Annuals

Annuals provide instant color in your garden where and when you need it!  To make it easier to cover large areas, many annuals are sold in six-packs or flats rather than pots.

True annuals complete their life cycle in one year, growing from seed each year. In addition, perennials can also be grown as annuals, and abandoned after they serve their purpose in your garden.  Many of our "Chicago annuals" (for instance: Canna, Coleus, Pelargonium-type Geraniums, Lantana, Ornamental Sweet Potato, Peppers, Purpleleaf Fountain Grass, Tomatoes, etc.) fall under the category of "tender perennials" which can live for many years in warmer climes, but die if exposed to our cold weather.

Some of the most common true annuals in the Chicago area include: African and French Marigolds, Bachelor Buttons, Calendula, Celosia, Cosmos, Love-Lies-Bleeding, Nasturtium, Petunias, Snapdragons, Sweet Alyssum, Wax Begonias, and Zinnias.