Annual plants are a garden designer’s secret weapon. Endlessly versatile and extremely showy, annuals add nonstop color without a high price or a lot of work. They are perfect for gardeners who crave change—from year to year or from one season to the next. And they offer instant impact for filling in bare spots between slower-growing shrubs and perennials. Summer annuals brighten gardens with flowers and foliage, while cool-season annuals bring interest to the winter landscape.
Summer annuals in southwestern gardens require a certain level of ruggedness to survive the heat. One of the easiest annuals to grow is native yellow sneezeweed (Helenium amarum). This golden bloomer features fine, feathery foliage, and thrives in full sun on lean, dry to average, well-draining soil. Yellow sneezeweed remains compact, growing 1 to 2 feet tall and wide.
Tropical locales south of the border bring a few favorite annuals, including the playful globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), which blooms its heart out all summer long. My favorite globe amaranth cultivar for Oklahoma is ‘Fireworks’, which dazzles with hot pink flowers standing atop 3- to 4-foot stems. Globe amaranth spreads 3 to 4 feet wide and lends an architectural element to the garden.
Dwarf morning glory (Evolvulus glomeratus) is another wonderful tropical annual. The stunning cultivar ‘Blue My Mind’ lives up to its name, with masses of true-blue flowers covering mats of silvery foliage growing just 8 inches tall and up to 12 inches wide. Both beauties love full sun and require soil with good drainage.
Using plants with flashy foliage is an easy way to add vibrant color to the landscape. Coleus (Plectranthus scuteleriodes, Zones 10–11) is the most common annual bedding plant
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