Create an Old-Fashioned Look with Annuals
How do you recreate the appealing old-fashioned look of granny's garden? Remember the Morning Glories weaving in and out of a trellis, or chasing after butterflies attracted to the vines, or the vibrant colors of the Sweet Williams and Snapdragons and the fragrance of Honeysuckle?
Our grandparents created that effect by planting annuals. So can we. Annuals bring back childhood memories and are as effective planted around a new property, a town home or an old Victorian. They grow well in containers - flower pots, hanging baskets or window boxes. Annuals mix well with perennials and ornamental shrubs. Whether cascading over an old wrought iron fence or twining around a mailbox, annuals with an old-fashioned appeal provide us an abundant display, not to mention a wealth of memories. Plant annual vines introduce an old-fashioned look to your garden. The vertical dimension adds grace and the tumbling effect of a Morning Glory weaving about a trellis or white picket fence is sure to evoke pleasant memories. The 'Heavenly Blue' Morning Glory has intense blue flowers with lighter blue centers. Its tubular flowers attract butterflies, but since the flowers remain open only during the day, plant Moonflower vine nearby and enjoy the display from morning 'til night. Both vines prefer full sun. Another vine, the annual Sweet Pea, can create a ground cover effect if allowed to meander through the garden. The variety, 'Explorer Mix', is a bush type vine and perfect for this purpose. It needs no support and grows to about two and a half feet - great along a driveway or path. Sweet Peas' dainty, colorful blossoms add a charming old-fashioned look to the garden. Plant them in full sun, in organically rich soil.
For a screening or background effect, consider the Cup-and-Saucer vine. This twining vine was very popular during the Victorian era. Its bell-shaped flowers turn from pale green to violet or deep blue as they rest on a green saucer-shaped calyx. Fast growing, Cup-and-Saucer likes full sun though it will appreciate some afternoon shade in hot weather.
After selecting one or two vines, consider background plants such as the familiar Larkspur or rocket variety Snapdragon. Both are considered popular cottage garden plants and excel as cut flowers. With their spiky flower form, these plants are pretty next to round-formed flowers such as daisies and cosmos. Snapdragons prefer full sun, whereas Larkspur thrives in sun or part shade.
A lesser-known annual, Love-in-a-Mist, has pretty blue, purple, pink or white flowers atop lacy feathery foliage. Popular since the 16th century, its airy appearance lends itself nicely to an old-fashioned look. It reseeds itself freely and may likely reappear in the garden later in the season or the following year. The flowers are lovely in bouquets and the seed pods are useful in dried arrangements. Love-in-a-Mist likes a sunny spot and tolerates dry soil.
A soft, airy look is also achieved with the annual Baby's Breath. Hundreds of small, white flowers grace loose clumps of slender stems adding charm to a fresh or dried bouquet. A new variety, 'Gypsy', offers light pink flowers and cascades beautifully from a hanging basket. In the garden, Baby's Breath is used as a great filler plant where spring flowering plants have faded. Try planting them near Larkspur or Sweet Pea, they make a pretty combination.
An old-fashioned flower that is great for containers, especially window boxes, is Bush Morning Glory. Blue to purple trumpet-shaped flowers surround a yellow throat centered by a white margin. This is a prolific bloomer that will provide vibrant, cascading color. Full sun is best, though some shade is tolerated.
No old-fashioned garden is complete without Sweet William. This biennial, most often grown as an annual, has clusters of five-petaled flowers in red, pink, or white. It is a spectacular foreground plant when massed. The blooms are fragrant making it ideal to cut for fresh arrangements. Plant in full sun or part shade and shear back after flowering to encourage new growth.
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Other old-fashioned plants (not listed in article):
Date: February 6,
1997
Author: Ellen Panozzo
Ellen Panozzo is a Horticulturist at
The Planter’s Palette