Annuals or Perennials?
I’m planting flowers, but can’t decide on a perennial or an annual! What to do? Don’t fret, this is a common concern and question here at our garden centre in Calgary!
Let’s take a glance at annuals first. Annuals live, as the name suggests, for only one year. Generally, they’re in full blossom during their lifetime, and their bloom lasts longer as the seasons roll towards winter than their perennial cousins. That means you’ll have a garden with explosive beauty that lasts right up until the bite of winter. However, annuals generally don’t come back. If you’re lucky, and the season treats your flowers well, these flowers can go to seed - but gardener to gardener, I wouldn’t count on a flourishing annual garden year after year. If you like planting your flowers every year, consider planting annuals!
Now, this is where perennials stand apart from their cousins. Perennials are hardy plants that should stick around for years. These plants survive due to a deep and thick root structure. They blossom in the warm seasons, and recede into the ground as soon as the weather chills. Perennials may be equally as beautiful, but their blooming season is much shorter. While perennials are dormant, they will appear dead and dried out. But don’t worry, they’re likely alive and well in the warmth of the Earth. As an added bonus to planting perennials, these plants have a slight weed deterrent quality. Since weeds depend on their roots - as all plants do - and perennials have strong tried-and-true root structures, perennials tend to win out on their space race. So if you like a garden that’s easy to tend, with plants that come back year after year, consider planting perrenials.
And remember, we’re your garden centre in Calgary; and we carry annuals, perrenials, and much more!