Good Annuals for Flowerbeds
Annual plants for flowerbeds sprout, set seed and perish in 12 months or less. Summer annuals burst from their seed in spring and winter annuals germinate in autumn. Many garden plants commonly grown as annuals in climates with freezing winter temperatures are actually perennials – plants that live for more than two years. Native to warm weather climates, these plants die when exposed to frosty temperatures. To create an eye-catching display in your flowerbed, plant annuals in clusters.
Semi-hardy annuals calendula (Calendula officinalis) and bachelor's buttons (Centaurea cyanus and Gomphrena globosa; two different species share the common name) can typically tolerate a light frost. You can sow the seeds indoors in early February and transplant them to flowerbeds when the weather begins to warm in March. Calendula resists deer and begets edible flowers in fiery orange or yellow. With all the colors of bachelor's buttons blossoms to choose from, including pink, white and purple, it’s easy to fit these annuals into your color scheme. They also make attractive dried flowers.
Annuals For Direct Seeding
Early spring is the right time to sow the seeds of certain annuals directly into your flowerbed. Dwarf toadflax (Linaria maroccana) is a good addition to a butterfly garden site featuring full sun to light shade. This annual bears butterfly-attracting flowers in a variety of colors, including yellow and pink, which resemble little snapdragons. The five-petaled flowers of corn cockle (Agrostemma githago) come in a variety of colors spanning white to purple. This annual is easy to grow and sprouts tall stems, which add vertical interest to your bed.
Tender Annuals to Attract Wildlife
When the soil warms and all danger of frost has passed, it’s time to plant tender annuals that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Even in clay soil, African marigold (Tagetes erecta) gives an abundance of fragrant flowers in whitish, golden-yellow and orange. Zinnia (Zinnia spp.), which remarkably comes in every color except blue and brown, prefers rich, evenly moist soil and good air circulation to prevent fungal disease. Both annuals are easy to grow and deadheading helps them produce the most flowers.
Annuals With Daisy-Like Flowers
Melampodium (Melampodium divaricatum) and Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) are annuals that bestow daisy-like flowers and love sunny places. The small but showy yellow flowers on melampodium sit atop purple stems. This annual favors consistently moist soil that dries out occasionally. For larger bicolor flowers in yellow and red that attract both birds and butterflies, choose Indian blanket. It fancies sandy soil, tolerates poor soil and might reseed itself for next year.
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Marin Master Gardeners: Easy Seeding Spring Annuals
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Gaillardia Pulchella
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Melampodium Divaricatum
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Sonoma County Master Gardeners: Seeding Annuals for Early Bloom
- Cornell University Home Gardening: Calendula
- Texas A&M University: The Southern Garden: Gomphrena Globosa, Bachelor's Buttons
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Marin Master Gardeners: Weed Identification
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Tulare/Kings Counties: Annual and Perennial Flowers for Year Round Color
- University of Missouri Extension: Flowering Annuals - Characteristics and Culture
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Tagetes Erecta
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