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If you want bold colors and instant beauty, annuals are the answer! Although annuals live for only one growing season and don’t come back the following year, they offer plenty of drama. For starters, they continue to bloom from planting to hard frost, so you’ll enjoy them for months and months. They are also cheap and allow you to change your garden design or container plantings every year.
While perennials come back for many years, they only bloom for a few weeks each season. They also take a few years to get established, so that means they look a little lackluster when first planted. But when you plant annuals and perennials in your garden, you have the best of both worlds: Instant impact and color and long-term plantings for a well-rounded design.
Your annuals will do best if you fertilize them regularly. Use a granular extended release type, which works for up to three months, or a liquid fertilizer every time you water. The flowers in pots and containers, from which the nutrients are absorbed more quickly, especially benefit from fertilizers to enhance their flowering power and keep them throughout the season.
Ahead, our top picks for the best annuals for your garden:
If you want bold colors and an instant impact in your garden, annual flowers are the answer. For starters, they can beautify yours small garden and return something landscape from drab to fab! They also attract butterflies and others pollinators to bring new life to your garden. Another reason to plant annuals this year? They are relatively budget friendly so change up your garden design or container plantings every year!
While annual plants only last one season in the garden, they are a great addition perennial, which returns for many years. Annuals provide color right away, while perennials take a few years before they really show. In fact, most perennials look a little lackluster when first planted. That’s why you should plant both yearly and perennial in your garden. The result will be a well-rounded garden design!
Keep in mind that your annuals will do better if you fecundate them regularly. Use an extended-release granular fertilizer, which works for up to three months, or a liquid fertilizer every time you water. It is particularly important to use fertilizers if you plant your annual flowers in pots and containers, since the nutrients tend to leach more quickly. This will help boost their flowering power and keep them going throughout the season. Now double check yours hardiness zone of the plant and then pull on yours gardening gloves to plant our top picks for the best annuals for your garden!
Marigold
Marigolds are some of the hardiest annuals around. They come in cheerful shades of yellow, orange, apricot and cream, and can grow to a height of 6 to 18 inches tall. They have been popular for decades because they are hardy and drought tolerant once established.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Begonia
There are many varieties of begonias, but all bloom profusely in shades of pink, white and red. The winged leaf types are especially stunning. Begonias prefer part sun to full shade, depending on the variety.
Sun exposure: full shade to part sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 10
Sweet Alyssum
This low-growing, sweetly scented annual comes in pink, purple and white. It is beautiful falling from vases, window boxes, and hanging baskets, and pollinators love it! It will also tolerate a light breeze or two.
Sun exposure: part of the sun to the sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Angelonia
Often called summer snapdragon, angelonia comes in upright or cascading forms in white, pink, yellow, peach, purple and bicolor varieties. Its small flowers look like dandelion flowers, but it withstands heat better.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
sunflower
One of the easiest flowers to grow from seed, sunflowers it can reach anywhere between a foot to over 10 feet tall! Pollinators love their late-season flowers, and they come in many shades besides sunny yellow, including pink, burgundy and chocolate.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Ammi
Ammi is a little-known annual that resembles the street flower, Queen Anne’s lace. Its frilly flowers appear on long stems, and make beautiful cut flowers. It is easy to grow from seed.
Sun exposure: part of the sun to the sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Think purple
The happy, little faces of pansies and violets prefer cooler weather, so they do best in spring and fall. Give them full sun, although they will survive in the heat of summer if they have some shade in the afternoon.
Sun exposure: part of the sun to the sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10
Petunia
Petunias are an old favorite that come in every color imaginable from white to pink to purple, and some even have stripes! They are a preferred pollinator. Newer types don’t need to be dead, or have had the flowers removed, to bloom all summer.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
cup
Also called firecracker plant for its bright orange cigar-shaped flowers, this annual is irresistible to hummingbirds. Cuphea does not mind the heat, even in the middle of summer. Give cuphea its own container because it has a tendency to take over.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11
Lobelia
Lobelia has delicate white, purple or pink flowers that drape nicely from baskets and window boxes. However, they do not like the heat. When the temperature is still in the high 70s, it becomes leggy. Trim it back and it can revive in the fall.
Sun exposure: full shade to part sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa looks like petunia, but it is a different plant. The little trumpet-shaped flowers bloom and bloom, and you never have to deadhead to keep the flowers coming. It’s available in stunning, saturated colors from hot pink to orange, and everything in between. Hummingbirds love this plant!
Sun exposure: part of the sun to the sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
Torenia
Torenia is another hummingbird favorite with its tubular flowers in pink, white or purple with a white throat. It looks beautiful falling out of window boxes.
Sun exposure: full shade to partial shade
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Zinnia
Zinnia is easy to grow from seed and comes in many different colors from lime green to hot pink. It is a pollinator magnet and has a long flowering life, from the beginning of summer to the first frost.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Cosmos
The long and elegant stems of the cosmos are tall and add beauty to the back of the borders. Cosmos also makes a wonderful cut flower. They are easy to grow and low maintenance.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Browallia
Also called a purple bush or amethyst flower, these purple and pink flowers of this lesser known flower appear on mountain plants. They are a great disease resistant alternative to impatiens.
Sun exposure: from partial shade to full shade
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
Snapdragon
Snapdragons come in beautiful shades of pink, white, salmon, red and yellow. Its upright flower spikes also make a stunning bouquet. It does not matter a little cold because they can be planted before the season for a long period of flowering.
Sun exposure: part-shade to the sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 11
Nasturtium
Nasturtium is super-easy to grow from seed (soak the seeds overnight to speed up germination). Its beautifully rounded leaves and brightly colored flowers have a vining habitat, so you can help it grow a trellis or let it fall on garden beds. Fun fact: The flowers and leaves are edible and add a spicy kick to salads and cocktails.
Sun exposure: part of the sun to the sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Cornflower
The cute tufted flowers of cornflower come in blue and pink, and make a great cut flower. They are great for pollinators too! Deadheading will extend its blooming season.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Purslane
This low-growing succulent has beautiful, bright flowers that only last a day, but the plants bloom non-stop. They are ideal for hot and dry areas, although they will grow in many areas if cared for.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 12
Fan Flower
Fan flowers, or scaevola, have flowers in pink, white or purple. They are a great plant in mixed containers because they spread to the sides for maximum impact. If you live in warm climates, they will be a wonderful addition.
Sun exposure: full sun
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
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