Annual? Perennial? Biennial? Which Is Which

Learning how long a plant is going to last in your garden is crucial, especially when your planning a garden, because you may want a permanent garden, something you can create and admire for years to come. Or you may want to rotate colour with the seasons. There is a big difference. 

Let's dive straight in.

What is an annual? It is just that, it is a plant that generally completes it lifecycle in one year.  It will start as a seed, germinate, grow, flower, set seed and die, all within one year.

These will commonly be found in punnets  or 'potted colour' in your local nursery, they include things like:

. Petunia

. Pansy

. Celosia

. Portulaca

. Impatiens

. Zinnia

. Marigolds

Perennial plants are those that tend to last multiple years, or at least two plus, although there are some, such as gerbras, then will go dormant some parts of the year. Perennials tend to be things like:

. Lavender

. Salvia

. Gaura

. Geranium

. Cosmos

. Sedum

. Penstemon

Biennial plants fall nicely in between, these are plants that take two years to complete their lifecycle. These are plants such as:

. Foxglove

. Delphinium

. Hollyhock

No matter what you buy, it will fall into one of these groups. Have a look at your local nursery or join a local garden club, this will give you an idea of what is right to plant now, and, how long it will be with you.