (Butterfly Flower)
Stock
Verbena
Vinca
Zinnia