Annuals provide great colour, form, and texture to any garden. Unlike Perennials which blooms for a limited amount of time, Annuals will flower continuously (with the proper care) until the frost hits. There are so many annuals to choose from; whether you plant a few or a lot, you will never be bored.

Selecting Annuals

• Determine your light exposure in the areas you intend to plant in.
• Choose your colour scheme. This will determine what you grow from seed or purchase.
• Determine height and spread of the plants you want so you will know how many to buy. Annuals can be tiered in the garden from tall at the back to short in the front.
• Annuals are great for container gardening.

Tall Annuals for Sun

• Canna Lilies - are available with tropical-looking green, deep purple, or variegated foliage. Flower colours range from red, pink, yellow, or orange. Canna Lilies are bold and dramatic especially when combined with Dahlias.
• Sunflowers - are easily grown from seed or plant. There are many new cultivars available (including shorter ones) with colours other than yellow.
• Cleome or Spider Flower - a robust annual and vigorous self-seeders.
• Cosmos - popular for their wispy, delicate foliage and single white, pink, rose, and crimson blooms. Great cut flower and very easy to grow.
• Brazilian Verbena - a see-through type of plant that weaves itself beautifully through others, stands up well without slumping and very heat tolerant. The clusters of purple flowers combine beautifully with many colours.
• Purple Majesty Ornamental Millet - adds strong structure with bronze, corn-like leaves and distinctive seed heads.

Medium Annuals for Sun

• Geraniums - very popular because of their tolerance to heat and drought. Geranium blooms last a considerable amount of time. They are available with upright and trailing habits. Many new Geraniums are available with variegated and deeply lobed leaves as well as pointed spidery flower petals.
• Scented Geraniums - grown mainly for their foliage and have diverse fragrances as rose, nutmeg, and lemon.
• Marigolds and Salvia - will add a bright touch to your garden.
• Snapdragons - available in many bright colours and sizes, including trailing.
• Marguerite Daisies, Tithonia, Felicia, Osteospermum, and Gerbera - display daisy flowers on bushy, upright plants.
• Nicotiana - distinctive for its flat, star-shaped flowers in shades of white, lime-green, pink, and red.
• Angelonia - has bundant flowers are available in purple, blue, pink, bi-colour, and white.
• Deep Purple Heliotrop or Night-Scented Stocks - have beautiful fragrance.
• Pentas - best known for attracting butterflies.

Short Annuals for Sun

• Pansies and Violas - a welcome sight in spring.
• Icicle® Pansies - available in the fall and last until snowfall and start blooming again in early spring.
• Vinca - a compact annual with shiny leaves and flowers that resemble Impatiens.
• Dusty Miller, Ageratum, and Alyssum - ideal for edging.
• Trailing Verbena, Potato Vine, Bidens, Fan Flower, Lotus, Million Bells, Surfina, Wave Petunias, Swan River Daisy, Sanvitalia, Licorice Vine, Bacopa, Launentia and Anagallis - Annuals that spread horizontally or cascade when planted in containers.

Annuals for Hot, Dry, Poor Soil

• Zinnias (available in short, medium and tall sizes), Gazania, Portulaca, Licorice Vine, or Nasturtium - plant these where it seems nothing else will grow.

Annuals for Partial Shade

• Impatiens - perfect in areas with partial shade. They will not flower in heavy shade and will often wilt in hot sun. Individually, they form a domed mound. Together, they can grow to resemble a hedge.
• Fibrous Begonias and Nierembergia - flourish in sun or partial shade. They too grow in a mound and produce masses of flowers all season long.
• Lobelia - prefers morning sun and is either mounding or trailing.
• White Star/Blue Star - two newer cultivars that are heat and drought tolerant.
• Fuchsia - an exotic, delicate look with blooms that resemble a ballerina’s tutu. Colours range from white through pink, rose, lavender, and purple. Prefers cooler temperatures so it’s best to keep it out of the hot afternoon sun.

Annuals for Full Shade

• Tuberous Begonias - produce large, colourful flowers with dark, pointed, green leaves.
• Dragon Wing/Angel Wing Begonias - grow in any light and blossom continuously. These can also be brought indoors.
• Browallia and Wishbone Plants - two more flowering annuals for shady or partial shade conditions.
• Coleus - appreciated for its vibrant foliage, not its flowers.

Exotic Annuals

• Blue Plumbago, Bougainvillea, Mandevilla, Angel’s Trumpet, Brugmansia, Allamanda, Flowering Maple, Hibiscus, and Passionflower - a tropical flavour and all can be overwintered indoors.

How to Grow

• For clay or sandy soil, dig out several centimeters and replace with Parkwood® 3 in 1, extra peat moss, composted cattle manure, compost, or vermiculite.
• Annuals can be started from seed indoors; some can be sown directly into soil in spring. Larkspur, Love-in-a-Mist, Morning Glory, Sweet Pea, and Nasturtium prefer direct sowing.
• You can also purchase started plants in cell packs, 4”, 10” or one-gallon pots.
• Use Parkwood® Transplanter 5-15-5 to get annuals off to a strong start. Then fertilize every 1-2 weeks with Parkwood® Flower Food 15-30-15 to encourage continuous blooming.
• For annuals with larger flowers like Geraniums, Zinnias, Salvia, and Marigolds cut off blooms (deadhead) when they start to fade so the plant won’t go to seed.
• Watch carefully for insects and disease and treat promptly.
• In late fall, pull up spent plants, empty containers, and compost all the disease-free material.