Four fragrant annuals on your home garden
Fragrant flowers are a easy
way to enjoy another dimension of your backyard. Here are four different annaul
plants which might be sure to please not simply you but attract butterflies and
hummingbirds. Flowering tobaccoFor a good way to entice butterflies and
hummingbirds for your garden, plant Nicotiana, also referred to as flowering
tobacco. The stems rise coming from a rosette of leaves and according to
variety, are covered with star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, maroon,
white, yellow and green.The white varieties seem being most fragrant within the
evening.' Common Names: Flowering tobacco.' Botanical Name: Nicotiana alata.
Hardiness: Annual.' Bloom
Time: Summer to first frost.' Size: 10 inches to feet high, 6 to 24 inches
wide.' Flowers: White, red, pink, lavender, green.' Light: Partial shade to
full sun.' Growing Advice: Prefers rich, moist soil that's well-draining.
Four-o'clocksFour-o'clocks open inside evening, making them an excellent choice
near patio decking. As their name says, they reliably burst into bloom inside
late afternoon, about 4 p.m.' Common Names: Four-o'clocks, Beauty in the
Night.' Botanical Name: Mirabilis jalapa.' Hardiness: Zones 10 and 11, but
easily grown as annuals throughout the vast majority of North America.' Bloom
Time: Midsummer through fall. Blossoms open in mid-afternoon and fade before
sunrise.
On cloudy days, the flowers
may remain open.' Size: 1-1/2 to a few feet high, 1 to a few feet wide.'
Flowers: Purplish-red, yellow, pink, white, and lavender blooms, sometimes on
the identical plant. Some varieties have striped flowers.' Light: Full sun.'
Growing Advice: Four-o'clocks bloom by midsummer if seeds are started indoors
or are sown outside at the beginning of spring. Four-o'clocks often reseed, so
don't disturb the encircling soil during spring cultivation.
Sweet alyssumThis beautiful
low-growing border plant with clusters of delicate flowers is really a member
in the mustard family. Its tiny blooms are fragrant and are available in white,
pink and lavender. This annual blooms for months fully sun to partial shade,
but does finest in cool weather.' Common Names: Sweet alyssum.' Botanical Name:
Lobularia maritima.' Hardiness: Annual.' Bloom Time: Spring through frost.'
Size: 4 to 8 inches high, 10 or 15 inches wide.' Flowers: White, pink,
lavender, and apricot.' Light: Full sun to partial shade.' Growing Advice: Cut
sweet alyssum back in encourage new growth and blooms following the heat of
summer has brought its toll. Sweet PeaThis flower is easy to cultivate and will
produce a lot of flowers if harvested occassionally. Like your backyard peas,
sweet peas love the cooler weather of spring and early summer.' Common Names:
Sweet pea.' Botanical Name:
Lathyrus odoratus.' Hardiness:
Annual.' Bloom Time: Varies by region; summer through early autumn.' Size: 4 to
12 feet high.' Flower: Wide various colors including pink, purple, salmon,
blue, red and white.' Light: Full sun to partial shade.' Growing Advice: Plant
presoaked seeds 1 " deep and 6 inches apart in garden, or start seeds
indoors and transplant outside after about six or seven weeks.