What is an annual, biennial or perennial?
• An annual is a plant that grows, flowers and dies during one season. • A perennial is a plant that continues to grow and flower more than two years (the top growth of some perennials dies back each year, while others maintain foliage year-round). • A biennial is a plant that completes its life cycle in two years. Among the most popular biennials started from seed at this time of year are: Sweet William, hollyhocks, foxglove, wallflower, forget-me-nots, pansies, snapdragons and Canterbury bells. Perennials offer both permanence and, by proper selection, flower colors that span the color spectrum. Many of the rockery perennials may be started from seed at this time of year. They include: golden alyssum (basket of gold), English daisy aubrietia, arabis (snow-on-the-mountain), candytuft, and armeria. The taller growing perennials include: hardy carnations, dusty miller, lupines, tritomas, columbine, phlox, geum, babysbreath, primroses, poppies and delphinium. Many of the seeds of biennia
