Colorful Annuals For Late Summer Gardens

Late summer is a great time to add color to your garden. Learn about several beautiful annuals in this video by Better Homes and Gardens:

Impatiens: Generally thought of as shade lovers, the SunPatiens variety thrives in full sun. It come in six colors, gets two to three feet tall, and forms a lovely mass of bright flowers in full sun.

Celosia: These flowers come in plumed and crested types. A brand new variety has red leaves instead of the usual green. It needs full sun and can take very hot temperatures; the flowers can be cut and dried for winter arrangements.

Petunias: A new variety, the Burgundy Star Wave, is a member of the Wave family and is named for the bright white star against the burgundy red background. Petunias should be the star of every flower border.

Verbena and Gomphrena: Pink Verbena and Gomphrena look terrific together in full sun. Verbena is a creeping plant that looks great in hanging baskets and containers. Gomphrena (also called Globe Amaranth) has clover-like heads that can be cut and dried any time of the year for dry flower bouquets.

Geranium and Calibrachoa: These flowers make a great combination in containers. Calibrachoa (also called Million Bells) is closely related to the petunia but has more blooms that are slightly smaller.

Coleus: Many varieties do well in full sun. Take cuttings in the fall and use them indoors as houseplants

Double Impatiens: These shade-loving flowers resemble small carnations. They grow great in pots or in a shady border and come in a wide variety of colors.

Begonias: Many new varieties grow well in full sun as well as shade. The BIG variety produces very large flowers and has red or green foliage. It is ideal in containers and shady borders, very versatile and very easy to care for.

Torenia: Commonly called Wishbone Flower, it blooms in dark shade. The Catalina Gilded Grape variety has unique bicolor blooms.