If you’ve visited the Gardens, you’ve probably spotted members of our horticulture team hard at work. They might be weeding a border, planting a new display, pruning shrubs, tending containers, or checking a tree’s health. While there’s always work to be done, one thing remains constant: our gardeners, horticulturists, and plant science team members are always happy to talk plants.
Questions from visitors are one of our favorite parts of the day. So if you’re wondering how we care for thousands of plants, are looking for advice for your own garden, or you’re simply curious about what you’re seeing in bloom, we’re glad to help.
Recently, we invited our social media followers to send us their gardening questions. Here are a few of the questions we received, answered by members of our Horticulture and Plant Science teams.
Do you plant annuals mid-season?
According to Horticulture Manager, Jen Dunlap, the answer is yes, but it’s part of a carefully planned seasonal rotation.
“Typically, we have about three seasonal annual plantings per year. In spring, we install a smaller annual display in late April/early May, mostly for containers and some bedding areas that incorporate interesting flower and foliage material to enhance the bulbs that are flowering at that time, ready for our earliest visitors to enjoy. The summer annuals usually hit their stride from early to mid-July through early September if you’re trying to plan your visit around peak bloom time.
“The fall display goes out in early to mid-September. As we close the season with this smaller fall display, incorporating asters, cabbages, grasses, and mums amongst rosy hydrangeas and inflorescence of native sedges, you’ll enjoy these pops of autumnal hues we’ve all come to know and love.”
Are you planning for next year already?
The short answer? Absolutely!
“Yes! Our annual design concepts and orders for 2027 are due next week! And I would say that out of necessity and for the pure joy of it, we are always in planning mode.
“As designers, our horticulture team is always on the lookout for fresh new ideas, exciting experiments, and sustainable plant sourcing while taking time to reflect on what has worked that season, and (ahem, cough), not worked, in the past.”
And, as Jen points out, gardening doesn’t always go exactly according to plan. “Yes, we make mistakes—at times, many. And as it turns out, sometimes plants just don’t grow the way you’d expect them to, or the color turns out to be completely different than what the color-enhanced photo shows online. Buyer beware.”
Planning extends beyond annual flowers. The team is also selecting future additions to the Gardens’ living collections. “For these plans, horticulturists present their ideas to the Horticulture Director and Curator of Living Collections for approval before orders are placed. This review process is a fun and collaborative event that gets everyone excited about the coming planting season.”
Got a Plant Question?
One of the things we love most about gardening is that there’s always something new to learn.
Keep an eye on our social channels for future opportunities to submit your questions.
Your question might just appear in the next blog!
