Introduction
Plant Selection
Hardy, Semi-hardy, Tender
Heat and
Drought Tolerant
Shade Tolerant Annuals
Fragrant Annuals
Ornamental Foliage
Climbing Annuals
Hanging Baskets
Cut Flowers
Planting
Starting Plants
Maintenance
Insects Problems
Disease Problems
Introduction
Plant Selection
Plant Dimension Characteristics
Specific Site Conditions
Classification by Bloom Periods
Perennials That Attract Wildlife
Planting
Starting Plants
Care and Maintenance
Introduction
Plant Selection
Planting Bulbs
Purchasing Bulbs
Care & Maintenance
Introduction
Plant Selection
Mature Size
Grasses for Specific Uses
Planting Ornamental Grasses
Obtaining Plants
Care & Maintenance
Introduction
Container Selection
Soil Mixes
Container Placement
Plant Selection
Plant Care
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Introduction
Annual flowers and foliage plants provide many options for short-term accent and beautification in a landscape. By definition, annuals are those plants that live and bloom for only one year. They die at the end of the growing season and must be replanted or reseed themselves the following season.
In some cases, desirable landscape plants such as impatiens, coleus, and geraniums are
actually tender perennials, meaning they live for many years in warm climates, but cannot survive our Idaho winters. We refer to and treat these plants as annuals in the garden.
The effort and expense of replacing plants each year are one drawback
to using annuals in the garden. However, annuals are unmatched in variety, color, bloom period, and adaptability.
Many can be grown from seed for pennies a plant, There is an annual plant for every situation in the landscape and
all these factors compensates for the extra effort involved in establishment,
removal and replanting. Some annuals, such as cosmos, re-seed freely,
establishing themselves in a garden year after year.
Annual flowers can be used in traditional beds, rock gardens, cutting
gardens, borders, window boxes, containers, and hanging baskets. They add interest and color to architectural features. They can also be used to beautify uninteresting areas in our landscapes or used as screens to hide undesirable features.
Some annuals, like California poppy and sunflower grow in dry, rocky,
shallow areas where little else will grow and bloom.
Your local garden center will likely stock thousands of different
annuals for the garden and containers, and exciting new cultivars are
being released continually.
In this section you'll find a complete guide to selecting, planting, and caring for annual flowers and foliage plants.
Use the links on the left to navigate through a wealth of information.
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