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You know, as a new gardener, one of the first things you learn is the difference between annuals and perennials. Perennials stick around for at least three years, while annuals only live for one season. So, getting annuals to come back year after year might seem impossible. But here’s the thing – just because an annual plant dies after each growing season doesn’t mean the species is gone for good. Annuals have a sneaky strategy to keep their kind alive, a lot like those pesky mosquitoes or fruit flies. They live fast and produce tons of offspring that pop up the following year, looking just like their parents. With all those seeds, you can get annuals to return with minimal effort on your part.
There are so many lovely annual flowers that can brighten up your garden. If you choose the right ones, you’ll get maximum beauty with minimum work. Native North American species are already used to the conditions in your area, so the self-seeding native ones are more likely to actually sprout and thrive in your soil compared to those exotic varieties. Just make sure those annuals aren’t so aggressive that they become a real pain to control. Native species can be generous without going overboard. Love Lies Bleeding, for example, produces so many seeds that Native Americans even grew it as a grain. And California poppies? They turn whole hillsides golden in spring and summer – the perfect state flower.
