Should You Plant Perennials Or Annuals?

By: Mary Clogenmeir

Appealing landscape designs is critical when you show a residence, since it makes the first sense upon the possible buyer. One way of giving a welcoming, homey look to a front yard is by planting annuals, bred for their brightly colored blossoms. Annuals are specially great for spring and summer seasons which are when nearly all of them mature and flower. They make for a pretty sight when sweet peas or morning glories are draped over a fence. The disadvantage of annuals is, of course, their annularity. Nobody wants a seedy home, and annuals have a way of going to seed following all your planting and nurturing. In all seriousness, if you plant annuals be prepared either for a fast sale or to lug away the old lifeless plants and swap them with something more in keeping with the season. The dianthus or anemone that was attractive in the spring and summer will have to be changed with pansies in the cooler months. Bulbs grow like annuals for a period, make big showy blossoms, and appear to die in the fall, but grow back again in the spring, so they are a variety of "annual" that does not require repeated plantings each year.

Perennials do not usually flower with big, colorful flowers as annuals do, but with care perennial plants could last for many years. The ones that do have great flowers do not have them the whole year round. The advantages of perennials are that you simply have to plant them once, and they mature huge. A big tree or bush in the front yard gives the feeling of constancy and permanence. Some perennials, naturally, can provide beautiful color when in flower. A wisteria vine is attractive when it blossoms lavender in the summer and the vine gives a warm air of durability growing on top of a door or roof. Some perennials, such as the jacaranda, bloom lavender, although their budding season is no greater than that of annuals. Rose bushes last for many years and flower in a lot of colors in the spring and summer. A nice aroma is also given off by a lot of kinds, giving another good kind of sense. Fruit trees are included in perennials too. After the blossoms of these trees produce fruit. Going to harvest fruits from one's own tree is something we all enjoy.

The climate often determines whether a given varieties is truly a perennial or an annual. Nurseries in your neighborhood can provide you with information as to which varieties are annuals or perennials. In California some plants considered annuals elsewhere grow as perennials.

Ideally, a blend of annuals and perennials can be the best solution. Bright annuals such as nasturtiums, poppies or marigolds stand out well against the more sober green tones of privet, boxwood or climbing ivy. Shade trees such as maple, elm or sycamore with rings of flowering petunias make a traditional composition. Potted annuals that can simply be taken away are one way to decorate a veranda or patio. Your neighborhood nursery people can tell you which annuals and perennials will work great with your house.

Article Source: http://home2garden.co.za

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