Annual Flowers

Unlike perennials, annuals complete their whole life cycle in a single season — which makes picking the right ones mostly a question of timing and temperature tolerance.

Hardy, Half-Hardy, and Tender

Hardy annuals shrug off cold and are planted in early spring or fall — calendula, foxglove, viola, sweet alyssum, stocks, cornflowers, pansy, larkspur, and dianthus among them — though most dislike heat. Half-hardy annuals like torenia, strawflower, baby's breath, candytuft, bells of Ireland, celosia, love-in-a-mist, and forget-me-nots tolerate cool dampness but not hard winter frost, and go in after the last spring frost with no need for warmed soil. Tender annuals — scarlet sage, morning glory, petunias, begonias, balsam, nasturtium, verbena — want it warm on both ends and go in about three weeks after the last frost, rewarding you with color through the height of summer.