What is an Annual?

When diving into the world of gardening and landscaping it is likely that you have heard terms thrown around like perennial or annual. But what do these words mean? Today we will be looking at what an annual is.

An annual is a classification of plant that’s life cycle is completed within one year. That means if you install them in your garden, they will have to be replaced annually- hence their name. Perennials, on the other hand, are a type of plant that has a life cycle of two or more years, meaning they are planted once and come back year after year. Annuals are also typically inexpensive compared to perennials, though they must be replaced more often. Annuals also have a long bloom season and are usually in constant bloom until the winter. Some annuals may be confused for perennials, as there are certain types of self-seeding annuals where each individual plant will die off in the winter, but leave seeds behind that will grow again in the spring. So, although they come back, they are technically new plants.

Some common annuals planted in Massachusetts are:

Impatiens

Impatiens are shade loving annuals that are a great addition to any Massachusetts garden. Impatiens come in a variety of colors including pink, red, white, and purple. These plants are a bit sensitive to heat, so extra attention should be put towards watering them after they are installed. If impatiens are installed in window boxes or container plantings, like any container plantings they will require daily watering, especially if the weather is consistently above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

marigolds

Marigolds are bright and cheery additions to any garden. Marigolds are sun loving annuals that come in yellows, reds, oranges, creams and many combinations of these colors. Marigolds also deter a variety of pests including caterpillars, slugs, whiteflies and mosquitos. Regular deadheading of these plants can keep them blooming well into the fall.

sunflowers

Sunflowers are another common annual in Massachusetts. These cheerful plants prefer to be planted in sunny areas where they can get at least six hours of full sunlight a day. While sunflowers are typically thought of as large plants with large centers and small yellow petals, they can also come in red, cream, orange and combinations of these colors. Sunflowers can also grow up to 15 feet tall!

Zinnias

Zinnias are sun loving annuals that come in pink, purple, yellow, orange, white, red and green. Zinnias first bloom in the late spring or early summer and will keep blooming until the first frost.

Petunias

Petunias are some of the most popular annual flowers as there are several varieties. They come in almost every color except for a true blue and can be solid colored, striped or veined. There are varieties with single or double blooms and can have smooth or ruffled petals. In short, there is likely a petunia out there for everyone. Petunias should be planted in spots where they can get six hours of full sun and spent flowers should be deadheaded to encourage blooms all summer long.

Annuals are a great addition to any garden and can help bring much needed color and visual interest to an outdoor space. However, if you are aiming to have color year-round, it may take some more planning. If the prospect of researching the bloom times of different annuals and trying to create a schedule where your garden in always in bloom seems daunting, consider reaching out to a professional. Here at Perennial Landscape Corporation, we offer an annual bloom program, where we take the headache out of trying to ensure a beautiful garden. We could install pansies in the spring, impatiens in the summer and mums and kale in the fall. Whether you are looking for more color in one season, or all of them, Perennial can help with our annual bloom program.

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Perennial Landscape Corporation

The Quality You Expect and the Service You Deserve

Perennial Landscape Corporation is a family-owned business creating distinguished landscape environments in Winchester, Concord, Lexington, Andover and surrounding Massachusetts areas since 1995.

Perennial Landscape Corporation was named after the category of plants called perennials. Perennials are plants that have a lifespan of two or more years, meaning they come back each year. Just like a perennial, our aim is for you to be able to count on us year after year.

Here at Perennial, we pride ourselves on providing excellent landscaping services and outstanding customer service. Our motto is ” the quality you expect and the service you deserve”. That is the mindset that permeates every aspect of our work.