Lasts one season only, question

I've recently started gardening. I've bought many flowers and hanging baskets, already planted etc.

I understand that the flowers on most plants will only last during the better weather periods. But once the flowers are gone and the weather turns grotty and cold, will the plants actually die? As in, need to be replaced? Or if I continue watering them as normal. they'll still survive (just won't look as pretty) until the summer comes and flower again?

 

Hi JWK.

I've just found the labels for the plants.

The hanging baskets are Trailing Petunia - Surfinia Red, Surfinia Purple & White and a Surfinia Blue Vein. The red is being a pain to look after, yet gets the same treatment as the others.

I have Trailing Lobelia - Regatta Blue which is in a window box.

I have New Guinea Busy Lizzie in large planters. Two in each, one violet and one red. The thick leaves on these makes me believe these will stick around quite well.
I have another one that looks very similar to the Violet in an already planted hanging basket, but the leaves are a deeper green without the yellow stripes.

I did have a Double Busy Lizzie but it met its demise due to a slug attack. I've since learnt that lesson.
I have others but I'm not overly concerned about them, as where they are, I might replace with a different variety.

 

Regards the Petunia's, I've been pulling the dried, dying and manky flowers out of their sockets. (excuse the terms. :D) But on the whole they seem pretty sturdy. They often look wind swept (especially the red) due to our relatively unpleasent Summer. But they look very happy when the sun comes out.

So annual plants will effectively continue to live throughout the year without any special treatment, but will obviously be flowerless and weedy looking, outside the summer seasons.?

Would they flower again next summer?

As for replanting, what does this mean? Put them in new compost with new food? Would I have to break away some of the root ball to do this?

I seem to be having a crash course in flowers at the moment. :D

Thanks for your help.

 

Hello Brind
Petunias and Busy Lizzies were both dicovered in south America , their natural habitat is tropical and sub tropical. So the best our little north atlantic island can hope for is one growing season then they go belly up.:( Petunias need a lot of feeding especially in hanging baskets , some say feed every watering. I feed twice a week with Miracle Grow - seems to work for me :thumb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens

Wikepedia is an amazing source for info on plants. It nearly has as much knowledge as this place ! :D

 

Thanks guys, it's really appreciated.

 

Strickly speaking, all three are actually perennials. But as JWK and Smiffy said they are only worth keeping for a year. I have overwintered Petunias, but they don't have much vigour in the second year. The trailing Lobelia erinus is so cheap and easy to buy in spring, and so difficult to overwinter that its not worth keeping.

However Buzzy Lizzies can be kept as house plants, and can last for several years. When they become untidy and lanky you can easily take cuttings by putting pieces in a glass of water. And they may well flower over the winter. But if you only want them for outside use it is much easier to buy new each year.

 

It does seem to help the basket annuals to continue for longer, if you occasionally dead head the spent flowers. Also if you fancy trying. Save some seed heads from the Lobelia and plant them in the spring. You are likely to get plenty of plants that way. I often find Lobelia growing in beds or in the cracks in paving, where we have had hanging baskets above.

 

I think I know what you mean by this and if I'm right, you need to start removing the 'socket' too. This is the bit where the seeds would develop. If you just pull the dead flower from the socket that's no more than the flower just dropping off on its own iyswim and the seeds could still form, meaning you're not giving the plant that extra reason to start chucking out more flowers.