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Annuals

This section is an A-Z guide of flowering annuals. Most annuals perform the best when positioned in complete sun.

You can find out more about the following annuals by clicking on their names.

Ageratum	Clusters of fluffy blue flowers on neat, compact, low growing plants.

Alyssum	Sweet smelling, fast growing, dwarf growing plants with clusters of tiny flowers.

Amaranthus	Summer annual grown for its broad, brightly coloured leaves.

Aquilegia	Dainty pastel coloured flowers on tall stems.

Aster	Clusters of fluffy blue flowers on neat, compact, low growing plants.

Begonia	Bedding begonias are neat, compact plants that prefer dappled shade but will adapt to full sun.

Bellis Perennis	Low, neat, frost-hardy plants which produce masses of short stemmed pompom flowers.

Calendula	Hardy and easy to grow, these vivid sun-loving annuals provide oranges and yellows in late winter and spring.

California Poppy	Brightly coloured flowering annual that is heat and drought tolerant and thrives in hot, sunny positions.

Campanula	There are numerous low growing perennial lilac-blue campanulas, but it is the taller growing biennial known as Canterbury Bells which is most commonly sold in seedling punnets.

Candytuft	Compact, easily grown annuals that bear clusters of flowers on the ends of erect stems.

Carnations	Carnations are perennials treated as annuals.

Celosia	A plant for a hot spot, with feathery plumes and bright contrasting foliage.

Cineraria	Colourful annuals with clusters of daisy-like flowers.

Coleus	Brightly coloured foliage plants grown for their leaves that will brighten a shady spot.

Cornflower	The old-fashioned cornflower bears deep blue long lasting ruffled flowers on tall stems, but it now comes in other colours too.

Cosmos	Tall and free flowering with colourful daisy-like flowers and light green, feathery foliage, Cosmos make an excellent background plant in sunny borders.

Dahlia	Bedding dahlias are tuberous plants which bear brightly coloured flowers for a long period.

Delphinium	Tall, stately spikes of flowers in rich colours, delphiniums are perennials that flower in spring and if cut back may reflower in autumn.

Dianthus	These dainty relatives of carnations are perennial but are best treated as an annual.

Forget-Me-Not	These English flowers produce a profusion of tiny flowers which are traditionally blue with yellow centres, but there are now varieties in pink and white.

Foxglove	Popular once more, Foxgloves produce tall spikes of striking bell-shaped flowers displayed against velvety foliage.

Gaillardia	There are annual and perennial forms of Gaillardia, although perennials are usually best in a cool temperate climate.

Geranium	The many different forms of geraniums have different growth habits, flower forms and colours and foliage colours.

Gerbera	As these showy daisies are best grown in hot, sunny positions, gerberas are popular in tropical and subtropical locations.

Godetta	Sun-loving annual with upright cup-shaped flowers that appear for a relatively short period at the end of spring, giving rise to its common name.

Gypsophilia	The dainty flowered Gypsophila is commonly used in floral arrangements and is attractive grown in clumps in the garden.

Helichrysum	Paper daisy, everlasting daisy, strawflower.

Impatiens	Among the most popular, colourful and adaptable plants, impatiens flower for most of the year and can be planted in shady or sunny locations, in the garden, pots or hanging baskets.

Larkspur	Daintier version of their relatives delphiniums, larkspur is a tall annual with stately spikes of pastel coloured flowers and feathery foliage.

Lavender	There are about 30 species of lavender and many varieties and forms and all make lovely garden and potted plants.

Linaria	Newly popular, these compact plants with spikes of tiny snapdragon-like flowers in delicate pastel colours and feathery foliage, are colourful annuals for the winter and spring garden.

Livingstone Daisy	These succulent ground covers from South Africa are ideal for hot, dry spots and infertile soil.

Lobella	Dwarf, free flowering, easily grown annuals.

Marigolds	Vibrant summer flowering annuals that like frost-free warm sunny positions, regular watering and mulching.

Mimulus	Colourful, short-lived plants with a dwarf, mounded habit which bear exotic specked funnel-shaped ëmonkey-facedí flowers.

Nasturtium	Adaptable, colourful annuals that require little attention.

Nemesia	Annual nemesia are free-flowering compact plants which produce a great variety of coloured flowers in late winter and spring.

Nicotiana	Modern breeding has made these relatives of tobacco plants more compact.

Nigella	With its delicate, feathery appearance, Nigella is a favourite for old-fashioned cottage gardens.

Pansy	A long-time favourite, versatile pansies come in an ever-increasing range of colours to suit every garden and decorative need.

Petunia	The most popular and one of the most colourful annuals for the Australian summer garden.

Phlox	A long-time favourite, versatile pansies come in an ever-increasing range of colours to suit every garden and decorative need.

Polyanthus	Polyanthus brighten the garden in winter and spring with their brilliant coloured flowers.

Poppy	Poppies, with their delicate cup-shaped flowers on tall stems have increased in popularity as modern breeding brings us ever better varieties.

Portulaca	These low growing fleshy annuals with their brilliantly coloured flowers which open in the sun and close in dull conditions should be grown where it is hot and dry.

Primula	The delicate lacy whorls of primula have become a major component of the late winter and spring garden.

Primula Obconica	Poppies, with their delicate cup-shaped flowers on tall stems have increased in popularity as modern breeding brings us ever better varieties.

Ranunculus	These tuberous perennials are best grown as annuals and will perform in any climate but the tropical.

Rudbeckia	These tough sun-loving plants with large daisy-like flowers for a long period are newly fashionable for their dramatic, bright colours.

Salpiglossis	Tall growing annual with veined petunia-like trumpet shaped flowers. Not commonly grown.

Salvia	The vibrant red flower spikes of scarlet sage, so loved by municipal gardeners, make a blaze of summer colour few other flowers can match.

Schizanthus	Vibrant orchid-like flowers against soft, feathery foliage.

Shasta Daisy	A versatile old favourite, Shasta daisies are herbaceous perennial plants that bear generous quantities of golden-centered white flowers in summer at the end of tall, erect stems.

Snapdragon	A old fashioned flower experiencing a new wave of popularity with new breeding.

Statice	The crepe paper-like trumpet shaped flowers of Statice are popular in cut flower arrangements.

Stock	Spikes of highly fragrant pastel coloured flowers.

Sweet Pea	Both climbing and dwarf varieties of these charming, sweetly fragrant, ever-popular spring flowers are available.

Sweet William	Free flowering relative of carnations and dianthus, dainty Sweet Williams are compact bushy plants with masses of small flowers with a faint fragrance.

Verbena	Free flowering, drought and heat tolerant, Verbena will perform well on most soils.

Vinca	Heat and drought tolerant plants that make excellent ground cover in a well drained hot spot.

Viola	Similar to pansies, violas are usually smaller and clear faced.

Wallflower	An old time favourite spring flowering annual grown for their cheery colour range and sweet scent.

Zinnia	With their big range of single and double flower forms and vivid colours, zinnias are summer flowering annuals for a hot spot.

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