Easy-Care and No Fuss Annuals

SummerPlant Lists
Written By Guest User

There is an annual for every difficult spot, and here are our top picks for the toughest and easiest annuals to grow.

Hot and Dry 

Annuals that thrive in hot and dry conditions begin growing once warmer temperatures have really settled in, so don’t rush to plant these ones out. Availability of the most drought and heat tolerant annuals also increases towards the end of May. These are our favourite annuals for hot and dry gardens.

  • Hanging Baskets for hot and dry

    • Gazania

    • Portulaca

    • Lantana

    • Scaevola

    • Diascia

  • Bedding for hot and dry

    • Zinnia

    • Cleome

    • Celosia

    • Cosmos

    • Marigold

Shade

Gardens without direct sunlight can still be colourful, so don’t let the shade dampen your gardening spirit. Growing best in the dark corners of your porch and gardens, these annuals thrive with little light. 

  • Hanging Baskets for shade

    • Fuchsia

    • Dragon Wing Begonia

    • Browallia

    • Creeping Jenny

    • Torenia

  • Bedding for shade

    • Impatiens

    • Wax Begonia

    • Plectranthus

    • Coleus

    • Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister' 

Deer

You have deer, but you still want colour! Deer avoid highly fragrant plants or plants with fuzzy foliage. If you live somewhere with heavy deer pressure use Bobbex or Plant Skyd on newly planted annuals. Here are your best options for deer-resistant annuals. **And apologies in advance if deer didn’t get the memo.

  • Hanging Baskets - deer resistant

    • Geranium

    • Helichrysum (Licorice Plant)

    • Lantana

    • Ageratum

    • Nasturtium

  • Bedding - deer resistant

    • Salvia

    • Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)

    • Snapdragon

    • Marigold

    • Cleome

Our Top 10 Favourite Low-maintenance Annuals For Containers and Bedding

With all the annuals to choose from, what are our favourites? These annuals require minimal care, are forgiving with forgetful waterers, and when planted in the conditions they are best suited to perform beautifully all season long.

Top 10 Favourite Low-maintenance Annuals For Containers

  1. Geranium

  2. Nemesia

  3. Calibrachoa

  4. Fuchsia

  5. Ipomoea (Sweet potato vine)

  6. Impatiens

  7. Diamond Frost Euphorbia

  8. Verbena

  9. Scaveola

  10. Lysimachia


Top 10 Favourite Low-maintenance Annuals For Bedding

  1. Salvia

  2. Zinnia

  3. Marigold

  4. Cosmos

  5. Nicotiana

  6. Dahlia

  7. Coleus

  8. Geranium

  9. Rudbeckia

  10. Sweet Peas

Now it’s time to make a trip to the nursery to pick up some seeds or plants and start planting!

Guest User
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