ANNUA L BEDDING PLANTS FOR GARDEN COLOUR.
ASTER.
Callistephus chinensis: Aster - China Aster - Annual Aster.
BOTANICAL NAME: Callistephus chinensis: Common Name - Aster. A genus of one flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae, containing the single species C. chinensis. Its common names include China aster and annual aster. It is native to China and it is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant. An annual or biennial herb with one erect, mostly unbranched stem growing 20 to 100 centimeters tall. The blades of the leaves have serrated edges. Leaves toward the top may have smooth edges. The large solitary flower head grows at the top of the stem and sometimes on branches. The flower head contains one or two rings of ray florets, most often in shades of reddish purple. Cultivated varieties can have ray florets in most any color, including red, pink, blue, purple, and white. Photographs taken at Forum North, Whangarei.
BEGONIA.
Begonia sempervirens hybrids; Bedding Begonias..
BOTANICAL NAME: Begonia swempervirens hybrids. Common Name - Bedding Begonias. Very popular with local body councils in the North Island. A variety of flower and foliage colours are available. Grown from seed, they are actually a perennial, but are treated as an annual bedding plant. Photographs taken in Whangarei, Northland.
CINERARIA (Now called Pericallis)
Pericallis X hybrid: Florists Cineraria.
BOTANICAL NAME: Pericallis × hybrida or Florist's Cineraria is a flowering annual in the family Asteraceae. It originated as a hybrid between Pericallis cruenta and P. lanata, both natives of the Canary Islands. The hybrid was first developed in the British royal gardens in 1777. It was originally known as Cineraria x hybrida, but the genus Cineraria is now restricted to a group of South African species, with the Canary Island species being transferred to the genus Pericallis. Cineraria is genus of about 50 species of flowering plants also in the family Asteraceae. They are native to southern Africa, the genus includes herbaceous plants and small subshrubs. The hybridised annual Pericallis, is one of the most popular garden flowers and is also an excellent potted annual for glasshouse display. In the past. Below are photographs of self-seeded cineraria growing in the St Francis Xavier Church garden, Kensington, Whangarei.
COSMOS.
Cosmos X (Hybrids): Cosmos.
BOTANICAL NAME :Cosmos , which is also the common name. A genus of flowering plants from the family Asteraceae. A hybrid garden annual with white, pink and red flowers. It grows very well in Whangarei, flowering late spring and summer. The photographs were taken in January 2013 in Cafler Park by the Rose Garden. Originally Cosmos was native to scrub and meadowland in the Americas.
IMPATIENS.
Impatiens Hybridd Bedding: Impatiens.
BOTANICAL NAME : Impatiens hybrid : Family Balsaminaceae. The Genus Impatiens has several species in cultivation, but the hybrid bedding variety is the most widely cultivated for home gardens and park gardens. There are larger, broader leaved varieties also in cultivation, but the bedding variety although a hybrid, will seed and revert to multicoloured self-sown ground cover for difficult areas. Picture left shows self-seeded Impatiens growing between the bricks under my clothesline.
PETUNIA.
Petunia x hybrid: Petunia.
BOTANICAL NAME: Petunia x hybrid: Common Name - Petunia. A genus of 35 species of flowering plants from South America. They belong to the family Solanaceae, which is the potato and tomato family. The popular flower of the same name derived its epithet from the French, which took the word petun, meaning "tobacco," from a Tupi–Guarani language. An annual, most of the varieties seen in gardens are hybrids. Photographs taken in a private garden in Third Avenue, Whangarei.
PORTULACA.
Portulaca grandiflora: Portulaca - Moss Rose - Rose Moss.
BOTANICAL NAME: Portulaca grandiflora: Common Name - Portulacca, Rose Moss or Moss Rose. An annual bebbing plant from the Genus Portulaca, a flowering in the plant family Portulacaceae, comprising about 40-100 species found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. There are a number of free flowering new hybrids in all colours except blue, summer flowering for best bedding results, but will also flower in winter & spring in Northland and warm, temperate regions. They are native to Brazil. Photographs taken in the Forum North car park, Whangarei.
PRIMULA.
Primula polyanthus: Polyanthus - Primrose.
BOTANICAL NAME: Primula polyanthus. Common Name Polyanthus. A popular garden perennial that is commonly used as a bedding annual. It belongs to the family Primulaceae P. polyanthus can be used as a winter flowering bedding plant, or spot planted in borders. They are available in most colours, some with different coloured borders to the petals. They like a shady situation and moist soil. They can also be used in summer bedding in Whangarei. Photographs taken in Whangarei in July, at Forum North.
TAGETES.
Tagetes species and hybrids: Marigold.
BOTANICAL NAME: Tagetes : Common Name, Marigold. A genus of 56 species of annual and perennial, from the plant family Asteraceae. The genus is native to North and South America. Tagetes species vary in size from 0.1 to 2.2 m tall. Most species have pinnate green leaves. Blooms naturally occur in golden, orange, yellow, and white colors, often with maroon highlights. Floral heads are typically (1-) to 4–6 cm diameter, generally with both ray florets and disc florets. In horticulture, they tend to be planted as annuals, although the perennial species are gaining popularity. Tagetes grow well in almost any sort of soil. Most horticultural selections grow best in soil with good drainage. Depending on the species, marigold foliage has a musky, pungent scent, though some varieties have been bred to be scentless. Tagetes has been used as a companion planting to control insect pests.
VERBENA.
Annual Verbena X Hybrida bedding plants: Verbena.
BOTANICAL NAME: Verbena: Common Name - Verbena. A genus of flowering plants in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 250 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants, the majority of which are native North and South America, and Europe. Some species are merely weeds, but hybrids and cultivars of verbena are used as annual bedding plants. They are drought-resistant, tolerating full to partial sun, and enjoy well-drained, average soils. Plants are usually grown from seed. Some hybrid perennial species are treated as annuals in bedding schemes for parks and gardens. The hybrid cultivars 'Silver Anne' and 'Sissinghurst', have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Photographs taken at Forum North in Whangarei, January 2014, used as an edging ln a bedding scheme with Cosmos.
VIOLA.
Viola tricolour: Pansy.
BOTANICAL NAME: Viola hydrid . Common Name Pansy or Garden Pansy. A large-flowered hybrid plant cultivated as garden flowers. It is a hybrid of the genus Viola, particularly Viola tricolor, a wildflower of Europe and western Asia known as heartsease. Some of these hybrids are referred to as Viola × wittrockiana. For simplicity, the older name Viola tricolor var. hortensis is often used. The garden pansy flower is two to three inches in diameter and has two slightly overlapping upper petals, two side petals, and a single bottom petal with a slight beard emanating from the flower's center. The plant may grow to nine inches in height, and prefers sun to varying degrees and well-draining soils. Used as a bedding plant.