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A beautiful, well-maintained border.

Annuals - Border Plants 2

Border annuals can do more than look pretty, they can support wildlife. Learn how to choose, sow, and care for quick flowers in your garden.

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Fascinating Fact:

Many annuals attract pollinators by providing nectar and pollen through summer. Leaving a few flowers to set seed can also feed birds later on.

Annual border plants are often used to plug gaps, soften edges, and add colour while slower plants settle in. You can plan a border so something is always flowering by mixing early, mid, and late-season annuals, or by sowing small batches a few weeks apart. Simple care makes a big difference: keep young plants evenly watered until roots spread, remove weeds so seedlings are not competing, and watch for problems like slugs, aphids, or scorching in hot weather. If a border is very dry or windy, choosing sturdier, bushier varieties can help the planting hold its shape without constant fixing.

Key Terms

Tender annual: A one-season plant that can be harmed by frost, so it needs warmth before it can grow well outside.
Pinching out: Removing the tip of a young stem to encourage the plant to branch and make a fuller shape.
Succession sowing: Sowing the same type of seed at different times so you get fresh plants and flowers over a longer period.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do I keep annual border plants flowering for longer?

Keep annuals watered during dry spells, remove faded blooms on most varieties, and give a light feed once buds appear, because steady growth supports ongoing flowering.

What are the easiest annual border flowers to grow from seed?

Many beginners start with quick growers such as marigolds, nasturtiums, and calendula, because the seeds are reliable and the plants cope well with typical garden conditions.

Can I save seeds from annual border plants for next year?

Yes, you can let a few healthy plants form dry seed heads, collect them on a dry day, and store them somewhere cool and dry, but some hybrids may not grow true to type.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the name of this species of Argyranthemum?

Photograph courtesy of pclphotography

A. fleurescens

A. frutescens

A. seedescens

A. vegescens

Sometimes called Marguerites.
Often confused with single-flowered Chrysanthemums.
Delicate foliage and sparkling white flowers make this a choice plant for a centrepiece.
There are also yellow flowering varieties.
It is sometimes trained as a 'standard' - ensure that no sideshoots develop near the base of the plant until the plant reaches the desired height.
Requires full sun and free drainage.

2 .

What is the scientific name for Monkey Flowers?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/jim-sf/

Mimosa

Mimulus

Mirabilis

Miscanthus

Seed is small but it germinates quite readily.
The plant should only be grown in situations where the soil in which it is growing can be kept moist. Some of its close relations are aquatic and bog plants.
Grows best if it is shaded from the sun in the heat of the day.
If growing from seed make sure that it is not planted out until after danger of frost has passed.

3 .

The Cosmos species most often seen in gardens (C. bipinnatus) has a common name derived from its country of origin - what is it?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/pepperazzi/

South African Daisy

Japanese Poppy

Mexican Aster

New Zealand Lily

In its native region Cosmos is a perennial but it is not hardy in the UK and therefore it is usually treated as an annual.
Seed merchants list many different varieties that come in an assortment of colours and heights.
Easy to grow from seed.
The taller varieties may need some support to ensure that the flower stems stay upright. Either resign yourself to staking them or plant them in a mixed border with sturdier plants around them.

4 .

The genus to which this plant belongs was named after who?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/maynard/

Claude Whisk

Frederic Brand

Gerald Vod

Jean Nicot

Available in a wide range of pinks, purples and whites
For something different and interesting you might also try a green flowered variety!
Looks sophisticated and also has a sweet smell in the evening.
Fairly easy and cheap to grow from seed.
Prefers full sun. It will flower in shade but the flower spikes tend to get leggy and fall over.

He presented tobacco (made from the genus Nicotiana) to the French royal court in the 1500s. Modern flowering strains of Nicotiana are a far cry from the very unexciting looking plant that is used to make cigarettes

5 .

This very showy annual plant has an unendearing name - what is it?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/martius/

Love Lies Bleeding

Love Lies Crying

Love Lies Dying

Love Lies Grieving

The scientific name is Amaranthus Caudatus.
Flowers can be either red or purple.
Grows extremely quickly to form a low bush.
Flowers in mid-summer and is much sought-after by flower arrangers at that time.
In good rich loam the plant often produces long tassles of flowers that are so heavy that they need supporting to keep them clear of the soil.

6 .

What is the common name for the Lavatera plant?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/ripplestone/

Fallow

Mallow

Sallow

Zallow

Grows rapidly and produces arching stems carrying the flowers.
Don't be tempted to crowd them in with other plants - Lavatera should be allowed at least a square metre.
Does very well in drought conditions and is particularly suited to sandy soils.
Even plants sold as annuals might flower a second year (they are very hardy) so cut them back to about 30 cms from the ground in the autumn and see what happens the next spring!

7 .

The name Coreopsis is derived from the Greek word meaning what?

Photograph courtesy of Alvesgaspar

Flower of the sun

Happy flower

Perpetual flower

Bedbug

Coreopsis are related to Sunflowers but the size of a Coreopsis flower does not approach that of a Sunflower.
It is the state flower of Florida in the USA.
Most varieties are perennial but some will flower in their first year from seed.
Grows best on sandy soil and to avoid flower stems that keel over make sure that it is not given an excess of nitrogen.
The more sun you give it the more flowers it will produce!

The fruits of the plant resemble bugs and in America the plant is sometimes called Tickseeds!

8 .

To which plant genus does the Pot Marigold belong?

Photograph courtesy of plantasyflores

Astilbe

Calendula

Gaillardia

Tagetes

Although the plant is usually known as Pot Marigold it should not be confused with the Marigolds that are often used in mass bedding displays and belong to another genus.
The plant is said to be a 'vulnerary agent' - it helps to heal and sooth wounds.
Has a reputation of attracting beneficial insects (like ladybirds) and repelling harmful insects (like aphids).
Sow seeds in the spring in the position where they are to flower.

9 .

What is the name of this popular summer cut flower?

Photograph courtesy of Markles55

Argyranthemum

Aster

Dahlia

Dianthus

The plant genus contains about 180 species.
Available in a wide range of colours - mainly pastel shades.
Very easy to grow from seed.
Flower size and shape as well as the height of the plant vary considerably. Read the seed packet to ensure that you get what you expect!
For best results plant in full sun.
Susceptible to attack by aphids so inspect the underside of the leaves frequently.

10 .

Scientifically this plant is known as Clarkia amoena. What is it more often called?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/pbouchard/

Gerbera

Godetia

Grevillea

Gypsophila

Sometimes also known as Farewell to Spring.
Almost always the flowers are a combination of pink (varying shades) and white.
Flower stems are fairly strong and sturdy enough to be used as cut flowers.
Like Zinnias, these plants do not like being transplanted so it is best to sow the seed in the soil where they will continue to grow.
Sow onto a moist seedbed and do not cover.

Author: Colin King

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