Seasonal color, especially in the fall, comes in a wide variety of flower colors and plant forms. Seasonal color will brighten your landscape bed areas and add a splash of color to high focal point areas.
Selection and use: In Southwest Florida, seasonal color lasts from October until May. Cool-season color is intolerant to heat, rainfall, and humidity. Coastal landscapes demand seasonal color that can tolerate high winds, salt spray, and perhaps irrigation water from wells that contain high levels of salt. It’s important to determine how much sunlight your seasonal color landscape beds will receive. Some seasonal color can tolerate full sun all day, while others do best with just morning or filtered sun. It’s also important to note, that during summer months, the sun sits directly overhead, while in the winter the sun sits in the southern sky and may be blocked by trees or buildings. There are very few seasonal color plants that will perform well in heavy shade. When selecting seasonal color compact healthy plants with good green color and lots of flower buds must be chosen. To reiterate, seasonal colors serve to accent your landscape, not to dominate. Seasonal color should harmonize with the setting and the color of your home. Combinations of many flower colors and plant forms are appropriate for a more eclectic cottage garden look, while more formal landscapes achieve great seasonal color success by using just 1 or 2 types of plants. Color should be used as a focal point to direct your eye — for example, a colorful flower bed along the walkway to your home visually leads a visitor to your front door.