Perennials vs Annuals: One Can Save You More Money Then The Other One!
Perennials vs Annuals
When my friend first bought her home we were talking about what she had just planted in her yard, I listened as her excitement escalated while she told me she planted all these pretty flowers and how she’d have a full yard of blooms throughout the year. The problem was she had planted all annuals, spent an insane amount of money on them, and she had no idea the beauty of her yard would be short lived. As I struggled to find the words to tell her the sad news I realized that this is actually quite common with new home buyers. I hear about it all the time while shopping for new plants at the nurseries. The thing is, plants normally come with a tag that will say it’s an annual vs perennial but if you have no idea what that means then why would you pay attention to it. So what is the difference? Lets take a look at Perennials vs Annuals.
The short answer is an annual plant will germinate from seeds, grow, flower and then die off all within a year’s time. It will not be around to bloom again next year so you must replant every year if you want that plant in your garden. The plant does not need to grow a flower to be an annual; it’s just got to have the characteristic of not living past one year. Examples of common annual plants include most vegetable plants and flowers: marigold, daisy, angels trumpet, vinca, bachelor’s button, baby blue eyes, begonia, black eyed Susan, morning glory, poppies, cardoon, chamomile, and asters. This list is not conclusive; there are literally hundreds of annuals. In some instances, depending on climate, an annual won’t die or will appear as if it didn’t die when in reality the seeds from the old plant germinated, making it seem like it came back when it’s actually a brand new plant.
Perennials are plants that come back year after year. The top portion of the plant which is usually the part that produces a flower or fruit will bloom once a year or in some cases once a season but the actual plant will not die off and can stay in the flower bed and be productive year round. Typically, if it’s a flower or hard wood plant like a tree or bush it will bloom and then once the blooms are gone what’s left is a gorgeous shrubbery.
When landscaping around your home you can achieve gorgeous results by combining annuals with perennials in the same flower bed. You can sometimes find discounted perennials at the end of the season since their blooms have died off and they are no longer appealing to the eye. Look for these discounted plants at hardware or all purpose shopping centers. You won’t likely find these types of discounts at a nursery because landscapers shop primarily at nurseries and grab these deals as soon as they see them.
By planting more of the perennials vs annuals you will be saving money. As you will only need to by them one time and you will be able yo enjoy them year after year.
