Planning path

Flower Garden Planner

Plan annual and pollinator-focused flowers from frost timing, direct sowing, transplant starts, bloom succession, site fit, container color, and source-backed flower catalog entries.

Flower garden timing checks

Match hardy, half-hardy, and tender timing

Separate cool-tolerant flowers from tender summer annuals so seed and transplants go outside only when frost risk and soil warmth match the crop.

Plan bloom succession

Combine quick annuals, long-blooming flowers, repeat sowings, and late-season pollinator plants so the bed has color and food sources across the season.

Choose the right flower for the site

Match flowers to sun, shade, soil drainage, wind, water access, and container conditions before choosing a variety only by color.

Balance direct sowing and transplants

Direct sow fast or taproot-sensitive flowers where timing fits, and use indoor starts or purchased transplants when earlier bloom or controlled spacing matters.

Use containers for flexible color

Use containers and hanging baskets for small spaces, entrances, tender annuals, or fast seasonal color where drainage and watering can be managed closely.

Favor pollinator-useful blooms

Prioritize native flowers, single or older varieties with pollen and nectar, and varied flower shapes instead of relying only on highly doubled ornamental blooms.

Regional flower checks

Pair flower catalog entries with regional half-hardy and warm-season windows, annual sunflower rows, microclimate timing, frost/heat stress, and season-extension checks

• North Carolina Piedmont Season-Window Garden NC State checks half-hardy flower windows, warm-season flower windows, and overwintered flower planning
• Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar NC State checks eastern annual sunflower rows, outdoor table timing, heat/humidity stress, and season-extension caveats
• Western North Carolina Planting Calendar NC State checks western annual sunflower rows, frost-free warm-season timing, transplant count-back, and season-extension caveats
• San Mateo/San Francisco Microclimate Calendar UC checks San Mateo/SF hot, sunny, and foggy microclimates plus sunny-calendar sunflower month-half markers

Flower seed candidates

• Spencer Mix Sweet Pea Cool · 75 days · Moderate pollinator value · direct sow 42 days before last frost
• Tall Maximum Snapdragon Cool · 100 days · Moderate pollinator value · transplant 14 days before last frost
• Giant Imperial Larkspur Cool · 110 days · Moderate pollinator value · direct sow 42 days before last frost
• Pacific Beauty Calendula Cool · 60 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 14 days before last frost
• Blue Boy Bachelor's Button Cool · 65 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 14 days before last frost
• California Poppy Shoulder · 60 days · Moderate pollinator value · direct sow 28 days before last frost
• Sweet Alyssum Shoulder · 50 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 7 days before last frost
• Jewel Mix Nasturtium Shoulder · 55 days · High pollinator value · direct sow on last frost
• French Marigold Warm · 55 days · Moderate pollinator value · direct sow 7 days after last frost
• Tall Double Mix Strawflower Warm · 80 days · Moderate pollinator value · direct sow 7 days after last frost
• Globe Amaranth Gomphrena Warm · 85 days · Moderate pollinator value · direct sow 14 days after last frost
• Grandiflora Petunia Warm · 85 days · Moderate pollinator value · transplant 14 days after last frost
• Chief Mix Celosia Warm · 90 days · Moderate pollinator value · transplant 14 days after last frost
• California Giant Zinnia Warm · 75 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 7 days after last frost
• Sensation Mix Cosmos Warm · 75 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 7 days after last frost
• Indian Summer Rudbeckia Warm · 90 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 7 days after last frost
• Mammoth Sunflower Warm · 90 days · High pollinator value · direct sow 7 days after last frost
• Tall Verbena Warm · 90 days · High pollinator value · transplant 14 days after last frost

Supporting planning paths

• Flower Catalog 18 source-backed flower entries
• Pollinator Garden Planner 9 flower entries have high pollinator value
• Container Garden Planner 16 flower entries fit containers
• Direct Sow Garden Planner 14 flower entries can be direct sown
• Transplant Garden Planner 10 flower entries can be transplanted
• Succession Sowing Planner 12 flower entries support succession sowing
• Hardening-Off Transplant Planner Acclimate flower starts before transplanting tender annuals or earlier-bloom seedlings outside
• Planting Calendar Tool Map flower sowing, transplanting, bloom, and succession windows to local frost dates

Source basis

• Clemson Extension growing annuals Hardy, half-hardy, and tender annual timing; sun, drainage, seed starting, direct sowing, transplanting, and mulch guidance
• NC State Extension Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar regional flower source
• NC State Extension estimated planting dates for the NC Piedmont North Carolina Piedmont Season-Window Garden regional flower source
• NC State Extension Western North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs Western North Carolina Planting Calendar regional flower source
• Penn State Extension planting for pollinators Succession of bloom, flower shapes and colors, older annual varieties, and pollinator-friendly planting guidance
• Seed Savers seed saving guide 12 entries cite this source
• UC Master Gardeners San Mateo and San Francisco Edible Gardening and Planting Calendars San Mateo/San Francisco Microclimate Calendar regional flower source
• UMN companion planting guide 2 entries cite this source
• UMN Extension flowers Annual and perennial flower roles, sun and shade plant selection, and flowers as food and shelter for pollinators
• UMN starting seeds indoors 4 entries cite this source
• Xerces grow pollinator-friendly flowers Native plant emphasis, bloom-time diversity, right plant right place, and pollinator habitat guidance