Florida Fall Annuals: Make the White Choice.

Florida fall annuals abound in every color. But if you’re looking for a color that goes with just about anything, you’ve come to the white place. ArtisTree Landscape brings you four top choices that thrive throughout the Sarasota and Venice area. Take your pick!

Sweet Alyssum

Dense clusters of tiny snow-white flowers make this honey-scented annual an excellent choice for Florida’s cooler weather. Sweet Alyssum isn’t picky – partial sun or shade will do as long as the soil is well-drained, moist, and organic. It spreads to 12 inches wide and up to 10 inches tall. These dense, low-growing clusters are lovely as edging around boulders or as a flowering groundcover. Avoid over-watering to prevent root rot. Choose white, pink, lavender or purple.

Sunpatiens

If you like impatiens, you’ll like the hybrid Sunpatiens even more. They’re bigger, do better in the sun and will bloom their little heads off October through May. When planted in mass, this jumble of perfection jostles for attention in all kinds of colors: white, pink, etc. Sunpatiens thrive in full sun or partial shade with tough, easy-to-maintain foliage. And unlike impatiens, they resist downy mildew, whether planted in pots, baskets or in your landscape beds.

Geraniums

White geraniums will reward you with vibrant blossoms as long as you don’t plant them during Florida’s hot rainy summer. The secret is to give these guys just the amount of water they need and no more to avoid black spots. The hairs on their fuzzy leaves trap water, allowing fungus to grow. And they sure don’t like sharing their soil with snails and slugs. Plant in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil amended with compost or peat moss. White, red, bright pink – you can’t go wrong with a happy geranium.

Begonias

Where do we start? There are more than 1,300 species and hybrids of begonias to choose from, but for Florida landscapes we like Begonia semperflorens. These wax begonias are reliable, keep their rich color and thrive in filtered sun or shade. Be sure to plant in well-drained, coarse soil (moist, not wet). Fertilize regularly with a controlled-release fertilizer. If they get leggy, cut back a bit to encourage new growth and more blooms. Whether used as bedding plants or mixed with other annuals, begonias are a sure bet if you know to care for them.

Ready to plant some Florida fall annuals? Visit your local plant nursery, or better yet, consider a complete landscape renovation from ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design.

Contact ArtisTree

Let ArtisTree help get your dream landscape off the ground. Contact Jenni Lassen at 941.488.8897, ext. 312, to schedule a meeting with one of our award-winning designers.

Live in an HOA community where the landscape is going downhill? Contact Mike Casper at 941.488.8897, ext. 321, to request a custom maintenance proposal and a tour of our properties located in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

Category Annual Color, News