Annual flowers live only one growing season, during which they grow, flower, and produce seed, thereby completing their life cycle. Annuals are versatile, sturdy, and relatively inexpensive. They are easy to grow, produce instant color, and bloom for most of the growing season.

Annuals offer the gardener a chance to experiment with color, height, texture, and form. If a mistake is made, it's only for one growing season. Annuals are useful for filling in spaces until permanent plants are installed, to extend perennial beds and fill in holes where an earlier perennial is gone or the next one has yet to bloom; to cover areas where spring bulbs have bloomed and died back; and to fill planters, window boxes, and hanging baskets.

The University of Illinois Extension has created a Web site titled "Gardening with Annuals" that includes a comprehensive directory of annuals and guides for specific uses and planting locations. But the best way to make wise choices is to check with the garden professionals at Reds. We'll help you select the best annuals for your purpose and design, resulting in a garden that is both aesthetic and functional.

Ageratum

Alyssum

Aster

Begonia

Celosia

Cleome

Coleus

Dusty Miller

Hypoestes

Impatiens

Marigolds

Nicotiana

Pansy

Phlox

Portulanca

Salvia

Snap Dragon

Stocks

Verbena

Vinca

Viola

Zinnia