15 Annuals Flowers and Plants Seeds Grow, Bulbs 2022

15 Annuals Flowers and Plants Seeds Grow, Bulbs 2022

WHAT IS AN ANNUAL PLANT?

We open the month of March, and there are less than 20 days until spring arrives. By now, we are looking forward to the end of winter, which is precisely these days when it hits the hardest. The storms are leaving rain, snow, and a lot of cold in their wake, but the truth is that water is very much needed, and always (other than catastrophically) it is welcome.

As the time of flowers is already on the horizon, I think it is a good time to dedicate some articles to them. Flowers are almost always the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about gardening, the main element we want to grow to beautify our environment. Flowers are wonderful, they come in a huge variety of sizes, colors, and shapes, and no matter where you live, you will always find a flowering plant.

The crater of the Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui is the natural habitat of the silver sword, a small genus of plants within the Compositae family, endemic to Hawaii.

15 Annuals Flowers and Plants Seeds Grow, Bulbs 2022

But flowers are more than that beautiful display of shape and color that attracts us so much. They have characteristics that make them different from each other, and it is important to know them to get them to thrive well and get the most out of them. 

As we talk, we will discover that there are annuals, perennials, bulbs, succulents, alpine, creepers, etc. The factors that differentiate them are diverse, but we will learn to distinguish them little by little. In subsequent articles, we will discuss this topic today. We will start with annual plants.

1. ANNUAL PLANTS

They usually appear for sale each season in nurseries and garden centers. Primroses, marigolds, alegrías,…. You take them home, you plant them, and they grow during the spring and summer-blooming incessantly, until the cold weather returns, and they begin to wilt to death with the first frosts. It may be that you live in a peaceful place, without ice, in which case the annuals become perennials (we will talk about them here ).

Annual plants are usually inexpensive and give a heavy yield for little money, but quickly. They are generally quite sturdy and can withstand some beginner’s oversight. I advise them for novice gardeners.

Experienced gardeners often lose interest in these types of plants. For some they are too cheerful, for others they are boring, for others we are interested in “throwaway” plants. These claims may be true, but the annual bloom is second to none, and they are perfect for filling a garden with color.

For me, one of the biggest drawbacks of annual plants is the economic one. You have to buy new plants every season and, if the area to be replaced is large, it can be quite expensive. But worst of all, replanting every year is exhausting and boring. It is the main reason I went to perennials; we will talk about them in a future post.

2. WHERE ARE ANNUALS COMMONLY USED?

To fill a flower bed or make a bed with flowers of the same type

In containers: pots, planters, or other

To reload a hanging basket

Skirting a road

To color a solid perennial out of season

To decorate the garden

To fill gaps quickly (when another plant fails, for example)

3. ANNUAL PLANT CARE

The care of annual plants does not have great complications. They usually sell them prepared to start well, with good substrate and free of pests. Perhaps, as a first recommendation, you should pay attention when buying them and not choose one that does not look very good at first.

The first need for annuals, like any other plant, is water. They need food to grow and flourish profusely, and plants feed on water. A thirsty plant cannot be pretty. It is necessary to water regularly and in-depth to reach the roots well. When the plant notices the lack of water, it undergoes a stress situation and begins to fight for survival by first getting rid of the buds and flowers.

The water, vital for the plant’s life, circulates from the roots to the leaves, transporting the nutrients from the soil to the plant cells. Plants need minerals and other elements to grow and flourish. If there is a lack of nutrients, the symptoms are usually spots on the leaves, buds that fall without opening, general decay of the plant, etc. Fertilizers serve to replenish those minerals that the plant consumes from the soil and must be applied, following the instructions on each container, to have healthy leaves, vigorous shoots, and many flowers.

15 Annuals Flowers and Plants Seeds Grow, Bulbs 2022

A basic technique that we must know to take good care of our plants is clamping. The procedure consists of pinching or cutting the ends of the stems to stop longitudinal growth and stimulate the development of lateral branches. In this way, the bushes grow more compact and lustrous. In the same way, it is also advisable to eliminate the flowers that wilt. The plant will look prettier without dull flowers, but the main reason for cutting them is to prevent the plant from spending energy on seed formation and dedicating it to new flower production.

4. BUY ANNUAL PLANTS

In spring, or even a few weeks before, all the nurseries and garden centers put the new season’s plants on sale. There is always a variety to choose from, and new things appear every year. Plant growers work hard to get cultivars different from anything seen before and almost always surprise us with a diverse variety: new colors, double flowers where there were only single ones, etc.

There is a huge list of annuals to choose from. Some are popular and easy to find; others are more complicated. Buying plants is a lot of fun, but it can get unsympathetic if you stubbornly find an overly exotic strain. 

If you discover a plant in a magazine or on the internet, don’t be dazed by finding it at all costs. It may not be suitable for the climate where you live, which is why gardens do not carry it. Think that there is always an alternative. Choose without overcomplicating and enjoy.

ANNUAL SUN PLANTS

Calendula

Lobelia

Geranium

Nasturtium

Petunia

Zinnia

Nicotiana

California poppy

Surfinia

ANNUAL SHADE PLANTS

Coleus

Begonia

Vinca

The joy of the house

Do not forget me

Cineraria

Ageratum

Thought

5. ANNUAL FROM SEED

The economical option to get your annual plants is to plant seeds, buy envelopes, or collect those from your garden from one year to the next. Later we will delve into the technique since each type of plant has its characteristics, and the method may vary from one to another. In general, the smaller the size of the seed, the greater the challenge of making it germinate since they must be sown in seedlings indoors under bright or fluorescent lighting.

The usual thing is to sow at the end of winter in trays and a place sheltered from the cold. 

Once the risk of frost has passed, the seedlings can be taken outside and, when the plants are of a good size, transplanted to their final place.

Some fast-growing annuals can be sown directly into the ground in late spring, where they will germinate and grow quickly. Among them are nasturtiums, zinnias, or sweet pea, one of my favorites.

It also happens that with some annuals that they reseed very easily. Violas, pansies, and petunias are some of them. I had seen them born in my planters spontaneously because the flowers of the previous season scattered seeds on the ground that germinated when a new spring arrived. It is an experience that surprises me every year; it is very gratifying to find little plants that you did not expect.

6. ANNUALS THAT ARE NOT ANNUAL

There are several plants that we treat as annuals in our country or our region when they are not. These false annuals are plants of warmer climates than in their place of origin; with higher temperatures during the winter, they would live more than one season. In our area, they cannot bear winter frosts and die. If we keep them protected from the intense cold, with plastics, in greenhouses, or indoors, we could extend their life and enjoy them again the following season. Some of them are coleus, geranium, impatiens, begonia, antirrhinum. In practice, being inexpensive plants, the year’s plants are usually discarded and replanted the following season.

I hope this article has cleared up many doubts about annual plants, also known as “seasonal flowers. “Its use in the garden ensures freshness and instant color, an abundance of flowers, and beauty for many months, but in the long term, they can get tired. To not have to start over every spring, perennials offer us other possibilities since their life span is prolonged for many years. We will talk about them in the next topic. Here I wait for you!

The best 15 annual flowers for your garden

If you want to add color to your garden, in this post, I will show you which are the best 15 annual flowers to plant in it. Although you will need to replace them every year, these plants are less expensive than perennials and will produce beautiful flowers in spring, summer, or fall.

1. Angelonia

It is a resistant plant that tolerates both drought and the hottest and sunniest days of the year. It loves the full sun and gives flowers in summer.

2. Begonia

These delicate flowers appear in summer in pink, red, and white shades and require very little maintenance. Just provide an orientation in full sun or partial shade. When fall comes, you can take it indoors or dig up its bulbs to reuse next year.

3. Lattice

This beautiful plant comes in a wide variety of shapes and colors, including red, pink, orange, and yellow. They also grow very fast and are very easy to care for. It blooms in summer in full sun.

4. Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums would be a must if you were looking to add some annual flowers to your fall garden. Buy them from nurseries or garden stores or grow them from seed in the spring. They bloom in late summer or fall.

5. Cosmos

It is one of the most beautiful and feminine flowers that grow taller (and faster too) the longer you cut them, which means that you will have beautiful petals in shades of white, pink, or purple all summer long. Could you place it in full sun?

6. Dahlia

This stunning flower will make your garden look lush. You can find it in various shapes and colors. They are very easy to care for and bloom in the summer in full sun. You can even carefully dig up the bulbs to reuse them year after year.

7. Geranium

Dress up your patio, porch, or hallway with these beautiful little flowers. Once it has bloomed, it will stay that way for months as long as you provide full or partial sun. Blooms in spring/summer.

8. Impatiens

These small flowers with soft, delicate petals are perfect for the darker areas of your garden. Plant them in a shady spot, and you will have beautiful flowers to enjoy all summer long. Provide partial or full shade.

9. Larkspur

This blue, white, or purple colored plant is perfect for cold climates. It is very easy to take care of. Plant it in the fall and place it in a spot with full or partial sun. It blooms throughout the spring and early summer.

10. Calendula

These fast-growing yellow and orange flowers will bear many blooms in summer. Provide full sun.

11. Thought

Suppose you are looking for an annual flowering plant resistant to frost; Pansmaybey be your best option. These bloom in winter/spring in a partially shaded location. You can find them in almost all the colors of the rainbow.

12. Petunia

These flowers are perfect for containers, planters, hanging baskets, and the garden. You can find them in pink, red, white, purple and yellow. Give them a place with full sun, and they will flower in spring, summer, or fall.

13. Buttercup

I’m sure you’ll want to plant buttercups in the fall for the best spring flowers. You can use bulbs year after year, although it grows much better with fresh corms each year. These fragrant flowers can be found in a wide variety of colors.

14. Antirrhinum

Add height, dimension, and color to your garden with these wonderful, easy-to-grow large flowers. They bloom in summer in full sun.

15. Sunflowers

These plants can grow several feet tall, so you need to give them adequate support. Flowers in summer or early fall in full sun.

Do annuals come back every year?

The short answer is that annuals don’t come back, but perennials do. Plants that flower and die in one season are annuals—although many will drop seeds that you can collect (or leave) to grow new plants in the spring.

What are annuals or perennials?

Simply put, annual plants die in the winter season. You must replant them every year. Perennials come back every year. You only plant them once.

Do annuals flower more than once a year?

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle — seeds, growth, flowering, and death — in a single growing season. Unlike perennials, which regrow year after year, annuals will not return the following spring. … Annuals give maximum garden color and beauty because they bloom continuously throughout the growing season.

Do annuals flower every year?

Annual plants germinate, bloom, set seed and die all in one year. … Everything which lasts longer than two years is perennial, which in practical terms usually means it grows and flowers for many years.

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