Annual & biennial plants
Annuals,
being grown from seed each year, are among the easiest and
most colourful of garden plants. Hardy annuals are sown where
they are to flower. Half-hardy annuals are usually started
in pots in a greenhouse, to be planted out in the garden when
there is no risk of frost. Biennials, such as wallflowers,
which take two years to come into flower, are popular and
reliable bedding plants, particularly for spring displays.
The qualities of annual plants are exploited to the full in
the four RHS gardens.
Herbaceous Plant Committee (previously Floral A)
At London Flower Shows, this Committee judges all individual and group exhibits of hardy herbaceous and tender perennials, and annuals grown in the open for garden decoration, as well as group exhibits of roses and carnations. Individual plants in these categories judged by specialist committees are generally excluded unless the relevant committee is not meeting. At Chelsea it judges only individual exhibits, the group exhibits being judged by a Council-appointed Panel. It is also responsible, jointly with the Tender Ornamental Plant Committee, for judging the Floral Plant trials at Wisley.
RHS trials
Three trials of annuals
were judged in 2000 and 2001: all of late-flowering yellow
daisies, of which some have received the Award of Garden Merit.
List of Award
of Garden Merit annuals
RHS advice
Further reading
This is just one topic covered by the Society's monthly journal for members, The Garden, and recent articles of interest are listed below.
Dunnott, N. 1999, March. Annuals on the loose. The Garden (RHS) 124(3): 168-171.
Engstrand, K. 1999, October. Annuals as art. The Garden (RHS) 124(10): 738-741.
Lloyd, C. 1996, April. Adventurous bedding. The Garden (RHS) 121(4): 182-185. Using bedding plants in perennial borders.
Rice, G. 2000, May. Stars of the Cosmos. The Garden (RHS) 125(5): 354-357. Report on the recent Trial.
Rice, G. 1999, March. Pride or prejudice. The Garden (RHS) 124(3): 164-167.
Rice, G. 1996, November. Wisley's annual borders. The Garden (RHS) 121(11): 697-701.
Smith, Anne. 1996, June. Annual grasses, cut and dried. The Garden (RHS) 121(6): 366-369. Report on a trial of annual grasses.
Toogood, A. 1998, April. Tall stories. The Garden (RHS) 123(4): 256-259. Annual climbers.
Waite, R. 1995, September. Potfuls of annuals. The Garden (RHS) 120(9): 536-539.