You need to combine annuals and perennials. This should be a given for anyone who likes flowers.
You say that you want lots of bloom but you only want plants that come up every year? You say that you only want those things that flower from May through October? Get over it.
Perennials are a must for landscapes not only because they return to delight us season after season. Because some of these plants grace our gardens with flowers early in the season and others later in the summer, perennial plants offer an ever-changing dance of color. Many have foliage that is textured, variegated or multi-hued as well. You definitely want perennials.
Annuals are also a garden necessity for flower lovers. Yes, you have to plant them every spring, but most reward you with summer-long bloom. They provide the bridge color in between perennial flowering and knit all the garden players together. Not only that, but you can choose different annuals every year and completely alter the complexion of your flowerbeds.
If your garden contains annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, you will be delighted by a kaleidoscope of color from spring through fall.
Gardens teach us flexibility. The plants are saying, “You only want plants that come back every year? Snap out of it!”
In my entry garden all perennials that flower before June 20th get cut to the ground in early July. This opens up valuable realestate for annuals. In this photo you can see Profusion Zinnias in the foreground, and Sedona Coleus in the middle of the photo. Coleus are especially great to add into perennial gardens in July...they grow quickly, and most of the new varieties do well in sun or shade and don't flower until late in the season.
