Collier's Garden Scoop
April 2018
That feeling when it's finally time to begin planting your  
warm-season garden... 
Time to hightail it to Collier's! 
We look forward to seeing you at the nursery this month and wish you all a happy spring!   
April Hours
Monday - Saturday 9 to 5:30
Sunday 1 to 5


Over the next two months we will have our best selection of the entire year! Our local and regional growers are at their peak production during April and May, which means it's the ideal time to shop the largest variety of annuals, perennials, groundcovers, herbs and veggies-  
an abundance of beautiful, interesting, unusual and
hard-to-find plants await you at Collier's this spring!  
 

  Our Ultimate Annual Guide
We're at the starting line of a long Alabama growing season and it's time to plant annuals in your garden to enjoy for months to come! Read on for five tips to ensure your container gardens and flower beds are healthy and happy, along with our favorite annuals, chosen for their durability and (nearly) effortless beauty.  
1. Establish a great foundation. Loose, organically rich soil and good drainage produce vibrant, healthy plants. For flower beds, add a layer of garden soil and soil conditioner on top of the ground and turn-in with a shovel to loosen and break up compacted or clay soils. For container gardens we recommend a mixture of potting soil and soil conditioner. It's also important to make sure your container has adequate drainage holes. Mix in Osmocote before planting, or sprinkle over the top after planting. This slow-release fertilizer will add nutrients to the soil over the next 4 months.
2. Choose wisely. Selecting plants that are appropriate for your garden's light conditions is essential to success. The following guide to annuals will help you decide which plants to use based on the amount of sunlight they'll receive in your garden. Pay attention to the size each plant will grow at maturity and space accordingly. More is not always better; over-crowding causes competition between plants for water, nutrients and root space, which results in reduced growth and vigor, as well as weak plants that are more susceptible to disease and insect infestation.
3. Keep cool. Adding a layer of mulch over the soil in container gardens and flower beds insulates plant roots from hot temperatures and slows water evaporation between waterings.
4. Water deeply and consistently. It's better to thoroughly saturate the soil less often than it is to water scantly more often. Try not to let plants wilt in between waterings. Repeated wilting causes stress and will eventually result in poor growth and lackluster appearance.
5. A little maintenance goes a long way. Although not required for all, some flowering annuals benefit from occasional "deadheading" or removing faded flowers and seed heads. This jump-starts the process of new flower bud production. By mid-summer some annuals begin to look leggy and unkempt. If this happens, trim the plant back by 1/2 to 2/3rds to help it regenerate. Re-apply Osmocote in mid-summer. Flowering annuals benefit from an occasional dose of fertilome Blooming & Rooting, a water-soluble fertilizer that promotes blooms. 
Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers 
This now common adage is a simple yet very effective way to create visually appealing mixed plantings in container gardens or flower beds. "Thrillers" are the most prominent plant in the mix and often pull double-duty as the height accent. "Fillers" are smaller plants that surround the thriller and add visual interest at the midpoint of the mixture. "Spillers" are low-growing plants that border the planting or spill over the edge of container gardens.  
Water Requirements 
Some annuals require consistent moisture to thrive and wilt quickly if the soil becomes very dry. Plant these in containers and flower beds that are easy to water and where they won't be forgotten. Drought tolerant annuals will endure some neglect and don't mind if the soil dries out between waterings. These "no melt" options are ideal for the areas of your garden that "bake" in the summer heat and top the list as the most tenacious choices. 
Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds 
Butterflies love a "landing pad." Flat-topped or clustered blooms that are large enough for them to perch on as they feed are ideal. They are most attracted to red, orange, yellow, pink and purple flowers. Hummingbirds look for trumpet or tubular-shaped blooms in any bright color, most especially red. 
Annuals for Full Sun or Partial Sun
full sun = more than 4 hours direct sunlight each day
partial sun = 3 to 4 hours direct sunlight each day
Thrillers
Angelonia
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading 
Fountain Grass
Drought tolerant
Showy plumes late summer into fall 
Pentas
Consistent moisture
Attracts butterflies & hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial 
Salvia
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial 
Shrub Daisy
Consistent moisture
Attracts butterflies
Deadheading beneficial 
Sunpatiens
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading 
Fillers
Spreading Angelonia
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading 
Lantana
Drought tolerant
Attracts butterflies & hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial 
Melampodium
Consistent moisture
No deadheading
Mexican Heather
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Portulaca
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Purple Heart
Drought tolerant
Perennial when planted in the ground
Ruellia
'Ragin Cajun'
Drought tolerant
Attracts hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial  
Vinca
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Zinnias
Consistent moisture
Attracts butterflies
Deadheading beneficial 
Spillers
Blue Daze
Consistent moisture
No deadheading
Fanflower
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading 
Trailing Lantana
Drought tolerant
Attracts butterflies & hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial 
Million Bells
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading 
Portulaca
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Trailing Vinca
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Versatile Annuals 
for Full Sun, Partial Sun or Mostly Shade
full sun = more than 4 hours direct sunlight each day
partial sun = 3 to 4 hours direct sunlight each day
mostly shade = 1 to 3 hours direct sunlight each day and/or
filtered sun throughout the day 
Thrillers
Dragonwing Begonia
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Caladium
Drought tolerant
Coleus
Consistent moisture
Dracaena Spikes
Drought tolerant
Fillers
Euphorbia
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Dusty Miller
Drought tolerant
Joseph's Coat
Drought tolerant
Spillers
Ivy Geranium
Drought tolerant
Attracts hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial
Licorice Vine
Consistent moisture

Sweet Potato Vine
Consistent moisture
Annuals
for Mostly Shade or Morning Sun 
mostly shade = 1 to 3 hours direct sunlight each day and/or
filtered sun throughout the day
morning sun = up to 4 hours of sun in the morning with shade during midday and afternoon (11 to 5) 
Thrillers
'Kong' Coleus
Consistent moisture
Geranium
Drought tolerant
Attracts hummingbirds
Deadheading beneficial 
Fillers
Asparagus Fern
Drought tolerant
Green Leaf Begonias
Drought tolerant
No deadheading
Fuchsia
Drought tolerant
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading 
Hypoestes
Consistent moisture
Impatiens
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading
Torenia
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading
Spillers
Trailing Impatiens
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading
Trailing Torenia
Consistent moisture
Attracts hummingbirds
No deadheading
April Lawn Care
Zoysia & Bermuda Lawns
in early to mid April.

St. Augustine Lawns 
in late April.

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Collier's Nursery 
205-822-3133
2904 Old Rocky Ridge Road
Birmingham, AL 35243