With local care and curation, these standout annuals will beautify your yard the rest of the season

This paid piece is sponsored by Landscape Garden Centers.

They’re all beautiful in their own way, but the truth about annuals is that they’re not all created equal.

Just like growing anything else, local care makes the difference. And you see it not just when purchasing your annuals this time of year but also at the end of the season when they’re still thriving.

“What sets us apart is the selection and quality,” said Laura Kalfs, garden center manager and buyer at Landscape Garden Centers.

“You can tell we are passionate about our plants. We invest in fertilizer and heaters and keep them protected from wind and make sure we’re hand-selecting and choosing varieties that are going to perform.”

At Landscape Garden Centers, “we grow 100 percent of our hanging baskets and combo containers in-house,” she said. “Our container gardening/interiorscape manager and I create all of the unique combinations – or ‘recipes’ – for these containers. They are not mass-produced, so you know your container will be unique and different from everyone else’s.”

The plant selection, not only in the greenhouse but also throughout the garden center, “is curated with passion, knowledge and experience,” Kalfs said. “We carry plants that customers are looking for so long as they perform, which sets our customers up for success.”

You’ll find a wide variety of each plant from a curated selection designed to perform upon bringing your plants home.

“Unlike parking lot greenhouses, our layout is based on light requirements for the plants – sun and shade – and all our plants are together by variety,” Kalfs said.

“You’ll find all the coleus, all the petunias and all the geraniums together, for instance. We’re not just taking a flat off a rack and filling a bench. It’s a curated experience for our customers with displays that are designed to inspire ideas for your own space.”

At Landscape Garden Centers, months of work lead up to May, when the greenhouse is filled with annuals.

“We are a true garden center in that we’re here for the entire growing season and not just a few months,” Kalfs said. “We care for our plants from start to finish.”

Not only that, you’ll be connected with a friendly, experienced team that can help you hand-select plants or design a container.

“If you’re new to gardening or if you’re a seasoned gardener who wants to know what’s new, we’re here for you,” she said.

And speaking of planting pros, if you love to garden, you’ll appreciate knowing you can find the following unique varieties at Landscape Garden Centers:

• Vermillionaire Cuphea
• Eucalyptus
• Popcorn Plant
• Vertigo Pennisetum
• Black petunias
• Crazytunias and Supertunias
• Elegant Feather
• Scented and variegated geraniums
• Crossandra
• Flowering vines such as morning glories, hyacinth bean and cardinal vine
• Nasturtiums
• Dahlias
• Alstroemeria
• Strawflowers
• Heliotrope

Once you bring your annuals home, be sure to fertilize them, Kalfs said.

“That’s probably the thing most people overlook,” she said. “But it’s an investment worth making because unlike perennials or shrubs, which are tough and adaptable, annuals put a lot of energy into blooming through the entire growing season, and you need to feed them with good fertilizer. If you have been disappointed with your annuals or containers in the past, stop by and let us help you choose a high-quality potting soil, fertilizer and the right plants for your space.”

If you’re in the market for annuals, be sure to stop by soon. Annuals will be available through June, but for the biggest selection, you’ll want to shop through Memorial Day or early June.

“People are really excited for this year, so annuals already have been popular, and the greenhouse looks absolutely stunning,” Kalfs said. “It’s full and lush and blooming and colorful. This is prime time.”

Stop by Landscape Garden Centers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Sign up soon

Don’t miss out on joining the upcoming Spring Annuals Container Workshops offered at Landscape Garden Centers. Plant experts will guide you through color combinations, plant selections and care techniques as you create your own unique display. Stop by May 18 and you can enjoy The Ice Cream Truck — SDSU Ice Cream too! Click here to learn more and sign up.