ANNUAL FLOWERS

by Norby Bautista

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED What are annuals Advantages & Disadvantages Some of the common annuals Applications of Planting Annual Flowers Annuals in Landscaping

What are Annuals? Annuals are a group flowering plants which live only in one growing season, during which they grow, flower, and produce seed, thereby completing their life cycle.
Annuals die after they have produced seeds, thus, they are replaced by new plants on the next growing season.

What are Annuals?

Most belong to Compositae family Prolific seed producers High degree of biodiversity Some have tendency to become weeds and become wild or invasive. Main attractants of bees and butterflies

Advantages of Annuals
Short life cycle / fast growing Low maintenance, easy to grow Many colorful varieties to choose from Function as accents in landscaping Blooms in a relatively short time and continuously with sufficient light & water. Most produce seeds, easy to reproduce Mostly grown in open-sun. Versatile, sturdy & relatively cheap

Disadvantages of Annuals
Do not last long, need to be replaced after each growing season Planning and steps to be made to maintain plants for long period of time (entails some effort & expense) Plants are not true to type, many variants (sexually reproduced))

Disadvantages (Continued)
Also suffer from pest and diseases Some seeds have systemic viruses Some old seeds do not germinate Problems when transferring plants from one place into another (transport shock) Old flower heads must be removed regularly or else life cycle completes, plant dies. Old plants becomes ugly and need to be replaced (proper planning).

Steps in Annual Flowers Production

Selection of seeds / planting material of chosen hybrid / variety Soil preparation / Plot preparation Germination Transplanting / Direct seeding Watering Fertilization Pest Management insects, slugs, fungus Choosing your planting area.

What are some of the Species, Hybrids, or Varieties to choose from?

Ageratum -- Ageratum sp .

With insecticidal and nematicide properties

Chichirika / Periwinkle -- Vinca rosea / hybrid

With anti-cancer properties * Many new ornamental hybrids

Wax Begonia -- Begonia rex

Often used in dish gardens in shaded areas

Calendula (Field Marigold) -- Calendula sp .

Closely related to Marigolds (Tagetes )

Celosia -- Celosia sp .

Celosia -- Celosia sp .

Coleus -- Coleus sp .

Coleus -- Coleus sp .

Spider Flower -- Cleome sp .

Seeds similar to snails

Cosmos -- Cosmos sp.

Dahlia -- Dahlia sp. & hybrids

Gazania -- Gazania sp.

Often used as a ground cover

Kamantigue -- Impatiens sp.

Lantana -- Lantana camara

Marigold -- Tagetes erecta

Moss Rose -- Portulaca grandiflora

Petunia -- Petunia hybrids

Snapdragons Antirrhinum sp.

Sunflower -- Helianthus annuus

Verbena Verbena hybrids annuus

Zinnia Zinnia sp. & hybrids

Applications of Annual Flowers Living Wreath

Applications of Annual Flowers Everlasting Floral Garlands ( Compositae) -- Shasta Daisy

Applications Colorful ground cover

Borders

Applications Landscaping

Applications Landscaping Display

Applications Landscaping

Applications Landscaping

Applications Landscaping

Landscaping (King Louis at PHS Garden Show)

Note: Experiment with color, height, texture, and form. If a mistake is made, it's only for one growing season.

Know the growing habit of your plant. Annuals are useful for filling in spaces until permanent plants are installed. Use annuals in groups of the same type or color

Applications Window flowerbox

Applications Shaped Garden Design

Applications Decorations in Floats

Applications flower arrangements

Applications Dried annual flowers

Applications Dried pressed flowers for slam books, book mark, and scented dried flower art

Applications Dried annual flowers

Applications inspiration for oil painting

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING MAGANDANG HAPON PO!!!

Count your garden by the flowers, Never by the leaves that fall. Count your days by golden hours, Don't remember clouds at all . . . Count your nights by stars, not shadows, Count your life with smiles, not tears. And all throughout your lifetime, Count your age by friends, not years.