Annual vs. Perennial Plants: Your Garden Guide

New to gardening? One of the first lessons you’ll need to learn is the difference between annual and perennial plants. After all, you don’t want to plant what you assume are multi-year flowers only to have an empty garden on your hands the next year. In this article, we’ll explore annual vs perennial plants. We’ll explain what each type of plant is, share our favorites, and show you how to combine annuals, perennials, and even biennials to create a truly spectacular garden.

Perennial vs. Annual Plants: What’s the Difference?

In a nutshell, annual plants bloom for just a single season and don’t return. On the other hand, perennials return for at least two years and do not need to be replanted year after year. While some perennial flowers last only a few years, others can thrive for decades.

When it comes to annuals vs. perennials, no one type of flower or plant is better than the other. Instead, the savvy gardener uses each type's best features to create a dynamic garden.

Annual Flowers: How to Use Them in Your Garden

Here today, gone next season, annual flowers represent the finite beauty of life. While you may wonder whether annuals are worth the effort, we definitely think so. One of the best things about annuals is that they tend to bloom longer and brighter than perennials. This makes them a wonderful centerpiece for your seasonal garden.

Annuals also allow you to get creative with your garden. By choosing different flowers each year, you can change the color, texture, and character of your garden, turning it into a unique space every season.

While the right care steps for annuals will depend on the specific varieties you choose and your growing region, in most cases, you should plant them after the last frost of spring. Many varieties do best with indoor seeding, but you can find varieties that allow direct sowing into the soil.

Popular Annuals

Some of our favorite and most popular annuals include:

• Petunias
• Marigolds
• Zinnias
• Impatiens
• Cosmos
• Snapdragons
• Geraniums
• Begonias
• Pansies
• Sunflowers

Perennial Flowers: How to Use Them in Your Garden

Reliable and steady, perennial flowers will show up for you again and again. While not usually as long-blooming or vibrant as live-hard-die-young annuals, perennials can be more efficient and cost-effective in the long run. They aren’t completely “set it and forget it,” but they typically require very little maintenance. Another reason we love perennials is that many are pollinator-friendly, meaning they’ll attract butterflies and bees to your garden and help support the local ecosystem. Their deep root systems can also help prevent soil erosion.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all perennials can survive harsh winters, which run the risk of freezing their roots. Perennials do best in warmer climates with more gentle winters. Perennials can usually be planted directly into soil in the spring or fall when temperatures are cooler.

Popular Perennials

These are just a few of our favorite perennials:

• Daylilies
• Coneflowers
• Peonies
• Blanket flowers
• Hostas
• Black-eyed Susans
• Salvia
• Russian sage
• Lavender
• Shasta daisies

What Are Biennials?

If you head to a local garden center or nursery, you might discover flowers and plants described as biennials. These special plants have a two-year life cycle. In the first year, they’ll establish themselves, developing roots, stems, and leaves. You won’t see any blooms, though. Biennials save that for the second year. At that time, they produce their flowers and then die.

Many gardeners layer their biennials so one plant is blooming while the other is getting situated for their big reveal the following year.

Popular Biennials

Looking to add some biennials to your garden? Try these:

• Foxgloves
• Hollyhocks
• Forget-me-nots
• Sweet Williams
• Canterbury bells
• Evening primrose

Growing Your Garden with Annuals, Perennials, and Biennials

You don’t have to choose between annuals, perennials, and biennials in your garden. You can use all three types of plants to create a colorful and ever-changing landscape. Plant perennials as your flagship flowers that provide the color and texture base of your garden. Use annuals and biennials as your focal points to extend your garden’s blooming season. You can also use annuals to fill in gaps in your garden or to add color to a section of first-year biennials.

Get creative. Combine annuals, perennials, and biennials in complementary or contrasting color schemes to design a visually striking garden. There’s really no limit to what you can achieve.

Need Help Planning Your Garden?

Even when you understand perennial vs. annual plants, designing your garden can be challenging. You’ll need to find the right balance between annuals, perennials, and biennials, providing the right care for each type of flower.

Don’t have the time or desire to become a garden maestro? Contact us at The Grounds Guys®. You’ll find our knowledgeable, experienced teams throughout the United States, ready to help you with every step of the gardening process, from design and planning to color care and bed maintenance. Our teams are reliable, communicative, and respectful of your property. That’s our Neighborly Done Right Promise™ to you.

When reflecting on annual vs perennial plants, you are likely to find that every flower has a place in your garden, and you can count on The Grounds Guys to take excellent care of each one. Request a free estimate for our services today!