Your guide to annual flowers

Annuals are your go-to solution if you’re looking for adaptable plants that will flower quickly and give your garden an instant makeover. Their spectacular colours make annuals the ideal filler for window boxes or flowerbeds. Here's how to choose and care for some popular annual flowers.

An annual plant grows, flowers and dies in the same season. Annuals have many charms, including the fact they come in a myriad of colours and sizes, they’re easy to grow from seed, and they’re readily available and affordable. Unlike perennials, which only bloom for a limited amount of time, annuals will flower all season with proper care. Perennials continue to grow and bloom each year up until maturity, which typically ranges between two to five years depending on the plant.

Here are a few inexpensive “standard” annuals that even first-time gardeners will find success with:

• Pansiescome in some incredibly beautiful colour combinations, and they’re ideal for the front of a bed or pots. The purple combinations are particularly popular.
• Impatienscome in shades of pink, purple, white, and red. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. The taller New Guinea impatiens is quite spectacular.
• Petuniashave been a firm favourite for many years for their many different shades of purple and red. They like full sun to part shade, and they are very drought tolerant.
• Geraniumsare extremely popular for their tolerance to drought and for their long lasting blooms.
• Zinniascome in red, orange, gold, and white. They typically grow 30 to 45 centimetres tall. Plant them in the front of your garden or in containers.

• Soil: Most annuals prefer sun and well-drained soil with a pH reading somewhere in the 6.0 - 7.4 range.
• Choosing your plants: Keep in mind that your annuals will do better if they haven’t yet bloomed when you put them in the ground. Choose annuals carefully, watching for plants that are not too compact or spindly.
• Planting: Annuals are easy to grow from seed, and some can even be started outdoors. Wait until all danger of frost has passed, and plant in the late afternoon if possible. Water the plants and the soil in the bed before planting. Most annuals like at least six to eight hours of sun a day, although many thrive in part shade or filtered sun.
• Fertilizing: Soil enriched with compost will not generally need extra fertilizer.
• Watering: About an inch a week is a good rule of thumb.
• Weeding and pruning: Your annuals will flourish if you weed regularly and remove faded flowers (a practice called deadheading).

Gardening with season-lasting, colourful annuals will help you make the most of your outdoor space. Whether you’re looking to add colour to your garden, hanging baskets or patio planters, annuals with their long blooming season are the ideal choice.