These Annual Flowers Will Add Pops of Color to Your Garden
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If you’re looking to spruce up your landscape or add a pop of color to your garden, annual flowers are the perfect solution. Annual flowers, unlike perennial flowers, require yearly planting—and that effort allows you to reap the many health benefits of gardening every year. If you have a garden anchored by perennial plants already, annual flowers are a helpful way to customize the spaces around those perennials without starting a garden from scratch.
What are annual flowers?
“An annual is a plant that produces colorful blooms all season long and lasts for just one year,” explains Dan Stuppiello, divisional merchandise manager of Live Goods at Home Depot. “If you want to enjoy the beauty of an annual the following year, you’ll need to plant them again.”
But not all of these flowers need to be replanted, according to Rebecca Sears, C.M.O. and resident green thumb at Ferry-Morse. “Some, like Cosmos, California Poppy, and Morning Glory, self-sow their seeds prolifically so you get the benefits of both annual and perennials,” she says. “I recommend familiarizing yourself with each variety you plan to plant, and ensure you have the proper soil amendments and space, as well as placing them in an area that will allow for their sun and watering needs to be fulfilled.”
Some of our favorite annuals include garden stalwarts like marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, and poppies.
How to choose annual flowers
The best annuals for your garden will depend on your climate and soil type. So be sure to do your research on these aspects, along with how frequently you’ll need to trim them back, or deadhead, the plants. “It’s also important to consider the annual’s cold hardiness status, which has three categories: tender, hardy and half-hardy,” explains Sears.
Ahead, find annual flowers to add to your patch, including heat-tolerant options and ones that can withstand some light frost.
Begonias
Stuppiello says Begonias are the “workhorse of the summer annual shade garden! There are all different shapes, sizes, and colors of begonia which make them very versatile in the landscape. Big Begonias are even good for sunny locations and one year were planted on the White House lawn.”
Zinnias
Zinnias—red, yellow, orange, and other brightly-colored blooms—will draw butterflies to your garden, Stuppiello says. (He recommends the Metrolina Greenhouse variety as they are fast-growing and easily grow from seeds sown directly into the soil after the last spring frost.) “Plant tall zinnias at the back of beds and shorter varieties in borders, in the front of beds, or in containers,” Stuppiello says.
New Guinea Impatiens
“When downy mildew became a problem in the landscape on Impatiens Wallerian, New Guinea Impatiens stepped in to help out. Offering a wide color palette and complete disease resistance to Downy Mildew, New Guinea Impatiens are a great choice for both the shade garden as well as in the sun as long as they receive enough water. Sunpatiens or Sunstanding New Guinea Impatiens even offer higher levels of sun tolerance for bright areas,” explains Stuppiello.
Geraniums
Geraniums are known for their long-lasting blooms in shades of pink, red, white, orange, and purple, says Stuppiello. Though, he notes, “The flowers we often call geraniums are actually pelargonium, still beautiful,” and still easy to care for. “Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, they're great for mixed gardens and containers. Plant them in full sun and keep withered blooms picked off for more flowers.”
Impatiens
“A few years ago gardeners were concerned that they would never be able to plant Impatiens again because of Downy Mildew,” reiterates Stuppiello. “Now with new and improved genetics, Impatiens are back and ready to adorn the landscape with blankets of color.”
Calibrachoa
“Simple to grow, heat tolerant, and attracts hummingbirds, calibrachoa offer vibrant flowers that bloom from late spring to early frost,” says Sears. “If you want to add hanging baskets to your garden, they also trail beautifully.”
Periwinkle
Periwinkle, a.k.a Vinca, comes in a wide range of hues, including white, pink, red, purple, and lavender, per Stuppiello. “Some favorites have contrasting center colors, such as pale pink with dark pink in the center. The Pure Beauty Farm 1.38 Pt. Vinca Cora Periwinkle Plant Orchid Purple Flowers are a compact plant, growing to about 15 in. x 15 in. The shiny green leaves are set off by the multiple 5-petaled blooms, which appear continuously and love the heat of the summer!”
Marigolds
Have a vegetable garden that you want to surround with a flowering plant? Marigolds are a gorgeous option that comes in yellow, orange, or multi-color blooms, according to Stuppiello. “The BELL NURSREY 6 in. Orange Marigold Annual Live Plant can be grown in or near your vegetable garden, where their fragrance is said to deter pests from snacking,” Stuppiello says. “They’re fast-growing annuals are sold as dwarf or full-sized varieties.”
Sunflowers
These tall, bright blooms are the perfect addition to any garden. Sunflowers “are often used for tall blooming backyards and screens for unsightly places. Plus, these annuals not only provide sunshiny beauty to your garden, but they also give you seeds for roasting and eating!” says Sears
Lantanas
Stuppiello recommends Lantana plants (particularly the Vigoro 1 Qt. Pink Lantana Plant) as it deters animals like deer from making a meal of your garden. “Clusters of vivid blooms serve up a sweet scent that attracts birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden, while the drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plant only needs once-weekly watering for stress-free care,” he says.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums bloom into fragrant flowers, according to Sears, in a variety of colors to add some brightness to your garden. “They’re also quite simple to care for, only requiring minimal watering. Plus, their flowers and leaves are edible and can add a peppery taste to your favorite salads and vegetables,” she says.
Pansies
If you live in a cooler environment, pansies make for a great annual plant to add to your plot. “Pansies are very popular cool-weather plants with colorful flowers. They’re great for adding a splash of early-season color and are completely hardy, even under snow,” explains Stuppiello.
Petunias
If you’re looking for trailing blooms, petunias are a great option. “Available in an array of colors and trailing habits, petunias provide vivid blooms throughout the gardening season, often perfect when planted in containers and landscapes,” says Sears.
Poppies
“Despite their delicate appearance, poppies are quite sturdy and drought tolerant. Perfect for terraces, borders, or containers, California’s state flower adds the perfect pop of color to any garden,” says Sears.
Vincas
These bright blooms that come in a variety of colors (pinks, purples, and shades of white) are a favorite “due to frost, shade, and deer resistance. They grow best in full sun. This sweet-smelling variety will also flower all summer long,” says Sears.
Morning Glories
Looking for a pop of blue in your garden? Morning Glories are a beautiful annual flower to plant. They make for a great vining plant and their sweet scent will draw pollinators to your patch, per the Almanac.
Cosmos
Another pollinator-favorite bloom, Cosmos grow from summer into fall, offering up bright pops of color. These dainty flowers are beautiful annuals that look similar to daisies, per the Almanac.
Dahlias
These tuber plants come in just about every color you could imagine. They’re planted towards the end of spring and will bloom through the fall, providing your garden with gorgeous pops of color, according to the Almanac.
Benefits of annuals
Stuppiello says annuals are great because they give “the gardener new opportunities every year to experiment with color and texture in garden beds, hanging baskets and planters,” he says. “From hot pink Calibrachoa and red Chrysanthemums to Periwinkle flowers, you’ll love how colorful annual flowers contrast beautifully with the rich green foliage.”
Plants that fit the “annuals” description vary depending on your region, explains Stuppiello. “Many popular annual flowers are tropical plants that won’t survive winter temperatures outside of USDA hardiness zone 9,” he says.
Meet the experts
We spoke with Dan Stuppiello, divisional merchandise manager of Live Goods at Home Depot; and Rebecca Sears, C.M.O. and resident green thumb at Ferry-Morse; for annual flower recommendations.
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