You grow your garden with love and care. So you may wonder why you would opt to plant annuals when they will only live one season. Isn’t it better to invest your time, energy, and money into something that will bloom year after years?
The reality is that there is a place for annuals in every spring garden. Remember, gardens are growing things. Nothing that lives stays stagnant.
A beautiful garden often exists with a mix of annuals and perennials alone. These two can work together beautifully, and each serves a unique purpose.
Why choose annuals?
Perennials bloom season after season. Annuals live their entire life cycle over a single year. But that doesn’t mean that annuals are inferior to perennials. Here are just a few of their advantages.
Lower price point
Perennials are more expensive. You may see value in that perennials will live more than one season. But annuals will allow you to plant on a budget. The lower price point also allows you to experiment and try new things without a large investment.
Annuals give you versatility
Perhaps you don’t want your garden to look exactly the same every year. Planting something that will bloom and die in one season gives you flexibility. For instance, some gardeners will plant perennials in the center of their garden, and place annuals on the outskirts. That way, each year’s garden is an original work of art.
They help fill in bare spots
As your garden grows, you may notice that things don’t look as perfect as last year. Plants die and need to be replaced. And when some of your perennials aren’t in bloom, your garden may look a little bare. Annuals are an easy way to quickly adjust your garden. You can just add a pop of color as needed.
Annuals may be self-seeding
Sometimes annuals will leave seeds that have the potential to bloom into flowers next year. While they won’t grow in the same exact spot as the previous season, these flowers can still be a wonderful surprise. While you can’t count on annuals being self-seeding, this can be a wonderful bonus.
Long bloom period
Since annuals only have one season to create seeds for the “next generation”, they tend to have a long bloom period. They seek as many opportunities to create seeds. And you can make the most of it by removing the flowers as they fade. This will encourage them to bloom again so they can make more seeds.
They can distract insects
All flowers aren’t planted just for their bloom. Since annuals are cheaper, easier to plant, and live just one season, you can plant them as a distraction for insects. Put them in the right location, and they can lure insects away from perennials. This will help preserve your long-term garden goals.
Annuals provide quick benefits
Perennials can be a great foundation for your garden. But they take more work to plant since they will need to survive multiple seasons. Plus, they take longer to bloom since they must first grow roots. Annuals can provide much more instant gratification because they’re easier to plant, and they bloom more quickly.
They can easily be replaced
Perennials take a lot of care and pruning. But this isn’t the case with annuals. Just plant them, and add water and fertilizer. And because they are easy to plant and inexpensive, it’s not a big deal if you make a mistake or a plant dies. You are able to easily and quickly replace them.
Which flowers are annuals?
If you’re looking for annual flowers, there are many fabulous options from which to choose. While this list isn’t all-encompassing, this flowers are a great place to start.
- Petunias
- Marigolds
- Zinnia
- Begona
- Celosia
- Geraniums
- Impatiens
- Pansies
- Sunflowers
- And many, many more!
Where can you find a great selection of annuals?
Come to Stockslagers where we have a wide assortment of flowers that bloom for just one season. Pick from a variety of colors to find the perfect complement to your existing garden. Fill in bare spots, help your garden pop, or just have fun creating an original garden that will express all the joy of spring.
