Question: How do I time my plantings of various annual flowers?

Answer: There are types that grow best in cooler weather, including pansies, pinks, petunias, snapdragons, calendulas, nasturtiums, sweet peas, flowering cabbage and kale, alyssum, English daisies, poppies and wallflowers. Depending on where you live in Texas, you may be able to plant some or all of these in the fall, for flowering through the winter and into mid- or late spring. The farther north you are, the fewer of these plants you’ll be able to set out in the fall, and the more that you will need to plant in late winter. Ask your nurseryman for precise information for your area. As those finish, you can replace them with plants that endure maximum heat, including lantanas, moss rose, purslane, Dahlberg daisies, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, celosias, gomphrenas, fire bush, copper plants, coleus, caladiums and cleome.