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A garden is unimaginable without flowers, and if perennial flowers and shrubs require careful selection and conscientious care, then with unpretentious annuals you can plant most of the site without much hassle. Moreover, if something does not suit you in the color scheme or the characteristics of the flowering of a particular plant, next year you can either freely change their location, or even plant completely new flowers.
This is one of the secrets of the extraordinary popularity of annual flowers – they are able to grow from seeds in one warm season, bloom, leave behind offspring and go into oblivion.
Therefore, every year the flower beds can be planned anew and the monotony of your garden certainly does not threaten. If you are an adherent of permanent compositions, then in this case, nothing prevents you from sowing your favorite annuals from year to year and enjoying their flowering. Moreover, under favorable conditions, many of the annual flowers are able to propagate by self-seeding. Therefore, in the spring, you will only have to thin out too dense seedlings or plant them in new places.
In addition, many of the unpretentious annual flowers are able to bloom for quite a long time – for two, three and even four months without a break. Some of the annuals, of course, will require periodic rejuvenation pruning or removal of dried inflorescences for such a long flowering. And others, blooming for a not so long period of time, can simply be periodically sown on empty places throughout the season. And already 40-50 days after sowing, they will be able to please you with a diverse palette of colors.
There is a range of annuals that are grown in the garden almost exclusively for their enchanting fragrance.
It is unpretentious annual flowers for flower beds that bloom throughout the summer that this article is devoted to.
A variety of annuals for flower beds
When it comes to annuals that are designed to decorate flower beds, we mean, first of all, plants that will grow in your garden for just one season. It is not at all necessary that they will be annual flowers in their biological essence. Many of the most beautifully flowering, unpretentious plants that adorn flower beds for only one season are perennials, for example, petunia, begonia, salvia, verbena, snapdragons. If desired, they can be saved by bringing boxes or flowerpots with flowers into the house. Thus, they can continue to bloom almost until winter, or if the conditions are right (cool temperatures, plenty of light), you can keep them even until the next season. But this is a completely different topic.
Other flowers, such as marigolds, ageratum, cornflower, calendula, are annuals in nature and in the fall they, having formed many seeds, will surely die, in order to be reborn from the seeds next spring if you wish.
Many of them are the most unpretentious and cold-resistant; they can be sown in April or May directly in flower beds in a permanent place. Others, which are more thermophilic or have a longer growing season, must be planted for seedlings in advance, in March, and sometimes even in January-February. But, having sowed many annual flowers for seedlings in March, you can enjoy their flowering from the very beginning of summer.
Annual flowers differ not only in terms of flowering and colors, but also in plant height, growth characteristics, flower shape, presence or absence of aroma. All these features of annuals for flower beds, along with their names and photos, you can find later in the article.
Annuals requiring a seedling period
It is among the heat-loving annuals that require seedlings to be grown beforehand that some of the most beautiful, luxuriously blooming, and even exotic looking plants can be found.
Tall flowers for the border
Among annuals, there are few truly tall plants that can reach one meter or more in height.
Amaranth
This spectacular looking annual with long flowing inflorescences is very unpretentious. It can be easily propagated even by sowing seeds in the ground at the end of May, but in this case it will bloom only in August. It has all the colors of warm tones – from beige to bright red and bright crimson.
Cleomia
Cleoma will delight you not only with original inflorescences of various shades, but also with a fragrant aroma from July to September. It can grow up to 120 cm in height. However, she also has dwarf varieties, which usually bloom in yellow.
Digitalis
This magnificent flower belongs to typical biennials, but like many of them, it can be sown for seedlings in February and it will bloom as early as July of this year. This plant is not difficult to grow, but just do not forget that all its parts are poisonous, although they are used for medicinal purposes.
Mallow
This is one of the most gigantic garden flowers, capable of reaching a height of 2,5 meters. By nature, it is a biennial, that is, it can be sown directly in open ground in the middle of summer, in order to enjoy its flowering all next summer season. But if you plant it for seedlings in February, then already this year the flower can show itself in all its glory. Despite its majestic beauty, mallow is very unpretentious in cultivation. Its flowers have almost all shades, except for blue-blue. The flowers stand well and for a long time in the cut, the buds are able to fully open.
winged tobacco
This unpretentious flower is a natural perennial and has been grown in gardens for over a hundred years. Flowers can be of different shades, but during the day in sunny weather they are closed. But in cloudy weather and at dusk, the flowers bloom with a truly magical aroma that spreads throughout the garden.
Medium height flowers
Many of the hardy annuals have tall, medium, and short stem varieties, so pay attention to plant height when buying seeds.
Aster
One of the most popular annuals in terms of the variety of types of inflorescences and their colors, perhaps, has no equal. In modern floriculture, annual asters have been identified as a separate species – callistefus, so do not be surprised if you find flowers under this name on sale – these are the most ordinary asters. These unpretentious annual flowers are famous for their cold resistance, they can withstand frosts down to -7 ° C. If it were not for the long growing season, they could be safely sown directly on the beds. However, in the warm regions of Our Country they usually do this in order to simplify the cultivation of these flowers. Among them you can find both dwarf varieties, up to 25 cm high, and tall bushes growing up to 85 cm.
Balsam
Amazing annuals that prefer to grow in shady places. They are very thermophilic, so they are easily preserved in winter under normal room conditions. The height of the flowers can be different, the colors are predominantly warm tones.
Marigold
Very popular annuals, which, due to their colorfulness and at the same time unpretentiousness, are grown everywhere. In warmer regions, they can even be sown from seed directly in flower beds.
If you remove wilted inflorescences and feed the plants, then they are able to bloom up to 6 months without interruption.
Gaillardia
Annual types of gaillardia are very unpretentious and look great both in flower beds and bouquets. Cut flowers stand well in water. Plants of medium height, from 30 to 60 cm, bloom for more than 4 months if dried flowers are cut regularly.
Dahlia
Annual dahlias are not much inferior in beauty to their perennial sisters, but in unpretentiousness they are much superior to them. Capable of the same long flowering. These annual flowers have both undersized and medium height varieties. They are also very diverse in the form of flowers and colors.
Godice
Among the unpretentious annual flowers, it could take first place if it were not for the long growing season. But, on the other hand, if you sow godetia seeds in March, then from the end of June they will delight you with an exquisite look and resistance to weather conditions.
Snapdragon
These flowers in the modern world have an unimaginable number of a wide variety of varieties. Among them, there can be giants, up to 110 cm tall, and dwarf plants, no higher than 15-20 cm. Among the shades of flowers, only blue ones are missing. In the initial period, these annuals grow very slowly, so it is advisable to sow them for seedlings in February.
Salvia
Another very popular annual grown everywhere. Belongs to the genus of sage, very unpretentious, they need only warmth, so they usually plant it after all possible frosts have ended. There are both red and blue, as well as purple varieties of this flower.
Salpiglossis
One of the most exotic annuals in appearance. Despite such an extraordinary color, the flower is quite unpretentious in growing. Requires only heat and sun. The flowers are bright and varied in color and reach a height of 50-75 cm.
Statica
This annual has at least three names – it is also called Kermek or Limonium. Flowers of a very original look are traditionally used to make floristic bouquets and arrangements. Although, due to the brightness, juiciness and variety of shades, they look great in flower beds. The height of the bushes is medium, blooms from July to September.
Ursinia
Very colorful flowers that can spice up any flower bed. Since they are native to Africa, all they need is sun and warmth.
Cellulose
This heat-loving perennial is sure to attract everyone’s attention. Cellosia inflorescences are of two types: scallops or voluminous feathers. Both of them can reach a height of up to 80 cm. Colors can vary from pink, orange, yellow to red. For all its beauty, it is completely unpretentious in care. All he needs is sun and heat.
Zinnia
The diameter of the flowers of this old garden plant can reach 12 cm. They are excellent cut. But for flower beds, you can pick up varieties of any height: from tiny (15 cm) to giants (90 cm). The flowers have all the most unpredictable shades, even greenish and brownish. Easily grown from seedlings and easy to care for, if you only remember his love of warmth.
ground cover annuals
Among the undersized annual flowers for the flower bed there is a wide variety of varieties.
Ageratum
The fluffy blue-blue shades of the inflorescence are very attractive. Pretty thermophilic, tolerates a haircut well.
Begonia
One of the most common perennial flowers grown as an annual. It has all the colors of warm tones.
Verbena
The flowers are very fragrant and attractive, slightly reminiscent of primrose. Unpretentious, but prefer fertile soils.
Viola
Pansies don’t need much introduction. It is grown as an annual when sown in February and as a biennial when sown in July.
Dimorfoteka
This annual flower can grow even in rocky or sandy soil. Despite the short stature, the flowers are also suitable for cutting.
Calceolaria
A rare annual, although the inflorescences look original and can be very bright.
Mesembryanthemum
Bright, large and multi-colored daisies with a height of only 10 cm cannot but please the eye. It is ideal to plant it on a rocky hill or flower bed with sandy soil.
Mimulus
And this original coloring annual is one of the few prefers to grow in the shade and on moist soils. In all other respects very unpretentious. It will also look good in window boxes on the north side of the house.
Nemesis
Very colorful unpretentious annual for flower beds. If it were not for its thermophilicity, it would be possible to sow seeds directly into the ground, since it blooms already 1,5 months after sowing.
Petunia
Claims for the first place in popularity. It can be grown both in flower beds and as an excellent ampelous flower.
purslane
If it were not for the heat-loving purslane, one could call it the most unpretentious annual. It blooms brightly and for a long time even on very poor soils. Feeding will only hurt him.
Phlox Drummond (annual)
Almost in no way inferior to his tall perennial relative. Annual phlox is able to form bright multi-colored patterns in flower beds. Flowers can be either a traditional form, in the form of an eye, or in the form of stars.
Annuals grown without seedlings
For the conditions of central Our Country, the choice of such unpretentious annual flowers is not too large, but they will not cause almost any trouble, and the flower beds will look quite bright and varied.
tall flowers
In this group, only three types of unpretentious annuals can be distinguished:
- Lavater;
- Malopa;
- Poppy is one year old.
Medium sized flowers
Most unpretentious annual flowers grown by direct sowing in the ground fall into this category:
- Acroclinum – dried flower;
- Arctotis;
- Bartonia;
- Cornflower;
- Gypsophila – ideal for floral bouquets;
- Calendula;
- Clarkia;
- Coreopsis annual;
- Cosmea;
- Xeranthemum – dried flower;
- doll;
- Nigella – used for floral bouquets;
- Reseda – used mainly for its strong aroma;
- Chrysanthemum annual;
- Eschsholzia or California poppy.
undersized annuals
These unpretentious annual flowers are able to form a blooming carpet almost anywhere you scatter their seeds.
- Alyssum annual;
- Anchovies;
- Iberis;
- Limnantes;
- Malcolmia;
- Mattiola two-horned or night violet – smells amazing in the dark;
- Nemophila;
- Smolka;
- Echium or bruise.
Conclusion
With such a variety of annual species, planting flower beds and composing flower arrangements, even in vast areas, will not be difficult. Moreover, most annual flowers require approximately similar growing conditions.
