Annual Flower Planting Schedule

Hardy Annuals

• Hardy annuals are the toughest annual flowers. They are resistant to light frost and cold temperatures. Typically, you may plant hardy annuals in fall or springtime before the last frost in your area. These plants usually die off once hot weather begins. Some popular hardy annuals include cornflower, pansies, and viola.

Semi-Hardy Annuals

• Semi-hardy annuals are not as resistant to the cold as hardy annuals. They can live through some cold weather, but a frost will usually damage or kill them. Plant semi-hardy annuals in the spring, but wait until after the last frost in your area. Some examples of semi-hardy annuals are baby's breath, blue sage, and forget-me-nots.

Tender Annuals

• Tender annuals are the least resistant to cold. The seeds usually will rot instead of germinating if the soil temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure success with tender annuals, do not plant them until two weeks after the last frost in your area. Tender annuals include marigold, petunia, and zinnia (see Reference 1).

Last Frost

• Since the last frost date is important for planting of semi-hardy and tender annuals, it is vital that you know when it is. As weather patterns can change from year to year, there is no firm date for a last frost. However, it is possible to estimate one for your area.

  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a map of the hardiness zones in the U.S. at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. Find your zone by finding your location on the map. If your state has different hardiness zones, click on your state's abbreviation below the map for a closer view. After you determine your hardiness zone, check the table of last frost dates by zone at http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/FrostDates.html.

  Always pay attention to the local forecast in your area before planting semi-hardy or tender annuals, to ensure that there is not an unusually late frost coming. If a late frost is not in the forecast, you may use the typical last frost date as an annual flower planting schedule guideline.