When it comes to planting flowers in your garden, many people will opt to plant perennials over annual flowers. This is because the former returns each year, and saves you time and energy in regards to re planting the next season.
But, despite this, you can’t negate the vibrant and unusual beauty displayed by annual flowers.
It’s nice to have a few of these in your garden for the summer time, as they display incredibly eye-catching blooms, and they’re also regarded as being incredibly low maintenance.
Indeed, annual flowers tend to be far harder than perennials, making them a great choice for those who are new to the hobby.
In addition to this, planting annual flowers allows you to experiment with different canvases of colors, so that you can see which schemes work in your garden and which don’t.
The great thing is that because they’re not permanent, you can really go well and plant a ton of these.
The thing is that many of us already know some of the more popular varieties of annual flowers out there, such as chrysanthemums, and cornflowers, and it can feel a bit tricky trying to find new and unusual ones to plant.
Thankfully, that’s where we come in. Below, we’ve compiled this handy guide that will take you through some of the more unusual annual flowers out there, providing photographs and information along the way. To find out more, simply keep reading below.
1. Flower Of An Hour
Why not start off our list with this delicate little flower? The flower of an hour has received its name from having an unusually limited bloom time for annuals. It’s formed from delicate white petals that sometimes have a pinkish tinge at the edges.
As well as this, it has a somewhat striking center point that’s formed from a darkish purple, and bright flower. This is a great filler flower if you’re looking for such a thing for your flower beds.
It’s good at filling up gaps, and also makes a good transition between two different colored flowers. This one grows easily in beds and containers, and is incredibly low maintenance in terms of care.
Despite the fact that this flower only lasts one day, they will continue to grow and form new buds all throughout the summer season. They like full sunlight, and when the weather is particularly cloudy outside, they don’t tend to come out fully.
2. Cosmos
If you’re looking for an incredibly striking annual flower, then we’d recommend that you take a closer look at the cosmos flower. The cosmos is known for having incredibly large, yet very thin petals, that can range in terms of color.
Typically however, they tend to be a mid-ish pink, and really stand out from the crowd. Some of you may notice that they’re a little bit similar to daisies in terms of appearance, and this is because of their thick yellow centerpoint.
They’re great for beginner gardeners, as they’re super easy to take care of and require very little hassle.
3. Dahlia
Some of you reading this list may already be familiar with Dahlias, especially if you’re already an avid gardener, but they’re still worth mentioning purely for their beauty and unusual appearance alone.
We truly think that no summer garden would be complete without these vibrant blooms. Dahlias are incredibly thick flowers, with multiple cone-like petals sprouting out from each bud.
You can purchase them in a variety of different colors, but one of the most popular is a simple medium pink. They’re considered to be annual flowers, but take care, because they can be overwintered.
They’re great if you want a stand out flower in your garden, because these ones can actually grow up to four feet tall in terms of height, making them a real eye catcher.
They need to be planted very deep in the soil in order to emerge, and following on from this, they’ll require lots of water and sunlight in order to thrive.
4. Gerbera Daisy
We honestly think that this is one of the most beautiful annual flowers on our entire list, and features an incredibly beautiful, pale peach colored bloom. This one is a part of the Daisy family, and has several, thin petals that sprout out of a brownish center.
The petals themselves are pastel, and have an incredibly dusky appearance that makes them stand out of the crowd.
These flowers are relatively easy to take care of for novice gardeners, but bear in mind that they will need to be pruned on a regular basis. Apart from this, they thrive in full sunlight, and require very little maintenance.
5. South African Foxglove
Now, we’ve all seen the beauty that is the foxglove flower in our time, but have you ever seen this beautiful South African variety?
The ones that we typically see tend to be a bright fuschia in terms of color, whereas these can be described as either being white, or a baby pink. They’re highly unusual, and bloom anywhere from midsummer to fall.
You’ll need to germinate these indoors, then transplant them when the period of frost has passed. They’re pretty easy to take care of, as they’re almost fully drought tolerant.
These make a really good cutting flower, and they look beautiful when paired with other blooms.
If you look closely enough, the petals themselves have very thin, purple veins going through them. This makes them perfect for pairing with deeper, darker varieties of purple flowers.
6. Moonflower
If you’re looking for a slightly more unusual looking flower to plant in your garden this summer, then we’d recommend that you take a closer look at the Moonflower.
This flower is hauntingly beautiful, and received its name because it doesn’t close up at nightfall like many of its other counterparts. This flower is used to tropical climates, and so it adores to be in areas of full sunlight.
One of the most interesting things about this flower is that it can actually grow up to 15 feet high, so make sure that you’re planting this one in an area where it has plenty of space to grow.
In terms of soil, it likes moist soil, but isn’t too fussy about being watered regularly, and won’t wither and die if you miss a session. The bloom itself has an almost dome like appearance, and the petals envelope around the center of the bud.
They’re a stark white in terms of appearance, and are surrounded by deep green leaves, which really help to emphasize the color of the blooms.
7. Tassel Flower
This is another, lesser known annual flower that you might not have seen or heard of before. The Tassel Flower is known for enjoying areas of full sun, and plenty of damp soil so it can thrive.
In terms of where to place these in your garden, they’re known for looking particularly fetching around borders, as they’re the perfect height.
Some people say that these flowers look transparent, but that’s just because of the camouflage effect that the stems produce.
The stems blend into their surroundings because of the particular shade of green that they have, and the bright, reddish, orange flowers seem to stand in mid air as a result.
These look great when paired with bolder, larger, and more noticeable annual flowers, and would make a great addition to any bed.
8. Morning Glory
This is one of the most ethereal looking annual flowers on our entire list, and boasts a large lilac bloom. They have several different shades running through them, and the petals are all joined together by a pinkish stripe running down each of the divides.
The center is a beautiful bright, pastel yellow color that is super visually pleasing to look at. The trumpet-like appearance of these flowers really helps them to stand out from the crowd.
In order to open fully, the blooms need to be planted in areas where they can receive full sunlight, as well as plenty of damp soil.
Bear in mind that despite these flower’s immeasurable beauty, they are also poisonous, so make sure children and pets are monitored around them.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this article has provided you with some inspiration to get gardening today. There are lots of unusual annual flowers out there that can brighten up your space.
I love sharing my experiences with individuals in this community, and I enjoy sharing some of the best tips I have learned over the years caring for my own garden at home.
In my articles, you will find the best flowers, most fragrant flowers you can plant in your garden, how to care for your favorite plants, informative guides and how-tos so you can have the best backyard in town!
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