Year Long Valentine Plants

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and cut flowers are the perfect gift. But here are some ideas for bedding plants to give your gardening Valentine, that carry the theme of love all through the spring and summer seasons. Amore Queen of Hearts petunia is gorgeous and your Valentine is sure to fall in love with this plant. This is a gorgeous bicolor selection. You don’t have to look closely to see the five red hearts on each flower. The bright yellow adds fantastic contrast to each of the up to 2½” diameter flowers. This petunia has a semi- trailing growth habit making it perfect for containers or hanging baskets. Red zonal geraniums are a classic garden plant that does not go out of style. The brilliant colored flowers of these plants are sure to impress your Valentine. The flowers are clusters of tightly grouped buds. The buds don’t open all at once. The top buds open first, followed by those underneath. Here you can see the color starting to show. One of the garden stars for Valentine’s Day has to be the Golden Delicious pineapple sage. The fire engine red flowers are tubular and are attached at acute angles on the flower stalks. The foliage is chartreuse yellow that really shines. And when touched your Valentine is greeted with a sweet pineapple scent. With these red flowering plants you can celebrate Valentine’s Day all year. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I’ll see you next time on Southern Gardening.