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Annuals

An annual is defined as a plant that completes its life cycle in a year or less. The seed germinates, the plant grows, blooms, sets seed, and dies all in one growing season. Examples of annuals are Petunias (pictured left), Marigolds, Zinnia, Begonias (pictured below left), Vinca (below right) and Impatiens.

Annuals are the answer for many gardeners that are looking for instant color in the spring. The quick growth of annuals makes it possible for gardeners to have early color while waiting for permanent plantings to develop.

Annuals can be used in masses, along the edges of beds, or to form mixed borders. Some types of annuals are excellent for window boxes or planters, while others are perfect for hanging baskets or containers.

Annuals provide instant beauty. If you want plants that come to flower quickly and provide a long season of blooms, choose annuals. They are among the most adaptable of garden plants, demanding little more than good light, sufficient water, and reasonably fertile soil. Even if your conditions fall short of this ideal, you will likely find annuals that will work for you. In fact, some of the most striking annual gardens are found in what would appear to be the most inhospitable sites.

Biennial plants, such as Lunaria, also add interest to the garden. Biennials are plants that complete their life cycle in two years of growing seasons. During the first growing season they produce leaves, usually a rosette. In the second growing season, preceded by a cold period, they produce blooms and die.

For the gardener, biennials present the disadvantage of producing only foliage the first year and no blooms. However, some varieties such as Lunaria, Foxglove, Stock, Sweet William (Dianthus), and Hollyhock are worth growing because of their unique beauty. Biennial seeds can be sown in midsummer to produce plants that develop in the fall, forcing the plant to bloom the next year. Cultural practices are basically the same as for annuals, except the plants remain two years.

Pentas in Bloom


Yellow Datura Blooms


Pink Datura Blooms