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.
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.
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...
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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