Choosing Annuals for Your Garden - My Top 5 Picks

Annual flowers are among the most popular types of plants for beginning and experienced gardeners alike. An annual is a plant that sprouts from it's seed, grows, flowers, seeds and dies all in one growing season. It must be replaced each year and is therefore a great type of plant if you want to experiment with colors and combinations or are not committed to a specific flower for an area. Most annuals are also fairly easy to grow and maintain.

When choosing which annuals will work best for you, you must take into consideration where you want to plant the flowers. The type of soil and amount of sunlight will determine which annuals will grow best in that area. You also must think about the amount of time and effort you want to put into your garden. Some annuals need quite a bit of attention throughout the year while others grow almost without effort. Check the information on seed packs and labels on plants before purchase to make sure that they will work for you. Annuals can be grown from seeds but are, in my opinion, easier to grow from seedlings. If you choose to use seeds you may want to start the plants in containers inside to protect them from any late frosts. Seedlings should be planted after the last frost of spring and following the particular guidelines for each plant.

My grandmother, mother and sister in law have gorgeous flowerbeds and hanging pots every year. My favorite annuals are the ones I have grown up seeing and that I know how to grow. All five of my favorite picks are fairly popular flowers that are generally easy to grow and maintain.

Annual Flowers Pick #1 - Impatiens

Most impatiens flowers that are sold in the US are hybrids and treated as annuals. These flowers come in a variety of colors such as white, red, pink, violet, coral and purple. They are perfect for use as bedding plants, especially in shady areas. Impatiens are great because they grow best in partially shaded areas or with filtered sun. Planting these flowers underneath trees is not a problem at all. Impatiens grow best during the warm season and have long lasting blooms. Impatiens are easy to care for and also do well in containers such as window boxes or hanging baskets.

Annual Flowers Pick #2 - Petunias

Petunias are one of my favorite flowers, hands down. The trumpet shaped blooms are just gorgeous and come in just about any color. These flowers will bloom throughout the summer except in really extreme heat. Petunias do need frequent deadheading (removal of dead blossoms) but are tolerant of dryer soils. These flowers are fairly easy to grow and need minimal care. Grow petunias in full sun or partial shade. If you are in a very hot part of the country, stick to partial shade. Use petunias as bedding plants, borders or even in containers.

Annual Flowers Pick #3 - Zinnias

Zinnias are a warm season flower with hot, bold colors in shades of red, orange and yellow. They are great for borders and pots. Zinnias need full sun and are very tolerant of dry, drought like conditions. These are great for those of us who forget to water! Zinnias will also do well in containers such as window boxes as long as they get enough sun. These may need to be deadheaded and will not bloom or grow until the weather is hot enough. They also do well with cutting back and will produce more flowers after being pruned.

Annual Flowers Pick #4 - Lobelia

Lobelia grows better in cooler temperatures in full sun but will also thrive in hotter climates as long as they are given shade. I love lobelia for hanging baskets and planters but they are also good for ground cover. Lobelia is most often blue but there are also white varieties. These flowers need a lot of water and do best in moist soil. If you have naturally wet soil these will do great. They need little supervision or maintenance beyond watering. You do not need to prune or deadhead these flowers.

Annual Flowers Pick #5 - Marigolds

Marigolds are incredibly popular annuals. They grow rapidly and are easy to maintain. Marigolds love the sun and are extremely heat resistant. They are also very drought resistant. With marigolds, you can usually plant them and ignore them except for watering. Deadhead marigolds in the summer to lengthen the blooming period and you should get flowers throughout the entire summer and into the fall. The colors of marigold are usually a bright yellow or orange. They attract butterflies and are said to repel insects. Many people plant marigolds as a border for their vegetable gardens. These do well as borders, edging or in containers. Insects and disease rarely bother these flowers.

Sources:

Personal Experienced

Choosing Annuals for Home Gardens

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/AnnualsBuyGuide.html

Choosing Annuals

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/article/choosing-annuals.html