Glorious colors, from silky apricot to shell pink to clear lemon yellow to deep rich burgundy, make seed-grown

dahlia one of mind annual favorites. Available varieties range in height from 1 to 3 feet. They bloom with abandon in the cool early fall weather just before frost. Days to Germination: About 7 days at 750F (240C) When to Plant : You can direct-seed dahlia after frost, but for longer period of bloom, start seeds indoors in flats a month or two before planting them out. How to Plant: Space dwarf varieties (up to 15 inches tall) about a foot apart; tall varieties 18 to 20 inches apart. Growing Conditions: Dahlias need full sun and appreciate soil that is rich in organic matter. Provide ample moisture in summer. Tall varieties may need to be staked. Remarks: You can dig up the tubers right after frost and store them in peat moss, or dip them in paraffin for replanting in spring.

Four-OClock Mirabilis jalapa

An easy old favorite, four-oclock are actually perennials if not touched by frost. They have two intriguing characteristics: A single plant will bear flowers of several colors or color combinations - white, yellows, and pinks - plain, bicolor, and tricolor. On sunny days, flowers remain closed until midafternoon. They stay open all days on cloudy days. Days to Germination: 10 to 12 days at 750F to 80 0F (240C to 27 0C) When to Plant: Plant seeds in the garden after frost or four to six weeks early indoors. How to Plant: Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart. Growing Conditions: They bloom obligingly even in poor soil, hot weather and polluted air, but they do appreciate well-drained soil and respond well to good soil or occasional feeding.

Geranium Pelargonium X hortorum

For summer color that will follow you right into the house in the winter, you can beat geraniums. Seeds are available for reds, pinks, salmons, and white. Plants grow 10 to 18 inches high, and in well-composted soil, form full, round flower heads. The geranium was one of my first seed-starting ventures. I planted seeds indoors in small pots kept on a glass window shelf 25 years ago, and Ive never forgotten the thrill on watching those little scalloped-leaved seedlings develop into blooming plants. Days to Germination: 14 days at 700F 800F (210C) (270C) When to Plant: Seeds started in early February will produce blooming plants in June. How to Plant: Geranium seeds can be erratic in germination. Try rolling the seeds in damp paper towels and letting them presoak in this way for two days before planting in flats. Space first-year plants about a foot apart. Growing Conditions: Plant geraniums in good, rich soil. Fertilize if leaves turn yellow or seem smaller than normal. My four-year-old geranium lives in a 16-inch clay pot, which I top off with 2 inches of compost each spring. I cut the plant back twice to promote bushy form and new bloom.

Remarks: Geraniums are frost-tender, but they are perennials in their native land, so they can kept going for years if theyre given winter protection, or if they are dug up after frost and hung bare root in a cool place till replanting time in February.

Impatiens Impatiens walleriana

Count on impatiens for wonderful color in shady places. You can buy seeds for dwarf 6- to 8-inch plants or for the regular 1- to 2-foot varieties, in single or double flowers and in colors ranging from white to pink, fuchsia, orange, coral, orchid, or scarlet. Days to Germination: 15 to 20 days at 700F to 75 0F (210C to 24 0C) When to Plant : Its best to start impatiens seeds indoor 2 1/2 months before your last frost for outdoor plants. Start them anytime if you will use them as houseplants. How to Plant: Leave seeds uncovered, because they need light to germinate. Mist planted seeds or water from the bottom. If you cover the flat with plastic, dont seal it tightly. Impatiens is very susceptible to damping-off disease, so provide good air circulation and be sure to use new potting soil and clean equipment. The plant is also very sensitive to frost. Set out transplants a foot apart, a week or so after your last frost date. Growing Conditions: Impatiens thrives in shade and likes soil thats rich in organic matter.

Lobelia Lobelia erinus

Another treasure for cool weather and part shade, lobelia is a sprawling 5-inch-high plant with abundant deep blue, white, or wine-colored flowers. It looks lovely in window boxes or hanging baskets. My sapphire-blue lobelia, planted at the base of a red geranium, lived over winter in the greenhouse, blooming the whole time. The seedlings grow very slowly, and the young plants are wispy-thin, but the impact of seedlings tumbling clump of lobelia, especially the deep blue, is a striking addition to the patio garden. Days to Germination: 21 days at 750F (240C) When to Plant : Start lobelia seeds indoors in late winter. How to Plant: Just press the seeds gently into the soil; they need light for germination. In the garden, space plants 6 inches apart and mulch to keep the root zone cool. Growing Conditions: An eastern exposure is perfect for lobelia seedlings. Keep them well supplied with water in hot weather and mulch to keep the roots cool.

Marigold Tagetes spp.

If you grow any flowers at all, marigolds are probably among them, but did you know how many marigold choices you have, from the dwarf single-flowered signets to the bushy mid-sized French types to the stately 3-foot, late-blooming American marigold? Their sunny Aztec colors

range from mahogany through orange, yellow, cream, and now even white. A fourth marigold type, the hybrid triploids, are a cross between the American and the French marigolds with intermediate size, wider color range then Americans, and extra-generous blooming habit. Days to Germination: 7 days at 750F to 80 0F (240C to 27 0C) When to Plant: Triploid plants are sterile, and seeds for triploids are more expensive and have a lower germination rate then other marigolds, so these types should always be sown under cover, starting in early spring, and set out as transplants after frost danger has passed. American marigolds should also be started early because they are so late to bloom. French and signet marigolds may be either direct-seeded after frost or grown as transplants. How to Plant: Spacing varies from 8 to 10 inches for shorter varieties up to 18 inches for taller kinds. Growing Conditions: Marigolds need full but not rich soil, and should not be overwatered. They appreciate good drainage. Remarks: You can save seeds of any nonhybrid marigold.

Morning-Glory Ipomoea purpurea

Vines grow 8 to 10 feet long and produce 3- to 4-inch-wide trumpet-shaped flower in rose, white, and blue shades. To my mind, no one has ever improved on the traditional sky blue color of the Heavenly Blue variety. Days to Germination: 7 days at 750F to 80 0F (240C to 27 0C) When to Plant : Plant presoaked seeds, either in individual pots a month before you frostfree date or in the ground when the soil warms up, after the last frost. How to Plant: Morning-glory seeds have tough seed coats. To help things along, nick each black seed with a file, soak the seeds overnight in lukewarm water, and they presoak them on damp paper towels kept in a warm place. I used the top of our insulated electric water heater. Growing Conditions: Morning-glories flower more generously if grown in lean soil. They need support - a fence, trellis, string, or netting. Both flowers and leaves are edible.

Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus

Gold, orange, peach, scarlet, or burgundy single or double flowers adorn 6- to 12-inch plants. Vining varieties are also available. Both flowers and leaves are edible. Days to Germination: 14 days at 650F to 70 0F (180C to 21 0C) When to Plant: Plant the pea-sized seeds right in the garden around the time of your last frost. How to Plant: Thin plants to stand 1 foot apart. Growing Conditions: Nasturtiums bloom better on lean soil and withstand drought. Summers heat slows them down, but when days turn cool they bloom with great abandon. They need full sun. Pests and Diseases: Aphids are attracted to nasturtiums

Nicotiana Nicotiana alata

Plants grow 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall and produce tubular-based rose, white, and lavender blossoms. The white flowers are delightfully fragrant at night. Newer hybrid strains are more compact, but you cant beat the fragrance of the old-fashioned white nicotiana. Days to Germination: 14 to 21 days at 700F to 75 0F (210C to 24 0C) When to Plant: Start nicotiana indoors a month or two before your last frost and set out plants when frost danger is over. Seeds may also sown directly in the ground after frost. How to Plant: Seeds are very fine and should be lightly dusted over the soil surface without covering. Space plants about 1 foot apart. Growing Conditions: Nicotiana prefers good soil and full sun. It will also bloom in part shade.

Pansy Viola tricolor

What would spring be without pansies? Garden centers often seem to sell limited color selections. I like the grab-bag effect of planting my own seeds from a packet of mixed colors. Hybrid pansies tend to bloom earlier than the species have glorious colors - blues, purples, yellows, apricots, burgundies, rusts - in single, bicolor, and tricolor patterns. Days to Germination: 14 days at 700F to 75 0F (210C to 24 0C) When to Plant : If youre good at planting ahead and want extra-early bloom, sow the seeds in August and shelter the plants over winter in a cold frame or, if your winters are mild, under straw mulch. A more common practice is to sow seeds indoors in December. How to Plant: Be sure theyre covered; pansy seeds need darkness to germinate. You can set out hardened transplants a good month before your frost-free date. I often stretch that to six to seven weeks in the sheltered east patio exposure where I grow my pansies. Space bedding plants 6 to 8 inches apart. Growing Conditions: Technically hardy biennials, pansies are grown as annuals. They like cool weather and dont mind light shade. Shear the plants to a 2-inch stub in July for repeated early fall bloom .

Petunia Petunia X hybrida

These include P. grandiflora, P. multiflora, and others. A common mainstay in the summer garden, and with good reason. Petunias flower abundantly, cascade charmingly over walls and flower boxes, and appear in a full array of colors, from white to pink, red, lavender, purple, coral, and even yellow. They are available in either single or double forms, in size from 8-inch dwarf plants to 18-inch vining mounds. Days to Germination: 7 days at 800F (270C) When to Plant : Start seeds indoors and plant out after danger of frost has passed.

How to Plant: Seeds are very tiny and need exposure to light in order to germinate so just pat them into the damp soil surface in a seedling flat. Keep them warm and well supplied with water, and transplant to 2-inch spacing in the flat as soon as theyre large enough to handle. Growing Conditions: Petunias thrive in rich, well-drainage soil in full sun.

Portulaca Portulaca grandiflora

Portulaca is available in every color except blue, and in both single and double flowered forms. A fleshy-stemmed, spreading plant, it grows 4 to 6 inches high. Days to Germination: 10 to 15 days at 680F to 86 0F (200C to 30 0C) When to Plant : After your last frost, plant seeds directly in the ground. How to Plant: Portulaca flowers quickly from seeds, so its seldom worth the bother to start seeds indoors, but if you do, plant them in cells or pots because the fleshy stems can be tricky to transplant. Thin the plants in the garden to 1 6-inch spacing. Growing Conditions: Grow portulaca in lean soil in a sunny spot. It can take hot, dry places. Avoid rich soil; portulaca blooms more abundantly if not fed too well.

Scarlet Sage Salvia splendens

Most varieties of scarlet sage grow 10 to 14 inches tall, but several 24- to 30-inch cultivars are also available. The plants present a dramatic contrast; brilliant red flower spikes rise above deep green foliage. Days to Germination: 14 days at 750F (240C) When to Plant : Start seeds indoors and set out transplants after frost. How to Plant: Cover the seeds very lightly, if at all, because they need some light to trigger germination. When transplanting them outdoors, space them a foot apart. Use clean new potting soil for scarlet sage and try to provide good air circulation at the soil surface, because the seedlings are sensitive to the damping-off fungus. Growing Conditions: Give the plants well-drained, rich soil, and mulch to keep roots cool in midsummer heat. Water well in hot dry weather.

Schizanthus Schizanthus X wisetonensis

Also called butterfly flower or poor mans orchid, this plant grows 1 to 2 feet high and has ferny leaves. It produces masses of 1 1/2-inch orchid, white, pink, yellow, or rose flowers, which have yellow throats dappled with dark-hued spots. Days to Germination: 14 to 21 days at 60F to 700F (160C to 21 0C) When to Plant: For plants that will bloom before the weather turns too hot, start seeds indoors about three months before your last frost date.