Annual Flowers
This is the starting point for describing how to grow annual flowers. And while all these plants listed here can all be grown from seed, there are some varieties that are only from cuttings. For example, in the impatiens page I mention New Guinea Impatiens and while there is a species, most of the plants you’ll find are only grown from cuttings.
Annual Plant Trials 2008
These are some of the best plants I saw at the Landscape Ontario plant trials in August of 2008. Note that all of these plants would be excellent in container baskets of some kind.
Plant Lists
Acroclinium is a great cut or dried flower and is easy to grow if you don't transplant it.
Ageratum is tricky to start unless you follow these suggestions.
Alyssum is a great ground cover and useful annual (with a great fragrance as well).
Amaranthus is more than a pretty face but let's start with that.
Asters and growing aster flowers are described here.
Cleome are graceful plants but there's a trick to starting them. Here it is.
Datura or Brugmansia as it is now called, is an amazing garden plant. It is poisonous and should be treated with care - but those flower and that fragrance!
Eschscholzia or California Poppies are self-sowing annuals and a delightful color swath across the flower garden.
Geranium (annual geranium) or Pelargoniums are backbone plants for the annual garden and container gardening. Here's the doorway page to taking care - pruning - overwintering - propagating etc.
Impatiens are the queens of the annual shade garden and here's the species you'll find in our gardens and how to grow them. (pictured Impatiens 'Paradise Electric')
Nicotiana is a sweetly scented plant that often self sows in my garden.
Sweet Pea Flowers are some of the sweetest fragrant annuals you can plant.
Questions and Answers
Q&A: How do I propagate sweet potato vine?
Q&A: Is there anything we can do for late season planting in the flower garden?
Got a Question about Annual Flowers?
If you have a question about annual flowers, this is a good place to ask it.
Please understand that I get hundreds of questions every week from readers and I simply can't answer them all. I do my best and print quite a few in my free newsletter
Do give me as many details as possible.
What Other Visitors Have Asked About Annual Flowers
Click below to see questions from other visitors to this page...
Nasturtiums Seeds saved from last years flowers Do you have to remove the pods that cover the nasturtiums seeds before planting. I have been removing all by hand, is the an easier way, OR will they ...
name of the flower?
Could you please tell me the name of the flower in the picture I sent?
This is a dianthus
Brugmansia double white Got that last year, leaf keep turning yellow and falls off.put it out in the summer, and there was a lot of new growth, bought it back in August,and the ...
Starting Petunia Seed I have started Wave Petunias inside and have good germination. My question: How long before the true leaves come out and should I start fertilizing? I ...
first time greenhouse user i am a first time greenhouse user...i have always had a green thumb but i buy my flowers every year for the next summer well this yr i decided to try and ...
Pansies in the South
Is there a type of pansy that can be planted in Spring?
Doug says that all pansies can be planted in spring BUT in Texas, the heat of summer is going ...
white wave petunias and mottle leaves Why do the leaves on only my white wave petunias become a mottled yellow look to the green. I water and fertilize like I'm supposed to but this happens ...
critters eating annuals out of pots but not in the garden For the first time ever, I am having problems with some kind of night time critter (?racoon? or possum? or ????) digging and uprooting all of my annuals ...
sweet peas
In zone 5 when can sweet pea seeds be put into the ground
Doug says that sweet peas can (and should be) sown directly into cool soils. Generally, you'...
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