Wolcott Garden Treasures
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Annuals vs. Perennials
So what is the difference between annuals and perennials, anyway? Well, the answer is actually pretty simple: annuals are plants that die each year and must be replanted and perennials come back on their own year after year.
Annuals (see a list of our annuals)
Annuals are generally long-blooming and most will last from mid-May into September (although a few varieties, like pansies, often cannot make it through the heat of July). Because they look so nice for so long, they're a great choice for hanging baskets.
Given just the right circumstances, some annuals will actually come back in the next blooming season, but those cases are few and far between, especially given our harsh growing conditions here in Connecticut. Mums are a good example of a true perennial that is considered an annual in this climate. Mums that are planted when the buds are still tightly closed (around August) stand a decent chance of coming back the next year, but that's much earlier than most New Englanders are even thinking of mums. Even when planted perfectly, they often will not make it through the winter.
Dahlias are another exception to the rule - technically they're tubers, not annuals, but they are treated as annuals in this climate. If you dig up your dahlias after their blooms have passed, you can store them with no water or food in a cool, dark place (like your basement) over the winter and replant when the weather has warmed up. But again, because of the climate, digging up and replanting isn't a sure thing.
For the most part, annuals are a trade off - they're fairly inexpensive and give you lots of summer visual interest, but they do need to be replaced every year. For the most bang for your buck, though, perennials are a better choice.
Perennials (see a list of our perennials)
Perennials are typically more expensive than annuals, but they will come back year after year. Another benefit of perennials is the ease of maintenance. Once planted, feed them, water them, and they'll keep looking great for years to come.
On the down side, most perennials only bloom for a couple weeks out of the year, although many have foliage that looks beautiful throughout the spring and summer, and even the fall. There are also some longer-blooming perennials, that will bloom anywhere from several weeks to a couple months. Not a bad deal!
Annuals (see a list of our annuals)
Annuals are generally long-blooming and most will last from mid-May into September (although a few varieties, like pansies, often cannot make it through the heat of July). Because they look so nice for so long, they're a great choice for hanging baskets.
Given just the right circumstances, some annuals will actually come back in the next blooming season, but those cases are few and far between, especially given our harsh growing conditions here in Connecticut. Mums are a good example of a true perennial that is considered an annual in this climate. Mums that are planted when the buds are still tightly closed (around August) stand a decent chance of coming back the next year, but that's much earlier than most New Englanders are even thinking of mums. Even when planted perfectly, they often will not make it through the winter.
Dahlias are another exception to the rule - technically they're tubers, not annuals, but they are treated as annuals in this climate. If you dig up your dahlias after their blooms have passed, you can store them with no water or food in a cool, dark place (like your basement) over the winter and replant when the weather has warmed up. But again, because of the climate, digging up and replanting isn't a sure thing.
For the most part, annuals are a trade off - they're fairly inexpensive and give you lots of summer visual interest, but they do need to be replaced every year. For the most bang for your buck, though, perennials are a better choice.
Perennials (see a list of our perennials)
Perennials are typically more expensive than annuals, but they will come back year after year. Another benefit of perennials is the ease of maintenance. Once planted, feed them, water them, and they'll keep looking great for years to come.
On the down side, most perennials only bloom for a couple weeks out of the year, although many have foliage that looks beautiful throughout the spring and summer, and even the fall. There are also some longer-blooming perennials, that will bloom anywhere from several weeks to a couple months. Not a bad deal!
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