Amazing Selection of Annual Plants at our Ennis, TX Garden Center

Advantages Of Planting Annual Plants

Unlike perennial flowers, that only grow if they compatible with the year-round local climate, annual flowers give you far more versatility. Although they cannot survive a severe drop in temperature, during the main growing season they provide unsurpassed beauty to your landscape.

• You can choose different flowers each year, trying out the latest trends in garden design
• Annuals can be planted along a border, in beds, in containers and hanging baskets to add color anywhere
• There is no need to maintain annuals by pruning and dividing the roots
• You have options for a much broader range of colors, shapes and textures
• Annuals grow quickly, filling in your gardens with lush foliage and copious blossoms
• Some perennials only bloom in the spring, and your annuals step right in to ensure you always have colorful blossoms
• Certain annuals will "self-sow", producing seeds at the end of the season that will germinate next spring
• They attract honey bees and butterflies

Tips For Growing Healthy Annuals

A season-long show of eye-catching flowers begins with planting annuals in beds or containers. Knowing when to plant and how to care for them will get your growing season off to a good start.

Planting

Some annuals prefer the cooler, fall weather while others love the sizzle of the summer sun. At our garden center, we carry the species that are appropriate for the season. The best way to introduce tender plants to your yard is on a cloudy day or in the cool of the evening. This reduces the sun stress on the plant as they acclimatize to the new soil. If you must plant under the full sun, find a way to provide temporary shade. Be sure to water the plants in their seedling containers first, and then gently remove them by squeezing or pushing up from the container bottom.

Watering 

Immediately after planting, use a watering can or hose with a sprayer nozzle to deliver a gentle shower of water. Thoroughly soak the soil, taking care not to disturb the roots. Use gardening cloth or mulch to help prevent weeds and slow down the moisture evaporation from the soil. Follow the plant-care instructions that come with the seedling pots for ongoing watering needs. Our garden center staff are happy to advise you on how to water annuals for the Ennis climate.

Deadheading 

"Deadheading" plants means to remove the spent, shriveled-up blossoms. This helps to revive the plant and stimulate it to produce more blossoms. For soft-stemmed plants, this can easily be done by pinching the stem under the blossom between your thumb and forefinger. For tougher stems, use a garden pruning tool. This allows the plant to channel energy into new flowers, rather than to produce seeds. However, if you plan on collecting seeds from the blossoms once they have matured, do not deadhead the plants!

Annual Plants for Ennis, Texas

Annuals are flowers that grow very quickly, and complete their life cycle within one growing season - from spring to fall. Some prefer shade, while others prefer the full sun. Certain native plant species grow better in the heat of the summer, while others prefer the fall weather. Hardy annuals can take light frost, but cannot survive when the temperature remains at or below freezing.

Warm Season 

• Zinnias - easy to grow double-daisy-like flowers in a variety of sizes and a spectacular array of colors
• Pentas - flowers with pretty 5-pointed petals that come in a profusion of rich jewel tones
• Periwinkle (vinca) - a quickly spreading ground cover with deep green leaves and periwinkle-blue flowers
• Purslane - this hot-weather-loving annual has bright, succulent leaves with yellow, orange, rose or white blooms
• Begonias - this easy-to-grow annual does well in containers, producing interesting leaves and blossoms in a variety of colors
• Sweet Potato Vine - grown for its bright, colorful foliage, its leaves come in shades of chartreuse, purple, bronze, copper and black
• Coleus - also grown for its stunning foliage, this sun-tolerant plant comes in everything from emerald green to purple to magenta
• Purple Fountain Grass - a drought-tolerant annual with a dense clump of purple-maroon leaves topped by red-rose plumes
• Petunias - a popular, fast-growing annual, it comes in a dazzling array of colors - white, black, reds, dark crimson, purples, salmon, yellow and pink

Cool Season 

• Pansies- this annual features blossoms with soft, velvety "faces" in yellow, purple and maroon
• Violas- easy to care for, this flower produces blooms with delicate "faces" in purple, lavender, yellow and white
• Mums- a favorite among landscapers, this plant comes in a wide variety of colors - white, yellow, maroon, pink, gold, deep red, bronze, orange, violet, and purple
• Snapdragons- with blossoms that resemble the face of a dragon, these gorgeous annuals come in white, yellow, pink, red, orange, peach, purple and violet
• Dianthus- a member of the carnation family, this annual produces spicy, fragrant blossoms in red, purple, white and pink
• Dusty Miller- grown for its unusual silvery gray lacy foliage, it is an attractive companion to other blooms in your garden
• Cabbage Pail- these ornamental cabbages, also called flowering kale add rosettes of color to your garden in red, pink or white pigments
• Cyclamen- this exotic-looking annual has deep green, heart-shaped leaves and swept-back pink petals resembling shooting stars

Visit Us At Our Ennis, TX Garden Center

At Tex-Scapes Nursery and Landscape, we locally-owned, making us the experts in knowing what grows well in our area and where to plant, depending on the amount of sun exposure in your yard. No other plants will give you the burst of color that annual plants do. If you don't have time in your busy schedule to plant your annual flower garden, take advantage of our professional landscape installation services. Feel free to contact us or drop by the nursery to be inspired by our fine selection of seasonal annuals.