Watch Video >>

Annuals are flowers that complete their growing cycle, going from seed to seed, in one year. Gardeners use annuals for a splash of summer color in flowerbeds, for cutting flowers and in container gardens. Annuals are inexpensive and easy to grow, and best of all you can change the look of your gardens each year.

True Annuals or Treated as Annuals?

Many of the flowers that we know and love are true annual flowers, including marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers. Others are actually tender perennials that would continue growing if frost didn’t kill them. These tender perennials are usually treated as annuals in climates with cold winters, although some can be overwintered inside. A few examples of tender perennials that we treat as annuals include geraniums, petunias, impatiens, begonias and coleus.

Many new annuals and tender perennials are coming on the market, so you don’t have to stick to the same old boring petunias. Some old-fashioned cottage garden annuals are getting a makeover by plant breeders to introduce more disease-resistant and longer-flowering plants. The beauty of annuals is that they are generally inexpensive; you can try new things and if you don’t like them, you can replace them with something else next year.

Growing Annuals from Seed

Many annuals can be grown by directly sowing the seed in the ground. They grow so quickly that you will have blooms in a few weeks. You can get a great range of annual plants this way for very little money. Some annuals need to be started inside a few weeks before the last frost for earlier flowers.