How-to
When to plant seasonal color in North Texas
Updated · Glossary
Commercial properties in Dallas–Fort Worth change seasonal color up to three times a year. Spring color goes in during April, after the last frost and once the soil warms up. Summer color goes in during June, before the worst of the heat. Fall color goes in during October, once the summer heat breaks. Many contracts skip the summer change and run spring color through to fall. Planting too early is the most common reason color beds fail.
| Rotation | When to plant | Good choices for DFW | Lasts until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | April | Zinnias, angelonia, pentas, petunias; coleus and begonias in shade | Summer heat, around June |
| Summer | June | Vinca, lantana, pentas, purslane | First hard freeze, around November |
| Fall and winter | October | Pansies, violas, snapdragons, dianthus, ornamental kale and cabbage | Spring heat, around April |
DFW’s average last frost is around mid-March and the first frost around late November, but a late cold snap can still hit in early spring. Waiting until April for spring color costs you a couple of weeks and saves you a replant.
Why planting early fails
Put fall color into hot soil and it wilts, stretches and never fills in. Pansies and violas need cool soil to root before winter.
Warm-season color in cold, wet soil just stalls. Some plants, vinca especially, are prone to disease when they go in before the soil warms. And a late freeze can wipe out a new bed outright.
What makes a color bed last
Prep the bed every rotation. Pull the old plants, loosen the soil and add fresh soil or compost. Planting into tired, compacted soil is where most beds go wrong.
Space for a full look. People see commercial beds from the street, so they need to look full within a few weeks, not by the end of the season.
Make sure the water gets there. New color needs more water for the first couple of weeks, so check that the heads cover the bed and that nobody cut a drip line during the swap.
Match the plant to the light. When a shaded entry fails, it’s usually sun plants in the wrong spot.
If the budget is tight, spend it where people look every day: the entry, the monument beds and the front of the building.
Common questions
When should we plant pansies in Dallas?
October, once daytime highs drop and the soil cools. Pansies planted in late summer heat struggle and rarely fill in.
When is it safe to plant summer annuals in DFW?
April. The average last frost is around mid-March, but waiting until the soil is warm keeps you from losing a new bed to a late cold snap or to disease in cold, wet soil.
How often should a commercial property change seasonal color?
Two or three times a year in North Texas: spring in April, summer in June and fall in October. Sage and Stone Landscapes rotates color on the schedule in your contract, with fresh soil and bed prep each time.
We rotate seasonal color as part of our maintenance contracts, along with the irrigation that keeps it alive. Request a proposal and we’ll walk your beds with you.