Choosing Between Annuals and Perennials For Your Garden

Annual or perennial – which should you grow? Learn the basics for choosing between annuals and perennials for your garden in this video by The Home Depot:

Annuals flower all season long until frost sets in and have to be replanted every year. Sometimes plants that are technically perennials in warm climates such as lantana are treated as annuals in colder climates. Annuals produce colorful blooms all season long. Examples include geraniums, impatiens, zinnias, marigolds, pansies and petunias. Cutting annuals such as ageratum, rudbeckia, larkspur, sunflower, cosmos, and wheat celosia make wonderful additions to bouquets and floral arrangement.

Perennials are generally more expensive than annuals but give great return on investment as they live for at least three growing seasons. You can grow them from seed or bulb or buy young plants for spring planting. Their blooming period is typically shorter than that of annuals, so you’ll want to mix perennials that bloom at different times of the year to ensure constant color from spring until fall. Examples include phlox, daylilies, roses, mums, coneflowers and daisies.

Planting both annuals and perennials in your garden can give you color throughout the season. Perennials can serve as the backbone of your garden, saving you time and work, while you can refresh your garden each year by experimenting with different types and colors of annuals.