Read on to learn more about these two types of garden staples and which plants are right for you.
What’s the Difference Between Annuals and Perennials?
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The preliminary distinction between annuals and perennials is the longevity of the plants.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Common perennial plants includehostas,peonies,columbines, andlupines.
Let’s explore why you should plant such perennials (as opposed to growing all annuals instead).
Some other popular perennials includeyarrow,garden phlox, andconeflower.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Perennials Are Lower-Maintenance
Since they return year after year, growing perennialssaves you some landscape maintenance.
You won’t have to replant the same plants each spring.
However, perennials are not maintenance-free.
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For example, you must remember toclear away the mulchthat has been giving your perennials winter protection each spring.
Planting new annuals year after year can become very expensive.
Likewise, after annuals have largely disappeared from the landscape in fall,hardy mumscan still furnish floral color.
The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak
But annuals and perennials both have their distinct strong points.
There’s room in a garden for annuals, too.
An annual plant dies after a year (or one growing season).
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
New plants may emerge from this seed the following spring or summer.
Reseeding (or “self-seeding”) annuals such asmoss roseoffer a bonus.
This makes annuals easy to work with when designing a mass planting ofbedding plants.
Ready Availability of Annuals Offers Flexibility
Perennial beds require planning.
Factors like the sequence of bloom and mature size are carefully considered.
That’s because perennials are more permanent than annuals.
But with annuals, we feel free to mix and match according to our mood.
If we’re dissatisfied, it’s easy to buy more cheap annuals to make things right.
Since they’ll be dead by fall, there’s no reason to stress over every detail.
So What Are Biennials?
During the first year, the plant grows only foliage.
Using photosynthesis, that foliage makes nutrients, which are stored over winter in the root system.
Others include parsley, an herb that often overwinters,black-eyed Susan,pansy,California poppy, andhollyhock.
Annuals vs. Perennials.University of Vermont.
