Guide to Planting and Caring for Annuals and Biennials
An annual plant is one whose entire lifecycle, from germination to seed production through to death, takes place within one year. A biennial lives over two growing seasons; they produce leaf growth in their first season, then flower in the following year.
Annuals and biennials are often seen as a quick and cheap way to bring colour into the garden. Although short-lived, many flower freely over several weeks and even months, and can be planned so they create different colour schemes and effects during the season. Whilst these plants are most often used in containers and beds, some climbing or trailing varieties are particularly striking when grown up a support or allowed to sprawl abundantly over a bank.
In this section, we'll take you through everything you'll need to know when working with annuals and biennials, from designing borders and planting, through to dead-heading and collecting their seeds.