Late-Summer Bedding Plants for Zone 7-B

Pansies and Johnny-Jump-Ups

• Pansies and Johnny-jump-ups (Viola spp.) are fall garden mainstays because they're easy-to-grow, free-blooming and tough enough to survive most winters in zone 7b to bloom again the next spring. Johnny-jump-ups are more cold-resistant than their larger cousins, the pansies, but not as showy. Grow these charmers in full sun or partial shade in rich, well-drained soil. Both pansies and Johnny-jump-ups reseed themselves freely, so be on the lookout for small plants when doing your early spring cleanup.

Pinks

• Annual pinks (Dianthus chinensis) are named for their jagged flower petals, not their color, as they come in many colors and bi-colors besides pink. There are both tall and short varieties of pinks but most annual types are 8 to 12 inches tall and wide. Grow pinks in full sun in well-drained soil. In a sheltered location with good drainage, pinks overwinter successfully in zone 7b unless the weather is particularly harsh.

Dusty Miller

• Lighten up your late-season garden with dusty miller (Senecio cineraria). Grown for its sparkling silvery-gray foliage, dusty miller is especially effective when paired with pinks or dark reds such as mums and asters. Hardy in zones 8 to 10, dusty miller usually overwinters in zone 7b if given excellent drainage. When dusty miller does make it through the winter, the plant puts up yellow flowers during its second season.

Snapdragons

• Children everywhere are fascinated by snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), with their mouth-like flowers that open with a light squeeze. They're offered in every color but blue, and bi-colors are common. Plant sizes range from 6- to 8-inch, dwarf varieties to 24- to 36-inch, back-of-the-border specimens. Snapdragons grow best in rich, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. If given an airy winter mulch such as straw or loose leaves, snapdragons will last through a mild winter in zone 7b and bloom again the next spring.

English Marigolds

• Known as pot marigolds or English marigolds, Calendula officinalis is a frost-tolerant annual covered in yellow, white and orange flowers until cold weather arrives. Pot marigolds grow 1 to 2 feet high and wide, and prefer full sun or light shade. The leaves and flowers are edible, adding a spicy note to salads and soups.

There's More

• Ornamental kale (Brassica) makes an excellent fall container plant. Geraniums are surprising cold-tolerant and will continue to flower outside until cut down by a heavy frost. Alyssum (Lobularia maritime) and lobelia (Lobelia erinus) are more commonly found in the spring but perform equally well in fall's cool temperatures. Stocks (Matthiola incana) send up tall spikes that resemble snapdragons, but the flowers are sweetly fragrant.