10 AGM hardy annuals

Hardy annuals with great impact

Words: Graham Rice

Hardy annuals are among the easiest to grow, and most economical, of all flowers. Once among the most popular, in recent years the spotlight has passed to other plants.

But a few years ago the trial of a wide range of less familiar hardy annuals at the RHS Garden Wisley drew many admiring visitors. Take the very best, add a few familiar favourites and there are enough Award of Garden Merit winners to give you a wide range of summer colour, with the bonus of some delightful cut flowers.

Sow in late March or April where you’d like them to flower - it’s as simple as that. Many can also be sown in autumn to flower even more prolifically, and a little earlier, the following year. You’ll find them far less expensive than filling the same area with geraniums or busy lizzies from the garden centre.

Ammi majus ‘Graceland’
Dark green, feathery foliage makes the perfect background for an unusually long lasting display of flat, lace-like heads of dainty white flowers opening from green buds. The upright plants are ideal amongst perennials or other tall annuals, and are especially attractive to bees, butterflies and other insects. They also make valuable cut flowers where they bring a lightness and airiness to displays of bolder flowers in pastels or brighter shades. 4¹/₂ft/1.4m

Echium vulgare ‘Blue Bedder’
One of the best bee plants of all, you can often hear the bees buzzing on the blooms before you’re close enough to see them. Bright pink buds quickly open to rich, sparkling, violet-tinted, blue flowers over slightly rasping foliage for a long summer season. The rounded plants are ideal in a sunny place and happy in relatively poor soil, they will also often self sow for the following year. 15-18in/30-45cm

Helianthus annuus 'Valentine'
This is a sunflower with a little more style than most. Its soft, creamy white rays become a richer, deeper yellow shade close to the deep black centres and the 6in/15cm flowers are not too large, just right for the size of the plant. Like all sunflowers ‘Valentine’ is easy to grow, just protect the young seedlings from slugs, and it lasts very well in water if you cut the stems just as the flowers are opening and use flower food. 5ft/1.5m

Limnanthes douglasii
This splendidly cheerful low annual, with its poached-egg flowers set against divided, fresh green leaves has the happy capability of enjoying conditions a little more moist than will suit many hardy annuals – even in winter. Once you have it, you’ll find self sown seedlings that germinate in the autumn will make lush mounds of leaves where other winter annuals might rot off and then they flower prolifically in spring. 6-8in/15-20cm

Linaria maroccana Fairy Bouquet Group
One of the stars of the 2008 trial, this mixture contains both pastel shades and brighter colours, including many bicolours. The dainty little flowers – like miniature antirrhinums – line the vertical stems which branch to form secondary spikes as the main spike fades. Flowering prolifically for a couple of summer months, this also a lovely little flower for informal summer cottage-style bouquets. Also worth sowing in the autumn. 15-18in/38-45cm

Nigella damascena 'Miss Jekyll'
Justifiably one of the most popular of all hardy annuals, from soon after germination until the autumn seeds heads this is a lovely plant. Repeatedly divided leaves make an attractive rosette from which spring vertical stems carrying sky blue flowers are followed by inflated seed pods. The flowers are lovely in the garden and when cut, the seed pods too, and the green pods with their purple stripes can be dried to biscuit brown. 18in/45cm

Orlaya grandiflora
Another annual that combines well with so many other plants – annuals or perennials – and which is bright and colourful in its own right. Featuring prettily divided fresh green foliage, the slightly domed heads are more colourful than the similar Ammi majus. Still pure white but, like lacecap hydrangeas, the small central florets are surrounded by a ring of much larger ones creating more impact. Good in dry soil, and an excellent cut flower too. ‘White Lace’, also with an AGM, is similar but slightly taller. 18-24in/45-60cm

Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’
One of the most dramatic of easy annuals, like the familiar native field poppy on steroids, the foliage is nicely divided but the glory is in the 3in/7.5cm flowers. Vivid shining scarlet, the colour is bright and intense, but not gaudy, and each petal features a bold black blotch at the base. The plants are neat and bushy, and if dead-headed promptly will bloom for a long summer season. In autumn, leave a few flowers to self sow. 15-18in/38-45cm

Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea ‘Pierrot’
Better known as helipterum, this attractive long-flowering  bloom makes an impressive garden annual, a long-lasting cut flower, and can also be dried for the autumn and winter. The white flowers have a bright yellow ring around a black centre making a very attractive contrast and are carried on long upright stems. They’re at their best from mid summer into the autumn. Also given a Fleuroselect Quality Award. 18in/45cm

Tropaeolum Whirlybird Series Nasturtiums, especially dwarf nasturtiums, are notorious: their flowers are so often smothered by the foliage that all you see is leaves. In most soils, plants in the Whirlybird Series not only hold their brightly coloured flowers above the leaves but the flowers look upwards showing themselves off to the best effect. There are six colours, for the best display keep the plants dryish and grow in soil that is not too rich. 12in/30cm