Many of our guests consider browsing through our greenhouses and choosing their annuals, to be among  the most wonderful rites of spring.  We feature a vast selection of both common and uncommon annuals.  We carry plants that love the sun, plants that prefer the shade, and those that will tolerate some of each.  We also offer fragrant and non-fragrant plants, upright and trailing plants.  We have such a huge variety,  it would take far too long to list each one by name.  But to give you a better idea of our selection, if you have never ventured here before, we present you with some from each of the following categories.

Annuals that Love Full Sun

Most congenial for gardeners with a southern or western exposure.  There are some annuals that may tolerate light shade or partial shade, but much prefer full sun.  These plants include:  ageratum, amaranth, angelonia, baby's breath, bachelor's buttons, california poppy, canna lily, african or cape daisies, asters, cigar flowers, cleome, cobbitty daisies, cosmos, cup & saucer flowers and vines, dahlberg daisy, dianthus, dwarf morning glory, feverfew, fountain grass, gaura, gazania, geraniums, globe amaranth, heliotrope, hollyhock, ice plant, lantana, lavatera, love-in-a-mist, sunflowers, million bells, nemesia, ornamental cabbage, osteospermums, painted tongue, pansy, petunia, poppies, portulaca, salvia, snapdragon, statice, stock, strawflower, sunflower, swan river daisy, sweet alyssum, sweet pea, verbena and zinnia.

Place me in the Shade

There are also annuals that may be able to tolerate light sun or partial sun, but greatly prefer the shade.  Plants that prefer full shade, light shade or partial shade include:  tuberous begonias and scabiosa, bacopa, coleus, fuchsia, impatiens, lobelia, vinca ( both myrtle & periwinkle) and wishbone flower.

Fragrant Annuals

Some people prefer plants that celebrate the art of perfume created in an outside environment.  Our fragrant annuals include: evening stock (strong, lily-like scent) nicotania and night flocks (unscented by day but fragrant in the evening)  heliotrope (lovely, cherry-vanilla scent)   four-o'clock (many of these have a refreshing, orange blossom scent)  tuberose (most fragrant in late summer when at fullest bloom) and of course, the sweet pea (one of the most sweetly charming and cherished scents of any annual).

Annuals That Attract Hummingbirds

The hummingbird is a tiny guest that many people enjoy seeing in their yard.  If you want hummingbirds, put your pastels away.  With rare exceptions, these adorable little acrobats are attracted to  bright, vivid reds, deep pinks, bold purples, strong corals and deep or daring yellows.  In terms of shape, they are very fond of long, tubular shaped blossoms.

To welcome more hummingbirds to your place, see our selection of snapdragons, fuchsia, impatiens, nicotania, hummingbird vines, nasturtium, salvia, cosmos, plus trailing petunias and calibrachoa - both great in hanging baskets so you can encourage hummingbirds to visit near windows, porch railings or patio decks.

Caution - please remember not to use conventional pesticides near a hummingbird gathering place.  To get enough protein, these little birds need to feed on small insects, so they may be harmed by the chemical residue.  To attract even more hummingbirds, you can also purchase hummingbird feeders - we usually have a fine supply of them in stock.

Annuals That Attract Butterflies

To attract butterflies to your yard, you can choose from a large range of flower types, heights and colours.  Common annuals that attract butterflies include: ageratum, common sunflower, cosmos, candytuft, heliotrope, lantana, marigold, nasturtium, nicotania, petunia, salvia, scabiosa, snapdragon, statice, sunflower, sweet alyssum, verbena and zinnia.

Butterflies are also attracted to certain herbs that provide either a nectar or larval food source.  Those include: catnip, chives, dill, lavender, mint, parsley, and sweet fennel. During the growing season, we always have an abundant supply of annuals and herbs that beckon butterflies.

Plants with clusters of flowers or bigger blooms appeal to butterflies since such plants provide a larger landing pad.  In terms of dining ease, finding annuals of the same kind growing in large masses, is a reason to party for butterflies, since they can enjoy much more nectar at a single stop.

Caution - to have a healthy, happy gathering place for butterflies, please remember that chemical insecticides can kill butterflies and their larvae as well as many beneficial insects.

Annuals for Container Planting

Pre-planted containers and customized containers are available!

We not only feature many different annuals, we also sell containers of many different colours, shapes and sizes to house them.  And for people who lack the time or inclination to do their own container planting, we have an appealing array of pre-planted containers.

Custom container planting is also available - choose the container you want and the flowers you prefer and we will custom plant your container.  Upon request, we can also customize based on the container itself.  If you desire containers of specific sizes, colours or designs, but have no idea what to plant inside them - just let us know and leave it to us. During our very busy times, we may need some advance notice, and sometimes we can customize right away.