Annuals
Seasonal flowers offer the perfect way to keep your garden vibrant and colorful throughout the year. At Green Hills Nursery, we provide a variety of beautiful blooms that thrive in both the hot, dry summers and the cool, wet winters of the Central Valley.
Keep Your Garden Colorful Year-Round with Seasonal Flowers from Green Hills Nursery
At Green Hills Nursery, we grow thousands of flats of vibrant seasonal flowers every season to ensure your garden stays full of color, no matter the time of year. In the Central Valley, we experience two contrasting growing seasons for seasonal flowers, each bringing its own opportunities for adding vibrant color to your garden. While our summers are hot and dry, and winters are cool, wet, and sometimes frosty, with the right selection of annual flowers, you can enjoy a lush, colorful garden all year long.
Seasonal flowers provide the most color for their specific growing season but need to be replaced annually. Summer blooms like Zinnias, Vincas, and Begonias love the heat, while winter favorites like Pansies, Snapdragons, and Ornamental Kale thrive when the weather turns cool and wet.
To get the best results, it’s important to prepare and condition your soil twice a year—once in spring for summer flowers and once in fall for winter blooms. Proper soil preparation ensures that your plants have the nutrients they need to grow strong and bloom abundantly. In the Central Valley, timing is key:
- April is the ideal time to plant your summer flowers, giving them a head start before the hottest months.
- October is the perfect month for planting fall and winter flowers, allowing them to establish before the cold sets in.
Most annuals require regular watering, especially in the summer when heat can quickly dry out soil. But with the right care and plant selection, you can ensure continuous blooms that add color and fragrance to your garden year-round.
Spring & Summer Flowers
As the temperatures rise, these heat-loving flowers will keep your garden bursting with color throughout the long, dry summer:
(Begonia spp)
With their vibrant blooms in shades of red, pink, and white, Begonias are a perfect choice for brightening up shaded areas of your garden. They thrive in moist, well-drained soil and partial shade, making them ideal for those hot Fresno summers.
(Impatiens spp)
These colorful, low-growing plants love the shade and offer a profusion of blooms in pinks, reds, purples, and whites. Impatiens are perfect for borders, pots, and hanging baskets, bringing continuous summer color to your outdoor spaces.
(Petunia spp)
Known for their bold, trumpet-shaped flowers, Petunias are a favorite for summer gardens. They thrive in full sun and come in a variety of vibrant colors, including purples, pinks, whites, and blues.
(Lobularia maritima)
This low-growing ground cover blooms in delicate clusters of white, pink, or purple flowers, offering a subtle fragrance that attracts pollinators. Alyssum is perfect for edging borders or filling in gaps between larger plants.
(Tagetes spp)
Marigolds bring bold, sunny yellow and orange blooms that are heat-tolerant and easy to grow. They repel certain pests, making them a great companion plant for vegetable gardens.
(Zinnia elegans)
These heat-tolerant flowers bloom in a wide array of bright colors, from pink to orange to red, and are perfect for adding a pop of vibrant color to sunny spots in your garden. Zinnias attract butterflies and make great cut flowers, too.
Fall & Winter Flowers
As the weather cools and the rainy season begins, these hardy blooms will keep your garden colorful and alive during the winter months:
(Antirrhinum majus)
With their tall, colorful spikes of flowers, Snapdragons add vertical interest and can bloom in shades of red, pink, yellow, and white. These flowers are frost-tolerant and can bloom well into winter, making them a fantastic choice for cool-season gardens.
(Viola x spp)
Known for their cheerful, multi-colored blooms, Pansies are a staple of winter gardens. These hardy flowers come in nearly every color of the rainbow and perform well even in the frost, offering bright spots of color when little else is in bloom.
(Cyclamen persicum)
Cyclamen offers stunning blooms in shades of pink, red, and white, with distinctive heart-shaped leaves. They thrive in cooler temperatures and are ideal for shady areas of the garden or containers.
(Primula spp)
These dainty, cold-hardy flowers bloom in vibrant colors like yellow, red, purple, and pink. They perform best in cool weather and can add pops of color to borders, pots, or window boxes during the winter.
(Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
While not a traditional flower, Ornamental Kale offers striking color with its ruffled leaves in shades of purple, pink, and white. It adds texture and interest to winter gardens and is extremely cold-hardy.
(Papaver nudicaule)
Iceland Poppies bring delicate, papery blooms in soft pastels and bright oranges, yellows, and reds. They thrive in cooler weather and can continue blooming throughout winter into spring.
Soil Preparation & Care
To get the most out of your seasonal flowers, it’s important to prepare and condition your soil twice a year:
Spring Planting (April): Before planting summer annuals, amend your soil with compost or organic matter to improve water retention and provide essential nutrients. Loosen the soil to promote root growth and ensure good drainage, as summer flowers prefer well-drained soil.
Fall Planting (October): When preparing for fall and winter flowers, work in organic compost to enrich the soil and improve its structure. Fall-planted annuals need well-drained, fertile soil to thrive through the cooler, wetter months.
Remember, most annuals need regular watering, especially during their peak growing season. Summer flowers will need more frequent watering due to the heat, while fall and winter blooms may require less but still consistent moisture to stay healthy and vibrant.
Why Choose Green Hills Nursery?
At Green Hills Nursery, we specialize in providing high-quality seasonal flowers that are perfectly suited to Fresno’s climate. Whether you’re looking for summer heat-lovers or winter frost-tolerant blooms, we have a wide variety to meet your needs. Here’s why you should choose us:
Expert Advice: Our knowledgeable team can help you select the right flowers for each season and provide tips on soil preparation, watering, and ongoing care.
High-Quality Plants: We offer only the healthiest, most robust seasonal flowers, ensuring your garden will burst with color and beauty.
Local Expertise: With a deep understanding of the Central Valley’s seasonal extremes, we can guide you in choosing flowers that will thrive through hot summers and cool winters.
Visit Us Today
Ready to fill your garden with vibrant, seasonal blooms? Visit Green Hills Nursery today to explore our wide selection of seasonal flowers, from heat-loving summer blooms to cool-season winter flowers. Our team is here to help you choose the perfect plants and provide expert advice to keep your garden colorful and thriving all year round!