homestead how-to
Annual plants complete their entire life cycle, from seed to flower to seed again, in a single growing season. Once they’ve bloomed and set seed, that’s the end of the road.
Perennials may start slowly, but they’re in it for the long haul. These plants die back in winter (especially in colder zones), but their roots survive underground, ready to regrow year after year.
If your goal is all-season blooms with minimal wait, annuals are your best bet. They pour their energy into blooming hard and fast, often producing more flowers in one season than perennials do in several.
Unlike annuals that reset each season, perennials are a long-term fixture that only mature and change with your garden over time.
Once the frost hits, annuals are done. They don’t return unless you collect and sow them, or buy new ones in spring.
Perennials are ideal for lower-maintenance gardens. If you invest all your energy in growing them once, they’ll often pay off for years to come.
Even perennials with longer blooms, like coreopsis and nepeta, have rest periods where they don’t show any flowers.