Popular varieties of annuals for the home garden

Annuals are among the most popular types of plants, and they are attractive to all levels of gardeners, from the first time gardener to the most experienced.  Annuals certainly have much to recommend them, including beautiful blooms, bright vibrant colors, low cost and hardiness.

What sets annuals apart from other types of flowers is that they complete their entire life cycle in a single growing season.  That means they grow from seed, bloom, set seed and die all within a single season.  This of course means that annuals must be planted anew every year, but the gardener is rewarded for his or her hard work by a garden full of beautiful blossoms.

This article focuses on some of the most popular varieties of annuals for the home garden.

Pansies

Pansies do their best when they are planted in an area that receives full sunlight.  Pansies should also be planted in tight masses, and they are often used as border or bedding plants.  Pansies prefer a rich and well drained soil, and it is a good idea for the gardener to cultivate the area around the plants.

Primroses

Primroses are not true annuals, but they are treated as such by gardeners.  Primroses are actually perennials, but most gardeners grow them as annuals and replant them every year.  Primroses do their best in a well drained soil.  Some types of primroses prefer full sunlight, while others prefer to have partial shade.  The staff at your local garden center can advise you on which varieties do best in full sun and which ones prefer the shade.

Impatiens

Impatiens are one of the most popular varieties of annuals, and their tolerance for shade makes them a perfect choice for almost any area of the garden.  Impatiens do best in either shade or filtered sunlight, and they like a quick draining soil containing plenty of organic material.  If you are planting impatiens from nursery packs, it is important to loosen the root ball carefully and to place each plant in a rich potting soil, being sure not to cover the crown of the plant.

Impatiens should be watered well after they are planted.  After that initial watering, however, the gardener should wait until the first two inches of the soil has dried out before rewatering.  In addition, no fertilizer should be given until the plants have begun to grow.

Marigolds

Marigolds are one of the most popular of the sun loving annuals.  These plants are easy to care for, and they provide dependable blooms when provided with good care.  Marigolds need a well drained soil in order to do well. 

The color varieties of marigolds is one of their best known features.  The colors of marigolds range from white, yellow, orange and red, in addition to all possible combinations of the four.  The height of marigolds varies as well, from a few inches to a few feet.

In addition to their beauty, many gardeners believe that marigolds are able to repel common garden pests, and they are often planted new vegetable gardens for this reason.

Verbenas

Verbenas are also annuals that love the sun.  In addition, verbenas need hot weather in order to thrive, so they should be planted in the warmest parts of the garden, and the ones that get the most sunlight.

The Madagascar periwinkle

Madagascar periwinkles look somewhat like impatiens, and they are often used as fillers in very sunny parts of a bed of impatiens.  These periwinkles bloom through the summer and into the fall season, and they come in a variety of pink and white shades.