The 7 Most Colorful Annuals for your Yard and Patio
Annuals are a great way to add a splash of color to your yard or patio containers. With nearly endless options available, they provide unique flowers and foliage to any landscape. Below are our picks for the top 10 most colorful annuals you should consider using in your landscaping or patio containers.
1. Petunia
Petunias are a popular and classic choice. They are a mainstay in many colorful displays due to their stunning colors and long bloom period. With countless variations and color patterns to choose from, you are sure to find a petunia that fits your style.
Care: More sun = more blooms. For baskets or containers, water daily. For bedded plants, a deep water weekly should suffice. A monthly dose of fertilizer goes a long way in continued blooms. Some varieties also benefit greatly from regular dead-heading and pruning.
2. Dahlia
Ranging broadly in color and size, Dahlias provide a showy, starburst-type bloom that is truly stunning. This is a common cut flower and is often showcased in floral displays. Dahlias grow from tubers that can be taken indoors and stored for the winter and regrown next season.
Care: Water Dahlias regularly during the summer. Fertilizing monthly can help promote blooms but go easy on the nitrogen. Larger Dahlias will need support so large blooms don’t droop.
3. Begonia
Another classic, and for good reason. An excellent choice for a container combo planting, or as a focal point in a planting bed, begonias have beautiful blooms and endless uses.
Care: Soil should remain moist but not soaked. With so many varieties of Begonia to choose from, you’ll find options for both sun and shade. A monthly fertilizer is a safe bet here as well.
4. Mandevilla
Mandevilla is a large flowering vine that is a common patio plant but can also be transplanted into the ground. Some people choose to bring their Mandevilla indoors for the winter and grow it as a perennial. Keep in mind that this is a vine and needs some kind of support to grow on.
Care: Mandevilla needs full sun to flower well. Sandy, well-draining soil is also critical. Pinching and pruning will keep the plant bushier and more contained.
5. Bougainvillea
Another colorful vine is the Bougainvillea. A woody, thorny vine, the Bougainvillea’s colorful blooms are actually not flowers but bracts. These bracts surround the actual flower which is tiny and white. This vine is thorny so be sure to consider this when choosing a location.
Care: Bougainvillea is ideal for containers and will tolerate dry, hot conditions. Grown as an annual, they are generally easy to care for. Monthly fertilizer will help the plant bloom into the late summer.
6. Calibrachoa
A mainstay in container arrangements, the Calibrachoa is a prolific bloomer that resembles tiny petunias. Calibrachoa will bloom all season long up until the first frost and comes in a vast selection of colors and patterns. Because of its trailing habit, it looks great in hanging baskets or containers.
Care: Ideally, Calibrachoa prefers 6 hours of sun or more, although it will tolerate less. Keep soil moist but not soggy. This plant enjoys some extra fertilizer and a late-season pruning.
7. Nemesia
Nemesia earns a spot on this list not only for its colorful blooms but for its versatility in the garden. Nemesia is usable as edging, groundcover, or in hanging baskets and containers. It is a bedding plant ranging from 1-2 feet. At their peak, the sheer number of blooms almost entirely hides the foliage.
Care: Once established, Nemesia needs little care. Keep the soil moist and, if blooms slow, prune the plant back by 1/3.
There you have it! There are so many amazing annuals to choose from and this list is far from complete. Both Sargent’s locations stock a huge selection of annuals ready to bring some color into your garden!
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