It’s planting season! Which means it’s a great time to plant annuals and perennials. But what are annuals and perennials?

annuals

Annuals are flowers you plant every year, or annually. They complete their life cycle in just one growing season. Although you have to replant them annually, they offer some beautiful benefits.

perennials

Perennials are plants that regrow every year. They’re smaller than shrubs and ornamental trees but come in various sizes. A perennial is a plant that lives for two or more years. But, perennials are amazing to plant because they offer the benefit of living for several years.

sun pattern

Annuals and Perennials give you an endless number of options when it comes to your outdoor garden and yard. There are Rain Gardens, Pollinator Gardens, Shade Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, and more! The creativity these beautiful plants give you is limitless.

However, it’s important to keep in mind the ‘sun pattern’ you’re working with because the success of your plants depends on it. A ‘sun pattern’ is a combination of full sun, part sun/shade, and shade areas. This includes shade or shadows moving from west to east in a clockwise pattern, opposite the sun moving east to west. Simply put, a ‘sun pattern’ is tracking the sun or shadows in your yard or area of planting.

Whether annual or perennial, each plant will have a ‘sun pattern’ it requires. Look for a tag or label in the plant, a plant nursery worker, or Google the ‘sun pattern’ it will need. However, the best way to figure out what ‘sun pattern’ you’re working with in your yard is to keep an eye on the desired area the next sunny day you have.

Watch where the sun is every couple of hours, noting if any shadows linger or where they pass. Check to be sure you don’t count a spot as sunny if it’s beneath some bare branches in Spring that will later foliate. When the tree foliates and leaves appear, that once sunny spot will be covered in shade.

It’s important to note if it’s morning sun, afternoon sun, or all-day sun that your area receives. The morning sun is softer and has more gentle rays. The afternoon sun is more intense and with blazing rays. All-day sun is similar to Afternoon Sun because it gets both soft morning rays and intense afternoon rays.

After you’ve watched your planting spot and noted the ‘sun pattern,’ you can then decide if your area is in the category of Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, or Shade.

full sun

Full sun is 6 or more hours of sun a day

part sun

Part sun is around 3-6 hours of sun a day. This would also be Morning Sun or Evening Sun but preferably not Afternoon Sun

part shade

Part Shade is pretty much the same as Part Sun. The plants will look for 3-6 hours of Morning Sun or Evening Sun. While remaining shaded from the Afternoon Sun under a tree or shaded by a building.

shade

Shade would be a plant that wants less than 3 hours of direct sun. The rest of the day would be either filtered sun or lightly shaded.

zone

To know what would be considered an Annual and a Perennial where you live, you’ll need to know what Zone you’re in. These ‘Zones’ are based on the average minimum winter temperature. In the United States, we have zones 1a-13b.

Zone 1 is the coldest zone, with minimum winter temperatures of -60 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 13 is the warmest zone, with minimum winter temperatures averaging 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you Google “What Plant Zone Am I In?” there will be a Zone Finder. It’s an easy-to-use website where you click the state you’re in and it gives you your zone number. However, the zone number is usually on the back of the plant tag as well.

my example: colorado

Currently, I reside in Northern Colorado which is Zone 5b. Here’s a list of what would be considered annuals and perennials in my area.

Annuals

Geraniums – Lantana – Petunia – Calibrachoa – Begonia – Alyssum – Gerbera Daisy – Impatiens – New Guinea Impatiens – Marigold – Zinnia – Dusty Miller – Snapdragon – Moss Ross – Sunflower – Coleus – Gladiolus Dahlia – Sweet Potato Vine – Cannas – Elephant Ear – Verbena

perennials

Yarrow – Butterfly Weed/Milkweed – Aster – Baptisia – Coreopsis – Delphinium – Dianthus – Coneflower – Joe Pye Weed – Daylily – Hibiscus – Shasta Daisy – Russian Sage – Garden Phlox – Black Eyed Susan – Salvia – Catmint – Creeping Phlox – Coneflower – Hollyhock – Bell Flower – Coral Bells – Bee Balm – Fern – Bleeding Heart – Ornamental Grass

get creative

The best part about annuals and perennials is how creative you can be. There are an endless number of options for whatever ‘sun pattern’ you may have.

Don’t forget to share pictures of your creations on our Facebook Page! – https://www.facebook.com/MorePlantsLessWaste