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Great Gardening with Annual Flowers

Somewhere along the way garden snobs tried to convince the public that true gardeners only planted perennial flowers. They turned their noses up at annuals, labeling them as fit only for novice gardeners and "old fashioned." But real gardeners know that annual flowers definitely have a place in modern gardens. Plant growers know it too, and they have produced a wealth of new and improved annual flowers with better disease resistance, better growth habits and longer flowering times.

Annuals, defined as plants that go from seed to seed in one growing season, produce color and texture in the garden, help fill in bare spots while perennial flowers grow and make it easy to change the color and style of a garden from year to year. Here are some tips to using annual flowers like a pro.

Choose the right plant for the right place.

Don't choose your annuals because you are walking through the greenhouse and fall in love with the color. Before shopping make a plan. What do you need the annuals for? Do you just need to add color? Do you need substantial filler in a bed while small perennials grow bigger? Do you want to hide yellowing bulb foliage or fading spring perennials? What are the conditions in your garden beds? Is it a shady, moist area or hot, sunny and dry? How much time do you want to spend on keeping the plants looking nice?

Some annuals need lots of deadheading and pinching back to stay looking nice. Others are non stop bloomers that require little attention. The plant tags and seed packets that accompany annual flowers carry a wealth of information to help you choose the right plants. Size of the mature plant, color, bloom time and cultural needs should all be listed on the packet or tag. Good garden catalogs and garden reference books can also help you make the right choices.

Choose healthy plants

Many annuals can be grown from seed but most gardeners opt to buy transplants when they are available. Look for transplants that look bright green and perky. Wilted plants with browning leaf edges should be avoided. Lanky, spindly plants that look too big for the container should also be avoided.

Younger plants will transplant better and get a good root system growing in their new home. The best transplants will be stocky, with flowers just starting to open or buds. Look for insects on the plant or signs of insect damage or disease. You don't want to bring problems home. Carefully slide the transplant out of the container and look

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