Long-Enduring Annual Blossoms for Continuous Blooms Throughout the Year
In the world of gardening, few things are more delightful than a garden bursting with colour and life. For those seeking to keep their gardens blooming all season long, there are a variety of annual flowers that fit the bill. Here are some long-lasting annuals that ensure continuous garden colour:
Petunias
These charming flowers bloom from early spring through the first frost, provided they receive moist, acidic soil, regular watering, and deadheading. However, they are not the best choice for extreme heat conditions.
Pansies
Ideal for cooler weather, pansies are planted in early spring and continue to bloom until summer. They then reappear in the fall and even past the first snowfall.
Verbena
Thriving in hot weather, verbena requires 8-10 hours of sun, well-drained soil, and moderate watering. Pruning encourages even more blooms all summer.
Lantana
Heat- and drought-tolerant once established, lantana blooms in shades of pink, red, peach, and white. It is perfect for full sun and boasts a long bloom season.
Marigold
Easy to grow and with bright orange/yellow blooms, marigolds bloom all summer and are heat-tolerant.
Portulaca (Moss Rose)
This hardy plant thrives in poor soil and heat, producing brightly coloured, ruffled flowers that bloom continuously.
Sweet Alyssum
Low-growing and honey-scented, sweet alyssum attracts pollinators and blooms into late fall.
By combining these flowers, gardeners can enjoy a continuous and vibrant display in their gardens all season long. Many of these flowers benefit from deadheading and proper watering, and in warmer climates, some may even behave like perennials, extending their bloom period.
For those interested in plants that last beyond one season, perennials such as asters are recommended, though they are not annuals.
Serena Manickam, a freelance editor, writer, and sustainable market gardener in rural Virginia, shares her expertise. She holds a BA in environmental science and runs Fairydiddle Farm, a small market garden where she grows no-spray produce and herbs to sell at a local farmer's market.
Two other flowers worth mentioning are Creeping Zinnia and False Heather. Creeping Zinnia, native to the dry, rocky hills of Mexico and Guatemala, is drought-tolerant and prefers well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter and full sun. False Heather thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, though it tolerates drought, salt, and many soil types. It produces tiny, lavender-pink flowers that bloom profusely throughout the summer and until frost, growing to two feet tall and wide.
Annual Phlox, a Texas native, is drought-tolerant and thrives in full to part sun and well-drained, preferably sandy, soil. Garden Coreopsis boasts unique, fiery flowers with golden petals that bleed into a reddish base and a reddish-purple center. Adding purple and red colours to your garden can help achieve a colour blend that makes your yard feel vibrant.
- Serena Manickam, a sustainable market gardener, suggests considering the creeping zinnia for gardens, as it is native to dry and rocky regions and thrives in full sun and well-draining soil with organic matter.
- False Heather, another flower worth mentioning, grows well in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, although it tolerates drought, salt, and various soil types, producing tiny lavender-pink flowers that bloom profusely throughout the summer and until frost.
- For home-and-garden enthusiasts looking for plants that last beyond one season, perennials such as asters are recommended; however,asters are not annuals.
- The annual phlox, a Texas native, is drought-tolerant and thrives in full to part sun and well-drained, preferably sandy, soil.
- Garden Coreopsis, with its unique, fiery flowers that have golden petals bleed into a reddish base and a reddish-purple center, can add purple and red colors to gardens, helping achieve a vibrant color blend in yards.
