In this section we are concerned only with annual ornamental plants – fruit and vegetables are dealt with in separate sections of the Education Quizzes website. In the strictest sense an annual plant is one that completes its life cycle and then dies all within the same year but in gardening things are never that simple.
Many plants that are really perennials (living for more than a year and possibly fruiting and flowering for many years) are usually thought of as annuals. Take for instance Geraniums and Impatiens (Busy Lizzies); in their native habitat these plants often live for several years but in the UK they would inevitably perish during the winter so we look upon them as annuals. We have embraced the loose classification of annuals that defines them as plants that will be with the gardener for less than a year before propagation is once again necessary.
We must also offer a few words of clarification on what we consider to be 'bedding plants', 'container plants' and 'border Plants'. The truth is that each of the 50 plants in these quizzes could be classified under any of these headings depending upon how the gardener chooses to use them. These are the broad definitions that we have adhered to:
Bedding Plants: Often seen in mass displays all of the same variety. These are the species that are often seen in colourful summer displays in local authority parks and seaside resorts in the UK. Subjects include Marigolds, Geraniums and Impatiens.
Border Plants: Sometimes used in bedding schemes but not generally so well adapted to mass plantings and therefore likely to be seen in small planting schemes or as a part of a border containing mixed species. In here you will find varieties such as Dianthus, Gaillardia and Argyranthemums.
Container Plants: These are varieties that are most frequently seen in patio containers and hanging baskets. Usually they are fairly low-growing and often they have a trailing habit that gives an added level of interest to the containers in which they are planted.
