Remember that the low desert provides gardeners with two distinct growing seasons. Warm season flowers can be planted from approximately February through May, for bloom through the summer. Cool season flowers are planted in the fall and bloom through May, or until temperatures heat up. This Guide provides a range of dates that offer a high probability of success. However, yearly weather conditions can vary considerably and the low desert contains a myriad of microclimates. Use these dates as general guides and adjust them as necessary for your local conditions.

Soil 

Most flowers prefer a nutrient-rich, well-drained soil (nobody likes wet feet). If this is your first attempt or if your patch of hard rock fills you with despair, you might want to concentrate on the flowers marked as “Wildflowers” or “Reseeds” in this Guide. Many of these don’t require as rich a soil, preferring a more “native” environment.

Fertilizing 

Flowers, like vegetables, are heavy “eaters” and will require nitrogen for vegetative growth and phosphorous for healthy roots and reproduction, which includes flowers. However, too much nitrogen may create a healthy, vigorous plant, with few flowers. Phosphorous is not water soluble and thus can not move easily through the soil. It needs to be placed deep enough in the soil where the plant’s roots can easily take it up. Thus, it should be mixed into the soil in the root zone before planting, or dug into side trenches if required after the plant is established. If plants are in the ground, fertilizer is best applied to moist soil to help prevent burning.

Because there are so many variables involved — the condition of the soil, plant species, fertilizer type (dry, slow release, liquid), weather, your garden’s microclimate — there is no magic formula for applying fertilizer. Follow the directions on the label of the fertilizer you choose. Depending on your conditions, you may need to add fertilizer as often as every six weeks or so during the flowers’ peak growing season. If you have nutrient-rich soil that is well prepared before planting, additional fertilizer may not be required. Consider keeping a
garden journal, noting what kind of fertilizer you used, how much and when it was applied. Keep an eye on your plants. Do they look green and healthy? Do buds and flowers form? Let your plants and your “eye” determine what is needed.

Flowers grown in containers need a regular schedule of fertilizer or a timed-release fertilizer mixed in at planting time. Some Master Gardeners recommend applying a diluted fertilizer with each watering in cooler weather. In hot weather, you may need to water daily, so cut back on fertilizer to once a week. This is only a guide. The size of the container and the plants will determine fertilizer needs.

Tips 

Perennial flowers show to their best advantage when planted in groups of odd numbers (three, five, seven) in a drifting effect. Annuals look great when massed together for maximum color effect, although they can also work well when grouped in odd numbers. Single plants of many varieties tend to look disorganized. Avoid straight rows for a more natural appearance. Take a look at how plants grow in nature — when’s the last time you saw a straight line? However, smaller, low growing plants can work well as a continuous border along the front of a bed with taller flowers behind in two orthree “layers.”

“Deadheading” is the term used for removing spent blossoms. Cutting or pinching off the dead flowers on a weekly basis prolongs the blooming period because the plant doesn’t expend its energy on seed production. Toss the dead flowers into your compost pile.
White flowers show well at dusk. Use them near patios, entryways and entertainment areas where they can be shown to best advantage.

Tags: Biennials and Perennials,  Annual Flowers, Low Desert, blooming period

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