| I have to admit when I was younger I was clueless | | | | referrer to them as perennials. |
| what the difference was. I can remember asking my | | | | - These plants grow and bloom during the spring and |
| mother over and over again how you could tell them | | | | summer time then die back each fall and winter. |
| apart and which was better. This garden design tip | | | | They then repeat the process from their root-stock |
| should be titled Annual or Perennial - Ode to Mother. | | | | rather than re-seeding themselves like the annual |
| Annuals | | | | plant does. |
| - Annuals grow, produce flowers and die within the | | | | - In warmer climates the growing cycle never ends! |
| 12 months. The reason I say 12 months and not the | | | | One very important thing to consider is what zone |
| same year is because some annuals will germinate in | | | | you live in and what zone the perennial will naturally |
| late fall or winter and flower the next spring then die. | | | | survive in. Matching these two zones up is very |
| - Most people only think about planting annuals in the | | | | important if you want to become a successful |
| spring, enjoying the splendor all summer then | | | | perennial gardener. |
| watching them die only to repeat the cycle again the | | | | After years of spending hundreds and hundreds of |
| next spring. One annual most people don't think of as | | | | dollars each spring on Annuals, I slowly started to |
| being an annual is crabgrass. | | | | replace annuals with perennials. I know you will say |
| - Another group we shouldn't forget about as being | | | | 'but annuals have color all summer long.' Yes they do |
| true annuals are vegetables such as beans, corn, | | | | but a carefully planned out perennial garden can not |
| peas, etc. | | | | only have color all summer long but will have a much |
| Perennials | | | | wider variety of colors and textures. The only down |
| - Perennials are called such because they live fore | | | | side is perennials do require more maintance but it's |
| more than two years. While trees, shrubs and other | | | | well worth it. |
| woody plants are also perennials, we generally don't | | | | |