EMBRACING ANNUALS FOR VIBRANT GARDENS

Planting annuals in landscapes and garden beds is a smart way for homeowners and landscapers to enhance curb appeal and boost the overall aesthetic of any outdoor space. Annuals offer vibrant color and variety, blooming throughout the season, which can instantly refresh a garden with minimal long-term commitment. They’re perfect for adding seasonal interest, filling gaps, and complementing perennial plants. Plus, annuals are relatively easy to care for, making them a low-maintenance option for homeowners and a profitable, versatile choice for landscapers looking to provide clients with dynamic, ever-changing landscapes.

ANNUALS

HANGING BASKETS

Annual hanging baskets are a fantastic way to add vibrant color and charm to small spaces, patios, and urban environments. With plants like petunias, geraniums, begonias, and lobelias, they offer bright colors and unique textures while reducing the risk of pests and weeds. These baskets provide seasonal beauty with minimal maintenance, as annuals bloom and fade within a single season, allowing you to refresh your display each year. Perfect for areas needing a focal point, hanging baskets offer a dynamic and low-maintenance way to enhance your outdoor space.

SIMPLE CARE FOR LASTING BEAUTY

Watering: Water regularly—usually once a day during warmer months. Ensure excess water drains to avoid root rot.
Fertilizing: Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks to support vibrant blooms.
Deadheading: Remove spent flowers to encourage new growth and keep your baskets looking fresh.

With proper care, your baskets will bloom from spring through fall, creating a dynamic and colorful display. Annuals are perfect for gardeners of all levels, offering an easy way to enjoy beautiful, long-lasting flowers all season long.

VEGETABLES and HERBS

Annual vegetables and herbs, like tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and cilantro, are perfect for gardeners seeking fresh produce with minimal effort. These fast-growing plants complete their life cycle within a year, offering a variety of flavors and colors. Ideal for small spaces or larger gardens, annuals provide quick harvests and high yields without long-term commitment. They thrive in containers or garden beds, making them easy to grow and maintain, and allow for new varieties each season to enjoy fresh, seasonal flavors.

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TOMATOES
Tomatoes are a versatile and popular vegetable, perfect for adding fresh flavor to salads, sauces, and more. They are easy to grow and thrive in warm weather, making them a great addition to any garden, providing a bountiful harvest throughout the season.

ZUCHINNI
Zucchini grows quickly and produces abundant fruit, making it a must-have for any vegetable garden. Its mild flavor and versatile use in dishes like stir-fries or baked goods make it an essential garden plant, perfect for both novice and experienced gardeners.

PEPPERS
Peppers, from sweet bell varieties to spicy jalapeños, add color, flavor, and heat to any dish. They’re easy to grow in containers or garden beds and are perfect for gardeners looking to spice up their meals with homegrown produce.

BASIL
Basil is an aromatic herb known for enhancing the flavor of Italian and Mediterranean dishes. It’s easy to grow, even in containers, and having fresh basil on hand adds vibrant flavor to your garden and your kitchen all season long.

DILL
Dill is an aromatic herb that adds a tangy flavor to pickles, salads, and fish dishes. It grows quickly and is an excellent addition to any herb garden, attracting beneficial insects while offering a fresh, distinct taste for your culinary creations.

SUN-LOVING

Sun-loving annuals are plants that thrive in full sunlight, blooming brightly and continuously throughout the growing season. These vibrant flowers typically need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day to flourish. Popular choices include marigolds, petunias, zinnias, and geraniums, which add color and texture to gardens, hanging baskets, and containers. These plants are ideal for sunny spots, providing a long-lasting display of beauty until the first frost. As annuals, they complete their life cycle in one growing season, often returning the next year through reseeding.

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MARIGOLD
Marigolds are known for their bright, cheerful flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. They are hardy plants that can tolerate heat, drought, and poor soil conditions, making them perfect for sunny garden spots. They also act as natural pest repellents, especially against aphids and mosquitoes.

PETUNIA
Petunias come in a variety of colors, including purple, pink, red, white, and even striped varieties. They have large, trumpet-shaped flowers and can be grown in garden beds, hanging baskets, or containers. Petunias bloom profusely throughout the summer and require minimal care, only needing regular deadheading to encourage more blooms.

ZINNIA

Zinnias are known for their vibrant, daisy-like flowers in colors such as pink, red, orange, yellow, and white. They are great for adding a pop of color to gardens or containers and are especially attractive to pollinators like butterflies and bees. Zinnias thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and they’re also resistant to many common garden pests and diseases.

GERANIUM

Geraniums have rounded, often fragrant flowers that bloom in shades of red, pink, white, and purple. These plants are typically grown in hanging baskets or as bedding plants and are perfect for adding a touch of elegance to patios or garden borders. Geraniums are known for their long-lasting blooms, drought tolerance, and resistance to pests, making them ideal for both beginner and experienced gardeners.

SHADE-LOVING

Shade-loving annuals are perfect for areas with limited sunlight, such as under trees or along the north side of buildings. These plants thrive in low-light conditions and often have vibrant foliage or delicate blooms that brighten up shaded spots. While they may require a bit more attention in terms of watering, shade annuals can bring beauty and color to otherwise dull areas in the garden.

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IMPATIENS

Impatiens are a popular choice for shaded spaces, offering a wide range of bright flower colors like pink, red, white, and purple. They thrive in the shade and can be used in garden beds, containers, or hanging baskets, creating a cheerful display in low-light areas.

COLEUS

Coleus is valued for its striking foliage that comes in a variety of colors, including red, purple, and green. Coleus can tolerate some sun but does particularly well in shade, adding bold color and texture.

BEGONIA

Begonias are known for their beautiful, waxy leaves and vibrant blooms in shades of pink, white, and red. Begonias not only thrive in the shade but also offer long-lasting blooms throughout the season.

LOBELIA

Lobelia adds a delicate touch to shaded gardens with its small, bright flowers in blue, purple, or white. This plant is perfect for hanging baskets or as a border plant, providing a burst of color in shady corners.

LOW-MAINTENANCE

Low-maintenance annuals are perfect for gardeners seeking beautiful blooms with minimal effort. These hardy plants are easy to grow, requiring little attention beyond basic watering and occasional feeding. Many of these annuals thrive in a variety of conditions, from full sun to partial shade, and they are generally resistant to pests and diseases.

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SNAPDRAGON

Snapdragons are hardy, colorful flowers that thrive in full sun to partial shade. They are easy to grow and require minimal care once established, providing vertical height and a variety of colors to any garden.

SWEET ALYSSUM

Sweet alyssum is a ground-hugging annual that produces clusters of tiny, fragrant white, pink, or purple flowers. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and is drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance gardens.

CALIFORNIA POPPY

California poppies are known for their vibrant orange flowers and thrive in full sun and poor soil, making them incredibly easy to grow. They are drought-tolerant and self-seed, so they often return year after year with little intervention.

POLLINATOR ATTRACTORS

Annual pollinators are vibrant plants that attract beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Flowers such as lavender, morning glory, nasturtiums, and verbena provide nectar and pollen throughout the season, helping to support local ecosystems. These plants not only brighten gardens but also promote pollination for fruits and vegetables, making them a valuable and eco-friendly addition.

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NASTURTIUMS

Nasturtiums are rich in nectar and have brightly colored flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Their simple, open blooms allow easy access for pollinators, while their trailing habit offers ground-level or hanging options for them to visit. They also thrive in poor soil, making them a hardy choice for gardens.

VERBENA

Verbena produces clusters of small, vibrant flowers that are particularly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Its long bloom time and abundance of nectar make it an appealing food source throughout the season. The flowers' open structure and the plant’s habit of attracting multiple pollinators at once make it a standout for creating a pollinator-friendly garden.

MORNING GLORY

Morning Glories feature trumpet-shaped flowers that are especially appealing to hummingbirds, which are drawn to their bright colors and tubular shape. While bees and butterflies also visit morning glories, their nectar is especially accessible to hummingbirds. These plants often bloom early in the morning, providing a fresh source of nectar to pollinators at the start of their day.