This year, I’m trying my hand at timing. Not all plants bloom continuously all summer. Unlike most annuals, many varieties of perennials will only produce flowers for a short time until they bloom again in the next year (e.g., tulips, daffodils, and irises). Last year, I mostly had annuals and continuous bloomers because without a yard it can be hard to truly enjoy such short producers. However, this year, I wanted to try my hand with at least a couple of timed bloomers with the hopes of having new things to look at each month. My first crop of early bloomers peaked in late May and most of them did incredibly well.Bearded Iris
These had already started blooming when I bought them. While most irises are just now blooming, my guys were eager to get started and brought me two weeks of incredible joy. They produced the most flagrant flowers (think grape popsicles) and outshone all of their other deckmates. The only downside was that their dead-heads are not the best looking, shriveling up into prunes, so it was important to remove them right away so as not to distract from the beauty of the newer bloomers. 
Poppy
I was little nervous about the poppies. However, my worries were misplaced and they truly thrived. These little pod like creatures grew, and opened into beautiful, dainty orange flowers with yellow centers.
The plant produced about 10 blooms, with a few new ones each day. The blooms only lasted 1-2 days each, but were perfectly timed so that we had continuous blooms for about two weeks.Pansies
Despite being annuals, pansies usually wilt once the temperatures start climbing. So far, mine are hanging in there, but I suspect they will be ready to move on once we hit mid-June. For now, they are happy cooling the clematis’ feet.
Now, the only question is what to do with the perennial’s remains. The iris’ foliage is interesting enough that it is worth keeping for the summer. However, the poppy’s is not much to look at. I’m considering transplanting the rootball to a fancy cardboard/texturized container for the winter. I’ll have to do some research and decide if it’s worth starting this experiment – plus, that also means I will have an empty pot to fill with another new and interesting specimen.
Next up for the timed flowers: June Bloomers
Although none of my flowers survived from 2010, I did pick up some repeaters of varieties that I really enjoyed. My main goal, however, is to keep learning and trying to grow new kinds of flowers in my containers. My first batch comes from Johansen's Greenhouse in Madison. Like last year, I went for a mix of annuals and perennials. I planted all of them with an outdoor potting soil. I'm not sure if all of these are going to make it in containers, but that's part of the adventure! Now, without further ado, it's time to welcome the initial members of the Class of 2011:
Snowpoke was the lone survivor from year 1. He doesn't have a lot of room to grow, but he continues to plod along.
Rieger Begonia - this is another repeat from last year. Its shade loving nature makes it a great option for my deck and it was so successful last year, that I had to go for it again.
Portulaca - this plant, also known as moss rose, produces bright yellow flowers with red centers. The cactusy like leaves give it a little edge, and I think it should be a good contrast to its purple box mates. 
"Allyson" Mexican Heather - a tough sprawler with fuschia buds.
