Annual Plant List

Pansy

• Pansies are compact plants with rounded blossoms that are characterized as faces. Violet, yellow, white, blue, burgundy and deep pink are common pansy colors. They thrive in cooler weather and go dormant in the summer, blooming only in the spring and fall. Pansies are typically used in container gardens or along the edge of a flower bed because they're so small. Both the leaves and flowers are edible and often used in salads and desserts.

Marigold

• Most marigold plants are annuals, although a few are perennials. They're shorter plants with dark green pinnate, or feather-like, leaves. Their blossoms have two types of petals in a tight configuration, similar to a pompom. Marigolds are known for their bright hues ranging from bright yellow to bright orange to red. The flowers attract butterflies and their somewhat pungent smell repels certain pests, which is why marigolds are often planted with tomatoes.

Geranium

• Geranium plants are either annuals, perennials or biennials. As annuals, they are almost exclusively container plants and are typically put in window boxes or pots near the door. They have a long bloom season, flowering from early spring until fall's first frost. Their blooms are large flower clusters at the end of long stems and typically come in red, pink and white. Scented geraniums are known for their wide variety of smells, such as nutmeg, rose, peppermint and lemon.

Zinnia

• Zinnias are annuals that thrive in rich, moist soil. The center of the flower is very large and the petals fully open making the flower attractive to bees, but gardeners often plant zinnias to draw butterflies. The color palette of the plant's flowers is often described as cheerful and includes yellow, orange, white, red and pink. Zinnias are hardy plants with a long bloom season. Deadheading them, or pinching off the dead blooms, prompts the plant to flower again.

Watermelon

• The watermelon plant is another annual that gives fruit during the summer months. Because it is a vine, it needs a lot of space to grow. Different varieties of watermelon put out different size fruits and at different times of the season. The plants prefer deeper than usual soil, which is a unique trait for a vine plant. Watermelon vines have pale yellow flowers that are only in bloom for one day.