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Pat Sullivan: May is the time for planting annuals

Pat Sullivan shares his picks for hardy blooms in sun or shade in your landscape.

INDIANAPOLIS — As Indiana welcomes the month of May, the traditional planting window for annual varieties around homes and gardens opens.

Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden shared his picks for hardy blooms for sun and shade in your landscape with his weekly 13Sunrise segment.

"Generally, in central Indiana, we always say we start planting annuals around Mother's Day," Sullivan said, but pointed out that Mother's Day falls May 14 this year, which is later than usual.

Sullivan explained that some plants are great for spring and fall, but don't flower much in the summer. 

Others need constant watering or they will shrivel and may even die when the weather turns warmer, so ask for help if you see something you like just to make sure you will be able to give it the care and feeding it needs to maintain its spring look through the growing season.

Some plants thrive in shade and work well under trees or on northern exposures where a house or building blocks prime sunlight.

Petunias are always a safe bet, Sullivan said. "The vista series is what you're looking for," he explained, because they grow in a mound and bloom well.

If you need to plant in shady areas, consider begonias, because they offer many color choices and don't need a lot of sun to thrive.

Sullivan also recommended diamond frost as an accent plant. It's small white blooms complement brighter pastel flowers and blooms all season in heat, sun or shade.

Regardless of which varieties of annuals you plant, you have to fertilize those plants through the season to get full blooms and enjoyment from them.

Watch Sullivan's full 13Sunrise segment in the video player.

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