Here ’s how to decide if annuals or perennials tally best with your gardening goals .
Kritsada Panichgul
As you head out to your local garden centre or greenhouse , thearray of flower shape and colorscan sometimes be overwhelming . When deciding which peak to buy , it helps to know that some flowers are annuals , meaning they will only bloom for one time of year and will need to be replaced the next yr . Other bloom are perennials that will come back year after year . There are pros and con of each character of plant , but here are a few affair to keep in mind as you decide which implant to buy this season .
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
Linda Vateris theauthor ofA Year of Garden - Inspired Livingand a garden expert for Southern Living Plant Collection .
Know Your Hardiness Zone
Before you head out to the garden store , be for sure youknow your hardiness zona . The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map can help you figure out what garden geographical zone you live in and which perennial will spring up well in your zone . You ’ll find that most perennial plant at your local greenhouse will have a tag that lists which zones the plant is best befit for . prime that are perennial in warmer geographical zone can still be planted in cold areas , but they will die when temperature get too cold and wo n’t come back the following year .
Benefits of Annuals
sate your garden with annual flowers offers the following reward over choosing perennial .
Long time of year of blossom . Annual bloom , which complete their life wheel in one season , can produce scores of blooms over several month or calendar week . Many annuals , such aspetunias , zinnias , geraniums , andbegonias , can bloom from previous spring into early fall , furnish abundant color throughout the gardening season .
Quick color . yearly are often already blooming when you bribe them , “ so you may have showing - ready flora faster than with many perennial , ” say Linda Vater , generator ofA Year of Garden - animate Livingand garden expert for Southern Living Plant Collection . “ They ’re neat for done - in - a - daytime projects when company is coming , and you need to make those porch planters andwindow boxesshine in a rushing . ”
Short - term committal . Because they only last for one season , annual allow you to try out raw color schema and garden designs without any long - term commitments . Use them to fill bare spots in an existing garden bed , until you have an idea about what plant life you want to put there permanently or until you have the fund to purchase a large industrial plant . annual are also a popular choice forcontainer gardensthat are exchange out each year .
Less expensive . Although annuals are usually garish than perennial , you ’ll demand to purchase new annuals each twelvemonth , so you ’ll bear less now but more over sentence .
Benefits of Perennials
While annuals cater instant color , perennials pop the question several benefit for a beautiful , class - round garden .
farsighted - term additions . Unlike unawares - lived annual , perennials subsist for many year . Because of their long lifespan , perennials are popular selection for flower bottom centerpieces .
Cost - effective . Although they ’re usually pricier than annuals , perennials offer a better long - terminal figure investment since you wo n’t have to supplant them each year . When choosing perennial for your garden , remember that certain perennial know much longer than others .
Year - round interest . Some semi - woodsy and woody perennial industrial plant can provide yr - round interest in the garden . “ If four - season involvement is a priority , look for out perennials that offerevergreen foliageor interesting branch structure , ” Vater says .
Save urine . Another benefit of perennial is that once they ’re established in the garden , they often involve less piss than annuals , meaning they canhelp cut down on body of water usage . Choosing perennial that are native to your country can also help you minify water chores .
Mixing Annuals and Perennials
Although there are pro and sting for both annuals and perennial , the most striking gardens are likely to let in both in their excogitation . Planting yearly and perennials in your flower bed can give you the best commixture of profuse blooms and long - full term structure . Tuck smaller annuals in betweentaller perennialsto fill in bare spots and add supererogatory colour .
“ Texturally rich foliage from perennial look terrifying in the circumstance of showy blooms fromseasonal annuals , ” Vater pronounce . “ And smaller annuals benefit from the ocular volume of expectant , established perennial when planted together . ”
To seamlessly weave annuals into a perennial seam , assay to include them in more than one spot . If propagate throughout the garden , their bright colors will move your eye through the outer space rather than just visit care to a single area .
