Annuals 'necessary for constant colour'

17:46 31st March 2008

Annuals are a necessity if a gardener wishes to be able to enjoy colourful space, it has been asserted.

Jerry Wittmann, a gardening expert at Green Thumb International Nursery, tells online resource the Signal that the blooms are the only things that will flower for a full six months.

"Perennials will bloom for only six or eight weeks, then they are just a green shrub for the rest of the year. So for constant colour, annuals are vital," he adds.

If horticulturalists wish to create a garden which looks different every year then they could invest in different annuals and varied colours.

Mr Wittmann suggests opting for some hybrid-colour varieties of existing favourites such as petunias, begonias and marigolds to achieve a different look in the garden.

In related news, online resource Tyrone Today's Garden Helper suggested in recent days that crowded perennials should be lifted and separated as April approaches.