Today we will address easy care flowers. Whether you are new to gardening, or just want easy care, these flowers are for you.
Our pick for a sunny location in a container or in the ground is Calibrachoa - commonly called million bells. This flower is a cousin to a petunia. Its flowers are smaller but there are alot of them, hence the name. They require no "deadheading" which means picking off spent blooms. Water requirements are normal, keep evenly moist but not wet. If they get too dry they will start to droop, but are very "forgiving". When given a drink, they perk back in a couple of hours. "Callies" as we call them for short do like to be fed, meaning fertilizer. We suggest the homeowner use a water soluble fertilizer twice a week. A time release granular fertilizer also works and should be mixed in the soil at planting and reapplied if needed around mid summer. These watering and fertilizing guidlines are meant for containers or baskets. If you plant them in the ground, water when soil is dry, and we would recommend the time release granular fertilizer at planting. Nutrients in "real" dirt should suffice.
For shady conditions, there are two large family groups that are quite easy. Begonias and Impatiens. Generally speaking these two flowers prefer the shade, but each type can vary in the amount of sun tolerance. Begonias prefer dry to moderate moisture conditions where as impatiens prefer moist conditions. Fertilizer requirements vary one variety to another, but generally are less than the callies. Check the care tag or ask your plant care professional. Large flowered begonias may need deadheading, but the flowers last a long time and usually fall off by themselves, which can make deck floors a little messy, but they are a gorgeous flower.
A final note about these flowers deals with temperature. Calibrachoa is cold tolerant, it can withstand nighttime temperatures around 30*F. Begonias and impatiens however, need warm nights, which means 50*F on a regular basis. This usually starts to occur in late May/early June.