Annuals in the Garden: Species and Varieties of Annual Flowers (Part 1)

Annuals in the garden-beauty for one season, and how much trouble… it is Necessary to grow seedlings, bring it, plant, feed, water, pinch, and so on. Whether it’s perennials — planted and forgotten, and grow. But will we not impoverish our garden and ultimately our lives? Perhaps all nature is a mosaic of flowers. And without annual plants we do not collect a full mosaic panel.

What are good annuals

Let for one season, but only annuals allow you to create an extravaganza of colors in the flower garden of any style — from strict parterres to the first children’s flower bed on the site of the former sandbox. Young growers will appreciate their ease of cultivation, achievable and predictable result. Many species tolerate transplanting well even in color. There are among them crumbs the size of a palm, and giants-with the average shrub, and indispensable for vertical gardening vines, and bright decorative-deciduous, and plants with a pleasant aroma. They will work in the event that your perennials have not yet entered into force.

And finally-a huge range (the number of varieties of some cultures in the thousands), every year — dozens of new products. Modern varieties and hybrids are extremely rich in colors, they have strong stems, they bloom earlier and longer bloom. The term “variety series” has already become familiar — several varieties of twins, aligned in height, size of flowers and inflorescences, differing only in color.

The flowers that we choose

Let’s start the conversation with bright and lush species grown through seedlings. These plants are more thermophilic and responsive to agricultural activities.

Ageratum houstonianum

Known to us as dolgovato. The most common varieties with undersized inflorescences “branded” blue, but no less interesting and have a different color, and two-color, as well as tall (60-80 cm).

You can use, for example, the beautiful variety series ‘Champion’ F1, which includes blue, pastel pink, purple and white. Even for the extraordinary cornflower I like the hybrid ‘Blue Danube’.

Tagetes

Bright, warm-colored flowers are not only beautiful, but also useful. They decontaminate the soil and help lime the nematode. The most familiar — T. erecta with large inflorescences. Some of the novelties of their diameter reaches 8 and 12 cm, while the height can be as little as 15-30 cm, and even unusual colour. For example, the variety ‘Vanilla’ flower heads creamy white.

T. patula’s size is smaller and the diameter of the inflorescences is smaller, but they take a quantity, unsurpassed tart aroma and a greater “seniority” in our gardens. This species is often two-color varieties. T. tenuifolia, on the contrary, in our market beginners, but landscape designers appreciated their exquisite appearance-a lot of elegant foliage and delicate delicate twigs strewn with numerous small inflorescences.

Heliotropium Peruvian

Now it is rarely grown, and before any decent estate without it could not do.

Modern varieties are painted in a variety of colors, including white, but, of course, the classic — thick purple. As, for example, the ‘Marine’, which has a huge — up to 15 cm in diameter — flower heads.

Callistephus chinensis

It is difficult to imagine a domestic garden without this beloved flower. Callistephus in Greek-it’s just a wreath, though beautiful. We call it the Astra — that is, a star.

As a real star, Astra requires a separate place of honor in the garden, especially since many, too catchy varieties are difficult to fit into the flower garden. Even the shape of its inflorescences in a nutshell can not be described, let alone the list of varieties and their characteristics and say nothing!

Zinnia elegans

This flower has a brave look, dapper and excellent bearing. Zinnia is famous for its pure, bright colors, is among the varieties both cut and tall with large buds and baby.

Z. haageana is usually sold as a mixture called ‘Persian Carpet’. Most likely, two identical plants from a bag will not turn out. New hybrid variety series ‘Profusion’ F1 combines the compactness of Zinnia haageana and large bright inflorescences of Zinnia elegans.

Antirrhinum majus

Valued for strong vertical inflorescences, bright colors and large unusual, reminiscent of the snout of a lion, the flowers, with a subtle but very pleasant aroma. Who as a child did not play, pressing on the tubular base of the Corolla to the lion’s mouth opened-will you deprive your children and grandchildren of this little pleasure?

More than 1000 varieties have been bred, among them Terry forms stand out, recently the bet is on variety series. Antirrhinum inflorescence is excellent (almost two weeks!) are in the bouquet, at the same time describes all the buds.

Cleome spinosa

This large, bushy spectacular plant with fragrant flowers, like either spiders,or fantastic insects, creates an expressive openwork vertical.

And if you buy ‘Sparkler Series’ F1, the “spiders” will be colored — lavender, crimson, white and two-color pink and white.

Impatiens walleriana

A popular houseplant, it is appropriate and in the garden. It feels great in the shade and partial shade and at the same time blooms profusely, in the sun the leaves burn and fall, especially with insufficient watering.

In recent years Impatiens walleriana somewhat pushed his hybrid relative I. x neuguinea, characterized by large (5-6 cm in diameter) bright simple flowers, besides many of its varieties are variegated.

Begonia x semperflorens

Another popular houseplant conquering our gardens. Befitting its species name, she tirelessly blooming to frost, tolerates partial shade, and at times even flaunts bronze leaves.

Verbena

Let your garden fill with the “spirit of Verbena” as the water fills with the floral-pink aroma of oil derived from its leaves.

South American types of verbena-Verbena x hybrida, V. rigida, V. canadensis, V. speciosa are similar in appearance: delicate aroma, bright flowers of cold shades, often with a white eye, collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences, in this group there are basket varieties.

A very special plant – V. bonariensis height of 150 cm and above, with hard stems and small lilac flowers, large and at the same time openwork. For the designer, it’s just a godsend — it combines with almost all plants, is appropriate in flower beds of any style, and even in winter its dry stems look attractive in their own way.

Lobelia erinus

Deep blue color and unrestrained flowering – business card Lobelia, but it is blue, and white, and pink — Yes, almost any, but all its shades fit into the cold colors.

Basket varieties look wonderful in containers — they are, for example, all London covered the window sills.

Petunia x hybrida

One of the most popular annuals in the world. Unfortunately, modern hybrids require more careful care than old varieties. Some hybrid lines reproduce only vegetatively.

Petunia looks great in the flower garden, and in the container, though she has an enemy — heavy rain, which spoils the delicate flowers. As the Aster, Petunia, with its diversity of cultivars and groups, requires a separate discussion.

Nicotiana

The closest relative of Petunia, but its capabilities in landscape design is much wider, because it can grow in partial shade. The most famous species is N. alata var. grandiflora – with white flowers that open in the evening, filling the garden with a wonderful aroma, and in the morning closed.

His hybrid descendant of N. x sanderae and a wide gamma of colors, and the flowers open in the afternoon — but for this beauty it has paid smell. Monumental N. sylvestris with large light green leaves is an excellent accent plant.

Salvia splendens

If perennial sage valued for its unusual blue color, among the annual species of the most popular (though more in the city beds than in the garden) — bright red.

Unfortunately, its dominance in urban gardening among gardeners appeared set on edge, but there are wonderful varieties with pale yellow, purple, white and two-tone colors. And if they seem to you too lush, then to S. viridis you will not be able to make any claims. First, its varieties are colored in the noblest way, secondly, they can be sown directly into the ground, and thirdly, they have a remarkable quality-a tendency to self — seeding. Especially good, in my opinion,’ White Swan’, white bracts whose leaves are streaked with green veins.