Pakistan Gardening Forum

What are your criteria for selection of annuals for winter/summer sowing?
The plants in order of your choice?
My criteria;
The plant must be hardy and able to support itself (stopped growing Freesia).
Bloom must be showy enough to catch your attention from a distance.
It should bloom for a long period.
IT should require little attention and little labour.
The perennials must be able to survive in local conditions, and bloom year after year.
I don’t like dwarf varieties except for borders.

My selection of plants depends on LOCATION.
Perimeter gets Hollyhock, Cleome, Dahlia and tall Snap Dragon.
In shade I grow Cineraria (only the tall variety), Salvia Scarlet, tall only.
Antirrhinum, Calendula, Carnation, Cosmos, Dianthus, Gemolepsis, Mesembry, Marigold, Nasturtium, PETUNIA, Phlox, Ice Land Poppy, Ranunculus, Stock Dwarf, Sweet peas and verbena. In summer Kochia, Portulaca, Vinca and Zinnia only,

Aoa brig sb my choice are dwarf annuals due to thier holding power of their blooms.which annuals needs sticks for support i simply avoid.i like long blooming,vigorus,compact & neat growth annuals.i have even replaced Pansy super majestic with Mammoth or xxl series.the problem with super is its blooms are largest,flower stalks are very long.when it flowers its rainy season,so they drop down.the stalk can not support the blooms.so what happens you have to go & pick every face with fingers to view its beauty.the same case with anthriniunm buterfly or admiral(Tall var).i do not even prefer bulbs due to their short blooming period plus they do not survive our hot summers e.g tulips or daffodiles.i like hepistrum the only bulb along nargis which survive & multiply in our climates.i do not even prefer the dutch DEC DAHLIAS.they do not bloom as they bloom in abbotabad or murrree.i have replaced with rose.roses do well.roses are my fav.they bloom year after year.u are very right plants which are less demanding are fit for large gardens.shrubs like gardenias & bogevilias are very less demanding.in hot summers i like Zinnia.in autumn i like marigold f1 INCA & DISCOVERY plus ceolasia prestge scarlet,amigo & kimino.in spring Pansies,Petunias,snapdragons,mesebry.for shady & wet lacations Memolus is best even where cineraria fails to flower.cinrarea is happy in partial shade.for late flowering of pasy i plant some in shady positions.Pansy f1 crown is also my choice.

Mimulus does well in shade, I did not know. Even in full sun , I thought it was too leafy. I will try it in shade.

yes of course try it in shady wet location.dont let the ground go dry.mimulus like wet ground in full shady location.try f1 mistic series by SAKATA.

thanks