Bring on the Color Before the Heat Arrives
You don’t have to wait for warm summer weather to fill your garden with color. Cool-weather annuals and early spring annuals thrive in the crisp temperatures of the season, making them a great way to brighten containers, window boxes, porches, and garden beds while much of the landscape is still waking up.
From cheerful pansies and fragrant alyssum to snapdragons, dianthus, ranunculus, and more, these early-season favorites bring fresh color and personality to the garden—and many can handle a touch of frost along the way.
If you’re ready to shake off winter and start planting, here are some of our favorite early spring annuals and cool-weather annuals for Kansas City gardens.
Pansies
Pansies are the quintessential cool-weather flower. They come in a rainbow of colors and are incredibly hardy. In fact, many gardeners report fall-planted pansies survive through winter and put on a show in spring!
Use: filler
Alyssum
Use: Spiller
Dianthus
Use: Filler
Snapdragon
Use: Filler or Thriller
Evening Primrose
Use: Filler
Martha Washington Geranium
Unlike their better-known counterparts, Martha Washington Geraniums prefer cool weather. Their unique blooms and angular foliage make a great centerpiece in any pot.
Use: Thriller
Nemesia
Use: Filler
Osteospermum
Use: Filler or Thriller
Ranunculus
Use: Filler or Thriller
Stock
Use: Filler or Thriller
