7 Underused Spring Annuals You Need To Try

Tired of the same old annuals? Here are 7 varieties you need to try.

Life is too short to plant the same old annuals in your garden every year. Yes, petunias, salvia and begonias are still beautiful but maybe it is time to try something new? Great news, there are plenty of reliable and colorful varieties of annuals that you may not even have ever heard of. Here are 7 underused spring annuals you need to try in your gardens this year.

Creeping Jenny

A great annual to use trailing over the rim of flower pots but also great in shade gardens. The lime green foliage really adds a splash of color. This is the perfect plant for window boxes and to provide a splash accent to any container.

Angelonia

This upright, somewhat bush annual is noted for its long summer bloom of small snapdragon-like flowers. Plants typically grow 12-18” tall. Foliage is slightly aromatic. Bloom from late spring to early fall in narrow terminal spikes (to 8” long). The two-lipped flowers are somewhat reminiscent of snapdragon. Cultivars are available in white, blue, light pink and bicolor flower colors. Deer do not eat!

Cosmos

Cosmos is a popular, low-maintenance, late-blooming, showy annual that typically grows 2-4’ tall with medium green, threadlike leaves. Blooms are 2-4” diameter with red, pink or white rays and yellow centers bloom freely from early summer to frost. Use a mix of the different colors available for a dazzling burst of garden color. Deer do not eat!

Gryphon Begonia

Not your grandmother’s Begonia. The foliage on this annuals is spectacular. Large, tropical-looking leaves, variegated in silver and green, prove just how dramatic foliage plants can be. A great choice for adding color and texture to beds or containers in shade to part shade

Bacopa

Here is an ideal plant to use around the edges of your flower pots. Available in white, pink and blue, its trailing habit looks fantastic draping over the sides. Bacopa will bloom and brighten your landscape well into fall.

Iresine

For glossy, bright red foliage, you can’t beat this plant. We use it to compliment other flowers as an accent or back row in garden beds and flower pots. Its color shows best in full sun. It typically grows to 2’.

Ivy Geranium

Ivy Geraniums provide a fantastic burst of color to any planting, and are particularly useful in potted gardens as they tend to trail rather than clump like other geraniums. Available in pinks and reds, this annual will give you season long brilliant color.

There are so many other interesting annuals flowers out there so there is never an excuse to having a boring garden. Explore and try new combinations. You'll be glad you did.

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