When designing your new garden, it can be difficult to know which types of flowers to choose. Should you go for annual plants or perennial plants? A good landscaping company will usually be able to advise you which is best for your garden, but here are some points worth considering if you are trying to make the decision yourself!
Annuals
An annual plant is one which completes its life cycle in a year – this means it lasts for only one season. Generally speaking, annuals can be divided into warm season plants and cool season plants, and they offer the opportunity for your garden to be different every year.
Perennials
Perennials, on the other hand, whilst short lived (many live only for 2-3 years), last more than one season. Most perennials have showy blooms and look great in gardens of all types, although they are not all as hardy as you might think!
Zones
Using ‘USDA Hardiness Zone Maps’ will help you to select plants which will thrive in your ‘zone’ or climate. These were first introduced in the 1900’s and have since been edited to reflect the changing world climate, but are a reliable source of information for any gardener wondering which plants are suitable for their garden. Landscape Contractors in Virginia Beach will often use zone maps to select plants and flowers. Information on zones is readily available online, but the Virginia Beach area falls in Zone 8 or Zone 9, with minimum annual temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that plants such as Coneflowers, Blazing Star and Globe Thistles (all low-maintenance perennials) will thrive in the Virginia Beach area. Reliable Landscape Contractors in Virginia Beach will be experienced in their industry and know exactly which type of flowers will be suitable for the climate in your garden!
The Choice is Yours
Whether to plant perennials or annuals is a personal choice, and largely depends on what you’re looking for from your garden. Whilst annuals require more maintenance and labor, they are more readily available than perennials, particularly in the spring. It’s often easier to visualize how annuals will look in your garden, as they are usually already in bloom when you purchase them! It’s also easier to start annuals from seed than perennials, which may require ordering from local suppliers in plant form. Perennials can also have a shorter flowering season than annuals, so if you’re looking for bright, vivid blooms that last a full season, then annuals may be the way to go! It’s easy to tire of looking at the same perennials year on year, so why not invest in a stock of perennials to plant but also include annuals for a splash of color and variety – choosing to fill your garden completely with annuals can be high maintenance and expensive.
Southern Roots Landscaping & Lawn Care are a professional company in Virginia Beach with over 55 years experience in the industry. They carry out a wide range of services for both residential and commercial properties, offering lawn services including mowing and aerating and landscape services including pruning and fertilizing shrubs. Southern Roots Landscaping & Lawn Care offer reliable Landscape Contractors Virginia Beach to carry out work and ensure their customers are 100% satisfied.
