You’ve planted the trees, added some shrubs, and now you are ready for the adventure!  Now you get to add Perennials and Annuals!  The bright pops of color, the diverse foliage and texture and the abundance of fragrance bring your entire landscape together and complete the look and feel of your garden space.

So what is an Annual and what is a Perennial?

We get this question A LOT and rightfully so because it is super easy to confuse the two!  A Perennial is a plant that lives multiple years.  Some varieties have short life spans of just a few years while others can continue on for several decades.  In our Midwest climate, most perennials die back in winter and then grow back the following season.  Depending on the variety, some emerge in spring, some in summer and some in fall.  Some common perennials are Hosta, Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan and Peonies.

An Annual is a garden flower that completes their life cycle in one growing season.  The seed is planted in the spring and the flower grows until it reaches the end of its life cycle which is usually after the first frost in the fall.  Some common annuals are Petunias, Marigolds, Impatiens and Dahlias.

A complete garden space will typically include a mix of both Perennials and Annuals, however there are a couple of reasons someone might chose to plant one over the other.

• Annuals provide color the entire growing season.  Almost all Annuals continue to flower from spring until the first frost.  Most Perennials, however, have a shorter flowering period.  Some will bloom in the spring, others in the summer and there are some that wait until fall to flower.  There are quite a few such as Phlox, Stella d’oro Daylilies, Russian Sage, and Salvia that have long lasting bloom periods.   Some varieties of perennial Catmint will continue to flower for up to 5 months, which in the Midwest, is just a couple of months shy of our entire growing season.
• Annuals die back – roots and all – after the first frost and will need to be replanted each year.  Many perennials, on the other hand, will grow back and even multiply each year.  And as an added bonus, established perennials plants can be divided and split into multiple plants.  This actually helps them perform better by allowing more space for the roots to grow.   As such, Perennials may give you “more bang for your buck”.  See the Plant Care tab for tips on how and when to divide perennials.

However you chose, both Annuals and Perennials will fill your garden space with bright bold blooms and gorgeous greenery throughout the growing season.   Check out our Plant Care tab for more tips on how to chose the best Annuals and Perennials for your landscape.  We have a fantastic selection of Perennials and Annuals for your garden including well-known brands like Proven Winners®, Garden Exclusives, Bailey Nurseries, and BallSeed®.  Click on the Plant Finder to browse a list of Annuals and Perennials best suited for our zone.