Annual flowers are the perfect way to add some color to your flowerpots, hanging baskets, or the edges of a perennial garden. They’re a low-commitment way to garden that’s perfect for summer gatherings. Need a beautiful addition to the garden for a party? Add a splash of color with annual flowers.
Annuals also provide gardeners with a lot of scope for experimentation. After all, they’re only there for the season, then you can change them again. Here’s the list of what’s coming up for 2012.
1. Verbena: The Superbena Royale Iced Cherry Verbena is a flower variety with bounce! This hot pink flower features a blue-tinted middle. Plant it as the centerpiece of a brown or blue bouquet. The Peachy Keen Verbena is heat, drought, and mildew-resistant, and it’s a lovely, quiet peach color. Lanai Twister Pink looks like candy floss, with its sweet pale pink outside and brilliant pink middle. It’s perfect for containers and attracts butterflies galore.
2. Geraniums: Oh, the lovely but boring geranium is not so boring any more. The new colors of these varieties will add beauty to your window baskets. The Presto series has dark leaves that play off brilliant jewel-toned flowers.
3. Petunia: These luscious flowers come with a new twist this summer. The White Russian petunia is a refined petunia with white edges surrounding a deep brown center. Stunning! If you’re more into brilliant colors, the Picnic Violet Petunia gives you lovely blues and violets throughout the season.
4. Snapdragon: Love these snappy little plants? You’ll adore the sweet Acrobat variety, a light pink and yellow snapdragon. Twinny Peach features double flowers is light orange and yellow flowers – it’s the floral version of a Creamsicle!
5. Calibrachoa: These new calibrachoas are all about the wow factor. The two-toned violets of Grape Punch will tickle lovers of purple flowers, while the deep pink and yellow star of Cherry Star will add pizzazz to your baskets and planters this summer. Coralberry punch packs a wallop of coral and red that will go beautifully with blues and purples in your hanging baskets.
Image Credit: Dimitri C