The main reason we use annual plants in our Northern Virginia landscapes is that they grow vigorously, bloom prolifically and are versatile. That’s a pretty good reason. In addition to flowering annuals, there are many non-flowering annuals that like shade and present a show of colorful foliage.
At Surrounds we use annuals to supplement your permanent garden plants in two ways:
- as bedding plants to provide continuous bloom, fill bare spots and brighten up borders
- in containers, hanging baskets and window boxes to place accent color at entrances or to provide focal points on patios.
In addition, annuals are great for arrangements of cut flowers or dried flowers. Thoughtful use of annual flowers can help get your garden off to a strong start, bringing early-season color into your landscape while you wait for the perennials to come back to life. Unlike most flowering trees and shrubs which bloom in early spring or summer, annual plants bloom continuously through the entire summer.
The difference between annual and perennial plants
Perennials come back year after year. They reproduce through seed, but, more importantly, the parent plant comes back from the roots as well. An annual is a one year plant that reproduces through seed only. The parent plant will bloom all season, finish its life cycle and die. It rarely comes back.
Most annuals are heat tolerant and will produce flowers non-stop throughout the summer. Perennials stop flowering in the heat of summer. They flower then go to seed. However, you can push perennials to flower again during the season if you cut them back.
You could think of annuals as temporary guests in the garden, here for the high season and then gone. Think of your landscape as an art gallery. Just as art museums curate permanent galleries and supplement with touring exhibitions, you can use temporary flowers and plants to bring new vigor and visual spice to your permanent landscape.
Growers continuously develop new cultivars that solve common problems in garden design. We are always seeking colorful annuals that are deer resistant, drought tolerant, and new varieties that thrive in those hard to grow shady parts of your yard.
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Planting beds or containers?
Annuals can be used in planting beds to fill in where perennials leave off. Sometimes when we design a landscape we leave bedding areas open in the permanent garden for seasonal rotations of annuals.
You probably have art objects inside your house. Plant containers are outdoor art, and they express the artistic flair of your garden care crew.
In addition, container arrangements offer the advantage of being “mobile”. You can move them around to bring colors and fragrance close to your dining patio or pool deck or to liven up an entry or walkway. The style and colors of the containers themselves add to the effect. And, unlike an arrangement of cut flowers, a grouping of annuals lasts all summer and into the fall if properly cared for.
Normally, we position six or seven planters around a landscape. There’s usually a foliage theme or a color theme that ties everything together. We meet with our clients early in the season to create our planting plan.
Sun or shade?
Both. Some annuals thrive on full sun, others love the shade. This is one characteristic of annuals that makes them so versatile in the garden. Here is a shortlist of some popular shade-loving and sun-loving annuals that bloom in summer.
Annuals for Full Sun
Lantana
Lantana loves full sun. It’s deer resistant and comes in different forms: mounding, tall, small (for containers), as well as trailing and weeping forms. It attracts lots of pollinators, especially butterflies, and comes in many different colors
Vinca
Vinca is a sun lover. Typically produces a periwinkle-like flower that comes in many colors. Deer hate it. It is drought and heat tolerant.
Mandevilla
Very colorful and showy. It is tropical like hibiscus and bird of paradise. It is one of those house plants that bloom brighter when you keep them outside. But take care where you place it. Mandevilla is NOT DEER RESISTANT.
Petunias and Verbena
These are trailing plants that will spill gracefully over the edge of a container. New cultivars are more compact and show off many more blossoms. The more sun they get, the more profusely they bloom.
Annuals That Like Shade
Begonia
A shade loving plant. ‘Angel wing’ is a favorite cultivar of ours. It displays interesting leaf shapes. There are many types of begonia to choose from. It’s best to put them in containers well out of reach of deer!
Browallia
Fills a hard to fill category: a shade plant that blooms in full shade – and is deer resistant. Deer tend to love eating shade plants but not browallia. It comes in purple and white.
Coleus
The foliage can be as vibrant and colorful as some flowers. With just a dash of morning sun, Coleus will be happy all day in the shade.
Which annual plants do well together in containers?
When your designer selects plants to group together, they do so with a knowledge of what each plant needs to be sure they are compatible.
For example, potato vine is a prolific grower with a tendency to dominate. You have to keep after it and cut it back. Otherwise, it will overtake the neighboring plants. In terms of moisture, petunias need more. Other plants will start to wilt if they get too much water.
Do annuals require different care or more intensive care than perennials?
Annual plants need amended soil and regular fertilization, and that sort of care is included in most of our landscape maintenance and garden care services. We treat them with fertilizer every two weeks. This keeps them full of energy to support growth and continuous blooming. On the other hand, perennials get two fertilizations per year.
Your planting containers are like mini landscape environments that need to be fertilized, pruned, dead-headed and professionally cared for just like the rest of your landscape.
Spring, Summer & Fall Color
To sum it up for you, supplement your permanent garden with annual plants to enhance color in every season. This will provide options in spring, summer and fall to:
- see more color in early spring
- fill beds with lush, fast-growing annual plants
- maintain color throughout the growing season
- change the color scheme as the seasons change
- brighten entries, driveways, walkways, and patios with annual flower and foliage arrangements
If you don’t have a garden design plan, our garden management experts can help you develop one. We’d be glad to design container plantings and evaluate your permanent gardens for enhancement opportunities. Schedule a consultation with one of our garden managers to set up a time to talk.
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