The Great Debate: Annuals Vs. Perennials
When it comes to commercial spaces, bright colors and fresh scents create a welcoming environment that entices guests to stop by and stay awhile. Flowers are the easiest way to bring bright colors and fragrances to a landscape, but there is an overwhelming variety available. These varieties not only bring different hues, shapes, and textures to a landscape, but they also have different bloom times and lifespans.
Among landscape enthusiasts, potentially the biggest debate is between choosing annuals or perennials. Read on to learn more about these plant properties.
Get to know your flowers
While annual and perennial flowers may look alike to an untrained eye, a key difference is their lifespans which require particular placement and maintenance. Annuals only grow for one season, and perennials grow for many seasons. Strategic planting and expert maintenance can help create bright blooms throughout an entire landscape. For example - after installation, perennials sleep (first year), creep (second year) and leap (third year) – so annuals can be a great way to fill in bare spots until perennials get established.
So, what are the differences in care between annuals and perennials?
Annuals...
- Quick bloom times can provide immediate bright colors, making annuals a better flower for planters
- Require more frequent watering than perennials
- Require specific amounts of moisture, sunlight, and shade or else they will not thrive
Perennials...
- Need to fully establish a root system before flowering, which can take up to three years
- Are often native plants that don’t require as much monitoring and maintenance as annuals
- Can be moved and divided easily because of their hardiness
- Require less frequent watering than annuals
Which type of plant is better?
The best bet to get year-round color and fragrance on a property is to use both annual and perennial flowers. Annuals can offer instant splashes of color while perennials are establishing their roots, and perennials provide more bang for your buck thanks to their hardy nature. Thoughtful landscape planning can get you the best of both worlds.
