Annuals

Every year Woodland Gardens grows tens of thousands of annuals--flowers, vegetables, and herbs. (For more about our vegetables and herbs, click here.)




If you love perennials and roses, why grow annuals?

Here's a list of the advantages of annuals from Cornell University:

Many flower from early in the season until they die in the fall, compared with perennial plants which have a comparatively short bloom time.

Whether you grow purchased plants or start from seed, annuals are relatively inexpensive to grow. Many are easy to grow if you provide the right site and soil preparation.

They are temporary. You can experiment with a wide range of colors, textures, and forms. If you don't like the results, you can do things differently next year.

Annuals are great for filling in bare spaces in perennial beds. When spring bulbs die back, for example, you can fill the void with annuals. Annuals also provide season-long interest in pots and containers.

Annuals are versatile. They range in size from bedding plants less than a foot tall to giants that grow 8 feet or more. Annual vines can climb 10 feet or more on trellises or other structures or they can ramble that distance along the ground. Many annuals perform best in direct sun and warm weather. Others prefer shade and/or cool. Some tolerate light frosts while others die at the mere hint of a freeze. Blossoms run the entire spectrum of the rainbow. Some annuals are grown for their interesting foliage colors or textures.

There are hundreds of species of annuals to choose from. Within many of these, there are also different varieties or cultivars (short for cultivated varieties) to choose from. Varieties within a species may differ in flower color, size, disease resistance, or other characteristics.


   



Some of our 2008 Annuals
These are great in the garden or containers
They all come in additional colors
Proven Winners - Nemesia Opal Innocence
Blooms all summer. Sweet fragrance.
12-16" high. Sun or part shade.
Great in containers/hanging baskets.
Upright habit.
  ________________________
(Below)
Proven Winners - Superbena Coral Red.
A verbena hybrid. Blooms all summer.
Grows 6-12" tall. Trailing habit or good
as a ground cover. Sun or part shade.		Proven Winners - Supertunia Royal Velvet
Petunia hybrid. No need to deadhead.
"spiller" over sides of containers.
Grow in sun to part shade.
  ________________________
(Below)
Proven Winners - Torenia Summer Wave
Tolerates heat, but loves shade or partial shade
Low maintenance
Trailing habit - great in containers

Just two of our dazzling New Guinea Impatiens this summer. These "Super Sonic" colors (two of those available)  from Fischer are knockouts, whether they're in a 4-inch pot or a hanging basket.
New Guineas are fun to grow. They're happy in sunlight, but prefer morning sun to afternoon sun. They also like to be kept well watered. You may need to water your plant every day if it's kept outside, but it will reward you with its brilliantly  colored flowers and glossy, dark leaves.


We've been growing a large variety of geraniums every year since our founding. This year we have 2200 plants, and they're all beautifully vivid and healthy. Geraniums love growing in the sun, prefer to be kept deadheaded, and add great color to your doorstep, window boxes, annual garden. They can be wintered over inside, if you wish.