Here’s how to decide if annuals or perennials fit best with your gardening goals.
Other flowers are perennials that will come back year after year.
Linda Vateris theauthor ofA Year of Garden-Inspired Livingand a garden expert for Southern Living Plant Collection.
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
Benefits of Annuals
Filling your garden with annual flowers offers the following advantages over choosing perennials.
Annuals are also a popular choice forcontainer gardensthat are changed out each year.
Long-term additions.Unlike short-lived annuals,perennials live for many years.
Because of their long lifespan, perennials are popular choices for flower bed centerpieces.
When choosing perennials for your garden, remember that certain perennials live much longer than others.
Year-round interest.Some semi-woody and woody perennial plants can provide year-round interest in the garden.
If four-season interest is a priority, seek out perennials that offerevergreen foliageor interesting branch structure, Vater says.
Choosing perennials that are native to your area can also help you decrease watering chores.
Tuck smaller annuals in betweentaller perennialsto fill in bare spots and add extra color.
Texturally rich foliage from perennials looks terrific in the context of showy blooms fromseasonal annuals, Vater says.
And smaller annuals benefit from the visual volume of larger, established perennials when planted together.
To seamlessly weave annuals into a perennial bed, venture to include them in more than one spot.
