What type of flowers would grow and look best in a location that gets about 6 hours of afternoon sun each day?
Question:I am looking to replace my pansies that are in hanging baskets with an easy to grow flower that isn't that attractive to aphids. Aphids have wrecked my pansies and I am looking to start over with something that aphids will not choose as their host. The location where I am placing my baskets will get about 6 hours of afternoon sun each day. Any info is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Answers:
inpatients
petunias
snap dragons
portulaca
dianthis
columbine
these are some of what i have in my full sun areas in pots on my deck! good luck!
Snap dragons, verbena, marigolds, & petunias.
Some bright colored annuals to plant in full sun: ageratum, bacopa, blanket flower, candytuft, celosia, China aster, chrysanthemum, cleome, cosmos, daisies, dusty miller, geranium, gerbera daisy, heliotrope, lantana, larkspur, lobelia (with extra water in full sun), marigold, morning glory, petunia, portulaca, poppy, salvia, scabiosa, snapdragon, statice, strawflower, sun coleus, torenia, verbena, vinca, viola, zinnia, sweet potato vine, creeping jenny.
Do a search engine on your computer to find out what growing zone you are in.Type in growing zones,and it will bring up the united states,click on your area.It will tell you what growing zone you are in,and the plants that grow best in your zone.
You might consider drought resistant flowers if you do not have an automatic watering system. Afternoon sun combined with hanging baskets can dry soil very quickly.
Spraying plants with a bit of dishwashing soap and water can help control aphids.
You could always stay with your pansies (even go for a cascading variety) and plant some repelling herbs with them such as chives, garlic, basil, corriander (you can use them in cooking too. Apparently aphids live in ant colonies and need them to survive (ants give them protection), so if you have any ant nest near by, get them exterminated. Catmint has pretty flowers and repels aphids. It does grow higher than pansies, but if you lower the hanging basket it will work. Marigolds are great. Pyrethrum, chrysanthemum are good too. If you plant Nasturtium in one basket, all of the aphids will go only to that plant as they find it irresistable and leave every other plant alone. They have pretty bright orange flowers too (the leaves catch water that sits on the leaf like mercury). Encouraging insects that like to eat aphids is a great way to get rid of unwanted aphids. Many insects prey on aphids, including certain wasps, lady beetles (both larvae and adults), and larvae of lacewings and syrphid flies. You can encourage them by growing flowers that provide nectar and pollen like yarrow, parsley, cilantro, and sweet alyssum.
Pansies that start to get leggy need to be replaced. You might try ferns-I like asparagus. Wave petunias also do well, there are also some new cascading vincas out now.
Before you replant, you may want to consider what attracted the aphids. It may be time to replace the soil in the baskets, and keeping the plants misted helps also. The pansies may have come already infected with the aphids. Carefully check any new plants by examination and brushing with your hand to be sure nothing flies in the air.
I always replace my pansies with petunias, alyssum, vinca, ageratum or geraniums. They tolerate the sun better than pansies and they are all available at your local stores.
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