Index of Hardy Annuals
Hardy Annuals are the cheapest and easiest way to fill your garden with colour. The following selection are suitable for growing in domestic gardens in Great Britain (England/Scotland/Ireland):
Agrostemma
Corn-cockle
Atriplex
Orach
Bassia scoparia
Fire Bush
Brassica oleracea
Ornamental Cabbage
Calendula
Pot Marigold
Centaurea
Cornflower
Cerinthe
Honeywort
Chrysanthemum
Crown daisy
Dimorphotheca
Cape Daisy
Eschscholzia
California poppy
Godetia
Farewell to Spring
Helianthus Annuus
Annual Sunflower
Lathyrus odoratus
Sweet Pea
Lavatera
Mallow
Limnanthes douglasii
Poached egg plant
Linaria
Toadflax
Linum
Flax
Lobularia maritima
Sweet alyssum
Matthiola
Stock
Malcolmia
Virginia Stock
Nemophila
Baby blue-eyes
Nicandra
Shoo-fly
Nigella
Love in the mist
Orlaya
Laceflower
Papaver
Garden/field poppy
Phacelia
Fiddleneck
Tropaeolum
Nasturtium
Reseda
Mignonette
Hardy Annuals are usually sown in the spring to flower in the same year. Alternatively, they can be sown in the autumn to flower early the following year. Once flowering has finished the plants die naturally. However, many varieties will reseed themselves in the garden to grow again the next year. Most varieties are frost hardy and will withstand cold weather quite well.
There are many varied forms available. Every year seed producers create new strains with ever widening ranges of flower shapes, sizes, colour and growth habits. Most varieties are very easy to grow from seed. Generally all they need once germinated is frequent watering, some feeding and regular dead-heading to encourage a continuous display all summer long.
The most popular Hardy Annual of all time is the Sweet Pea, Lathyrus odoratus.