Yahoo LifestyleMake Your Garden Pop With Eye-Catching Annual Flowers and Plants
- 1/19
Make Your Garden Pop With Eye-Catching Annual Flowers and Plants
So, you’re looking for a little seasonal color to make your garden pop. Perhaps you want a quick way to boost curb appeal or brighten up your backyard landscape. Enter annual plants!
What does annual plant mean? An annual plant completes its lifecycle within one year, which means it does not return the next year. True annuals include flowers like zinnias, cosmos, larkspur, and most marigolds and sunflowers. Yet, often the line between annual versus perennial gets blurred, and we might cultivate a perennial as an annual for a variety of reasons. It might be “tender” (i.e. not cold hardy in our climate), the bulb might not store easily, or it otherwise loses its luster (think pansies looking leggy and spent in the summer)—but for the time we have it, it sure does put on a show. Here, we've included annuals in both camps.
Keep in mind that annuals can be less expensive in the short term, but pricier in the long run, as landscape designer Daniel McCurry of Father Nature Landscapes, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, explains: “Annual plantings are fun to plan into garden designs to create a sense of health, texture, and substance. Since you need to replace the plantings twice a year, they are much more costly than shrub borders or perennials. Given that they add so much to a garden, we typically design flower beds with all the above.”
Now for the show! Try these top annual flowers and plants for seasonal highlights throughout the summer, spring, and fall.
Favorite Annual Flowers and Plants
Yana Tatevosian / 500px - Getty Images - 2/19
1) Zinnias
A true annual, zinnias are easy for beginners to grow from seed, and they reseed readily, making them a no-fuss bloomer for lazy gardeners. Plant zinnias in your butterfly garden, and the flowers will likely attract hummingbirds too. Available in an array of forms and vibrant hues, with sizes varying from petite dwarfs to towering stems that benefit from staking, this beloved annual deserves a spot in your cutting garden for flowers all summer long.
Full sun; blooms summer/fall; seldom severely damaged by deer
Chuanchai Pundej / EyeEm - Getty Images - 3/19
2) Petunias
You can't go wrong with these fuss-free flowers for containers, pots, window boxes, hanging baskets, and garden beds. You can find them in pretty pinks, reds, whites, yellows, and purples. The hybrid 'Supertunia Vista' is a particular favorite of Melissa Lallo Johnson, a Midwest-based master gardener who shares her expansive garden on Instagram at @fancyflowerfarmer. "It is a superstar that quickly fills in gaps with loads of color," she says.
Full sun; blooms spring/summer/fall
bewolf design - Getty Images - 4/19
3) 'Aaron' Caladium
caladium bulbs
edenbrothers.com
Annual plantings aren't all about the flowers. The pretty foliage of 'Aaron' caladium, boasting heart-shaped leaves with dark green borders and pale centers, makes it a go-to annual for landscape designer Daniel McCurry of Father Nature Landscapes. Technically a tender perennial, you can enjoy it as an annual in most areas throughout the U.S.
Partial shade
Eden Brothers - 5/19
4) 'Blue Daze' Evolvulus
Florida Foliage
amazon.com
True blue is a rare color in the garden, but 'Blue Daze' Evolvulus, a dwarf morning glory, offers it in spades. Both drought and heat tolerant, this low-growing ground cover is another favorite of McCurry's for annual plantings.
Full sun; blooms summer
Amazon / Florida Foliage - 6/19
5) Begonia
These dainty flowers, which bloom in shades of white, pink, and red, require very little maintenance and upkeep (no deadheading or pruning required!). When fall arrives, you can move them indoors or dig up their tubers to reuse for the following year.
Full sun/partial shade/full shade; blooms summer
Getty Images - 7/19
6) Angelonia
These heat- and drought-tolerant flowers are perfect for gardeners down South. Even the hottest, sunniest days won't ruin these beauties. In warmer regions, they'll continue to flourish through the fall.
Full sun; blooms summer; deer resistant
Getty Images - 8/19
7) Celosia
These colorful beauties come in a variety of shapes (brains, fans, and plumes) and a range of colors (pink, red, orange, and yellow). Plus, they grow fast and are incredibly easy to care for.
Full sun; blooms summer; seldom severely damaged by deer
Getty Images - 9/19
8) Cosmos
These cute and feminine flowers grow taller the more you cut them (and faster, too), meaning you'll have pretty petals (in shades of pink, white, or purple) in your garden all summer long.
Full sun; blooms summer
Getty Images - 10/19
9) Geraniums
Dress up your walkway, porch, or front yard with these perky and petite blooms. Once grown or potted, these fuss-free flowers will flourish for months.
Full sun/partial shade; blooms spring/summer
Getty Images - 11/19
10) Impatiens
These small flowers with soft and delicate petals are ideal for darker areas of your yard that aren't suitable for plants or flowers that need lots of sun. Plant them in your favorite shady spot, and you'll have beautiful blooms to enjoy all summer.
Partial shade/full shade; blooms summer
work by Lisa Kling - Getty Images - 12/19
11) Marigold
Looking to get a lot of bang for your buck? These fast-growing, vibrant orange and yellow flowers produce a hardy amount of blooms each summer. You can expect around 15+ flowers per plant.
Full sun; blooms summer; seldom severely damaged by deer
Getty Images - 13/19
12) Snapdragons
Easily add height, dimension, and bold color to your garden with these tall, easy-to-grow flowers.
Full sun, blooms summer; deer resistant
Getty Images - 14/19
13) Sunflowers
While you can opt to grow sunflowers in their classic golden hue, you can also find other varieties in shades of red, white, orange, and even pink. These tall flowers can grow several feet high, so you may need to stake them to give them the proper support they need to flourish.
Full sun; blooms summer/early fall
Getty Images - 15/19
14) Dahlias
These stunning flowers will make your garden beds look oh-so-lush. From honeycomb-like shapes to fluffy peony-esque varieties, there are endless options. They're incredibly easy to grow and with proper care, you can dig up and reuse the tubers year after year.
Full sun; blooms late summer/fall
Getty Images - 16/19
15) Chrysanthemum
If you're looking to add some fresh blooms to your fall landscape, chrysanthemums (or simply, mums) are a must-have. Pick them up at your local nursery and add them to planters, or grow them from seeds starting in the spring.
Full sun; blooms late summer/fall
Getty Images - 17/19
16) Pansies
If you're after bold color, frost-resistant pansies are the way to go. You can find them in almost every color of the rainbow (and several multi-color options). And since they can tolerate frost, they're the perfect bloom for your garden in both the fall and early spring.
Full sun/partial shade; blooms spring and fall
Getty Images - 18/19
17) Larkspur
This blue- and purple-petaled annual is easy to care for and ideal for colder climates. Plant them in the fall (their seeds can survive freezes) and you'll have beautiful blooms to enjoy all spring.
Full sun/partial sun; blooms spring/early summer; deer resistant
Getty Images - 19/19
18) Ranunculuses
You'll want to prep and plant these fragrant flowers in the fall for the best blooms come spring. While you can use the tubers year after year, they tend to grow best with fresh corms each year. These colorful flowers (think pinks, yellows, oranges, reds, and whites) will look stunning as part of your landscape or cut and arranged in vases.
Full sun; blooms spring; deer resistant
RELATED: 30+ Bulbs to Plant This Fall for a Beautiful Spring Garden
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