Growing Biennial Flowers

Most gardeners are familiar with the terms annual flowers and perennial flowers.  But there are other types of flowers known as biennial.  Biennial means that the plants take two years to grow from seed to bloom before dying, or it also means that it is a plant that will last for two years.

If you plan on growing biennial flowers, it’s a good idea to rotate the seeds.  In other words, plant a set of biennials, then after the first year plant another round of them.  This way, when the flowering biennials bloom, there will be another set ready to take their place the following year and your garden will stay full and beautiful.

Biennial flowers should be given the same attention as annuals or perennials.  They like rich, well fertilized soil and most varieties prefer light watering and partial to full sunlight.  It’s recommended to fertilize them once per month to ensure the soil stays rich and provides the plant with the minerals it requires.

A benefit of growing biennial flowers is that most varieties can withstand the colder weather and will be able to survive during the winter season.  They are very hearty, strong plants that require slightly less attention than their annually blooming counterparts.  Biennial flowers are perfect for the gardener who wants beautiful blooms with a little bit less attention required by the plant.

Biennials require a certain amount of cold treatment before flowers can form. Biennials need to survive the winter in order to come back into flower next spring. Generally, there are four methods of growing biennials, depending on the climate in which they will be grown.

The first year of a biennial’s life typically only consists of leaves and greenery, so be patient when growing this type of flower.

• Where winter survival of biennial plants is not assured, they may be dug up and overwintered in coldframes to be re-planted next spring.
  
• In moderate and mild climates, biennials are planted as seeds in late summer or fall. The emerging biennial plants will go dormant to survive the winter and flower the following season.
  
• Sowing biennial seeds in cool greenhouses in winter is another option. This passes as a cold treatment, which may provide enough chilling for the biennials to flower during the same season.
  
• An alternative to starting biennials indoors is to buy biennial seedlings in their second year, then raising them as you would an annual.