Tag Archives: annual

flower, gardening

Petunia

It’s still a little early for petunias (petunia) here, and I know it. The nights can surprise you, and one cold snap is enough to undo all the enthusiasm of a warm afternoon. But after a few genuinely sunny days, I’ve decided to take the risk this year. Sometimes it just feels right to get started.

I spent part of the weekend visiting my mum in the town centre for Mother’s Day. We had a quiet, lovely visit — a walk through familiar streets and, of course, a stop at a flower shop. It’s become a bit of a habit this time of year. I don’t really plan what I’ll buy, but I always seem to come home with something. And more often than not, it’s petunias.

There’s something reassuring about them. With so many plants, I find myself hesitating — will they cope if I’m not there every day, will they need more care than I can give? But petunias are different. They’re reliable in a way that fits perfectly with summer cottage life. When the weather turns warm and dry, they don’t give up easily. They keep flowering, even if watering is a bit irregular.

That’s probably why I return to them year after year. I might try something new each season, but petunias are always part of the mix. They fill the pots quickly, soften the edges of planters, and bring just enough colour without feeling too demanding. And once they settle in, they seem to take care of themselves surprisingly well.

So here I am, a bit ahead of the season, with a few pots already planted. I’ll keep an eye on the forecast and be ready to move them if needed, but I’m choosing not to wait this time. After a long winter, it feels good to start.

And if nothing else, seeing those first petunia blooms outside — even a little too early — is a reminder that summer is on its way.

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flower, gardening

Violet

Every spring brings the same quiet but important question: what kind of violets should I choose this year? Violets are often the very first flowers that mark the beginning of the season, and somehow the choice always feels bigger than it should. Small flowers, perhaps, but they carry the whole promise of spring with them.

This year, there were so many beautiful options available. The tables were full of familiar faces – deep purples, soft yellows, delicate pastels – but for reasons I can’t fully explain, it was the bluish tones that drew me in. Cool, calm, and slightly muted, they felt right for this spring. I didn’t notice any truly new colors this time, but that wasn’t disappointing. Sometimes it’s comforting to return to shades you already know and trust.

Violets (viola) are not demanding plants. They settle in easily, tolerate cool days, and just keep flowering. Once planted, they seem content to do their own thing, quietly blooming day after day without asking much in return. That reliability makes them ideal spring flowers, especially after a long winter.

Now they are in place at the summer cottage, brightening up the early season when little else is in bloom. It didn’t take long before they were noticed. Bumblebees were the first visitors, heavy and focused, followed soon by butterflies drifting lightly from flower to flower. Seeing life return so naturally always feels reassuring.

Violets may not shout for attention, but they are always present, always working, always blooming. And once again, they have taken their rightful place as the starting point of spring.

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flower, gardening

Verbena

I am getting more and more fond of Common Garden Verbenas (Verbena hortensis). They have so many colors available in the stores nowadays.

The flower is extremely drought tolerant and therefore very suitable for the summer cottage since I am not always there to water.

I planted this individual to the driest and sunniest spot and it still made it blooming beautifully.

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flower, gardening

California Poppy

This year I am not able to spend much time in the summer cottage and therefore needed to select varieties that tolerate neglecting.

California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica ‘Aurantiaca Orange’) are easy to grow and do not need much watering. They are ideal flowers for those who cannot be in the garden all the time.

I planted the seeds by the lake to the full sun and the poppies are doing well. They just started to bloom and survived the two week long heatwave without a blink. Just love the vivid color they have.

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flower, gardening

Brachyscome

Something new to the garden. Fell in love with the blooms Brachyscome (Brachyscome hybrida) has.

It is a small flower, only about 15 centimeters tall at this point. It should double its hight during the summer.

Placed it to full sun. The only problem is that it requires regular watering when placed like that and I will not be here to do it.

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flower, gardening

Dahlia

It is always a bit tricky to grow Dahlias (Dahlia) up here in the north. They would need a longer summer to bloom well.

This year I decided to buy ready grown plants instead of trying to grow them by myself. At least this way I am able to be sure that I can see the blooms.

Found two that I liked from the store and brought them to the summer cottage. They are very different from each other but were the ones that caught my eye.

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Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco Nano

Because of the rapidly cooling nights I was forced to collect the bean harvest a bit earlier than I wished. They could have used two more weeks to ripe.

Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco Nano (Phaseolus vulgar–is ‘Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco Nano’) is the other bean variety I tried this year for the first time. They grew well and going to continue to grow them next year as well. I like the way they look and the unique coloring they have.

This variety is also called with the name Tongue of fire. There seem to be several different recipes what to make out of the beans. Cannot wait to try some of them.

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flower, gardening

Sunny Boy

Just made it on time to the summer cottage to see the Sunny Boy (Dahlia ‘Sunny Boy’) to bloom before the frost got its hands on it.

Sometimes I wonder why do I bother to grow dahlias up here in the north. The summer is too short and they barely start to bloom and then they are gone. I guess the answer is simple. The blooms are just stunning.

I guess I need to start buying them cultivated in stead of trying to grow them from root balls. This way I could enjoy them all summer. The thing just is that growing plants is part of the fun and when buying them fully grown you loose that part of the enjoyment.

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Prelude

I have never tried to grow beans before. Out of curiosity planted two different varieties in the spring.

It is said that beans are sensitive to cold nights when sewn but despite being put into the ground a bit early they made it.

Prelude (Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Prelude’) made a fair crop in the end and cannot wait to taste them. Though must save some seeds to next year.

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flower, gardening

Sunspot

Only one sunflower managed to bloom this year. I had several varieties growing but Autumn was simply too cool for them even though the summer itself was warm.

Luckily Sunspot (Helianthus annuus ‘Sunspot’) grew large and beautiful bloom to save the summer. I had it growing in a large pot with other flowers.

Sometimes this just happens up here in the north. For certain flowers our summer is simply too short sometimes. Better luck next year.

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