The term Annual is generally applied to garden flowers that complete their life cycle in the span of one growing season. Usually this means they come up in the spring, grow, flower, set seed and then die after the frosts in the fall.

From Amaranthus to Zinnia and from Asparagus to Zucchini, Town and Country annuals are known for freshness and quality you desire for your garden beds throughout the entire season. Throughout the season we also provide more mature plants. No matter when you start your beds, we have the annuals at the right stage for you.

Bedding plants add an instant splash of colour to a garden. They can be planted in hanging baskets, containers or in mixed borders. Bedding plant selection can be changed annually to provide variety, a change of outdoor décor or reflect a different taste or new idea.

Annuals for Shade

Many gardens have shady areas that demand a certain type of annual that will tolerate the lower light. Town and Country has many unique and tested varieties that will help you to enjoy shade gardening.

Shade Tolerant Annuals Include:

• Impatiens –The most commonly used shade annual. Come in a wide variety of colours to compliment any colour scheme in the garden.
• Begonia –An often waxy looking plant, coming in a variety of flower colours and styles with foliage that can be equally colorful and attractive. Certain begonias are also sun tolerant.
• Coleus – An annual often grown for its colourful foliage. The colours range from red, pink, burgundy, yellow and many variegated combinations. It can be used to add a bit of height to the plant mixture.
• Lobelia – A low growing shade tolerant annual with small blooms in blue, white, or purple.
• Torenia – Also called “wishbone flower”, a low spreading annual that prefers semi shade and rich moist soil. Flowers come in blue or white.
• Fuchsia – A favorite for its drooping bell like and tubular flowers coming in a variety of colours. Also loved by hummingbirds.
• Nemesia – Another annual that can tolerate light shade. It comes in a variety of colours on a small bushy plant.
• Streptocarpella – An interesting plant that does best in the shade. It has thick succulent leaves and stems with soft airy purple flowers.

Trailing and greenery plants for the shade include lamium, ivy, asparagus fern, vinca, German ivy, and ferns.

Care for shade annuals:

Shade annuals prefer 3-6 hours of sunlight per day – preferably in the morning or late afternoon. Most shade annuals require a richer soil that has above average water retention. They will benefit from regular watering depending on the weather, as they do not like their soil drying out completely. Fertilizing should be done often with a blooming fertilizer.
In addition to the above, many other sun loving annuals also tolerate light shade. These include: alyssum, flowering tobacco, nasturtium, pansy, dianthus, and salvia.

Drought-Tolerant Annuals

While some plants seem to be wilting and fading away in our summer heat, there are others that seem to thrive and flourish in it. These are some of the annuals you can use if you wish to conserve water, have little time for watering, or have hot and dry conditions in your landscape.

Dusty miller - Dusty miller is an attractive grey foliage plant that works well in the hot sunny garden.

Gazania - A low growing annual coming in a variety of flower colours. The flowers close at night.

Grasses - Many ornamental grasses are quite drought tolerant when planted out in the garden. If used in containers, watering is required more often.

Scaevola - A low spreading sun loving annual, which covers itself in blue/mauve fan shaped flowers.

Portulaca - or rose moss is very tolerant of summer heat and drought. It is a low growing, succulent plant that comes in an array of colours.

Sunflower - This old classic comes in a variety of colours and flower forms now. From giants to dwarfs, there is a sunflower for every need.

Other drought-tolerant annuals to consider include ageratum, calendula, cleome, celosia, cosmos, geranium, marigold, snapdragon, verbena, and zinnia.

Annuals for Sun

Annuals add colour to a garden and are great accent plants. Sun-loving annuals usually require at least five or six hours of direct sunlight. Some of the old favorites include marigolds, geraniums, and petunias, but there are many other interesting choices available.

Sun Tolerant Annuals Include:

Ageratum has small blue almost fuzzy flowers. It is a lower annual suitable for the front of a border or in containers.

Bacopa - A favorite annual trailer suitable for containers and hanging baskets. Small white or mauve flowers cover the plant at its peak.

Calibrachoa, also called million bells, is a great trailer resembling a miniature petunia, coming in a wide variety of colours.

Celosia is grown for its warm summer colours of red, orange and yellow, and unique flower shape.

Cosmos - Come in a variety of colours and have a daisy like flower and soft feathery foliage. Often used for height.

Dahlia often thought of as a bulbous accent plant, but there are a number of great bedding types of dahlia that are dwarf and have a range of flower colour and form.

Flowering tobacco or nicotiana are often grown to add a bit of height to a garden bed and its tubular flowers are loved by butterflies and hummingbirds. Colors include red, pink, lavender, yellow, white, and even green.
Geranium This old favorite comes in a wide variety of colors, from white to pink to red. There are scented leaved varieties, as well as hanging varieties for trailing down planters and hanging baskets.

Marigold is another old favorite when it comes to sun annuals. There are 2 main varieties, both requiring the same conditions, African (a taller plant with larger flowers) and French (a shorter plant with smaller flowers).

Portulaca or rose moss is a drought tolerant, low-growing annual with rose like flowers that come in a rainbow of colors.

Petunia is another old favorite coming in a variety of colours. It comes in single and double flowering forms, and also has varieties that are vigorous trailers (wave petunias).

Salvia has showy bright blossom spikes (most common in red, but do come in a variety of colours) that bloom all summer and are loved by hummingbirds.

Scaevola or fan flower is a great spreading plant for hanging baskets and planters with its loads of blue/mauve flowers. This drought tolerant plant thrives in full sun and heat.

Snapdragon another old annual widely used for its sun tolerance and tall spikes of flowers in a wide range of colours.

Verbena - a great plant for the sun, with its strong flower clusters coming in a wide range of colours.

Zinnia has daisy like flowers coming in a variety of colors. The gardener can choose from taller and shorter plants, depending on the need in the landscape.

Trailing and greenery plants for the sun include dracaena (spikes), potato vines (Ipomoea), licorice, vinca vine, Swedish ivy, and spider plants.

Care for sun annuals: 

Most sun annuals require a loamy well draining soil. They will benefit from a regular watering schedule, depending on the temperature. Fertilizing should be done with a high blooming fertilizers often.
Other sun loving annuals include: alyssum, dusty miller, lobelia, pansy, dianthus, heliotrope, pentas, asters, and sunflowers.