If you’re new to gardening—or you just want plants that actually do what they promise—this video is for you. Today I’m sharing my go-to annuals that I use year after year for reliable, low-maintenance, high-performing results.
I’ll walk you through:
☀️ My favorite annuals for full sun
🌳 Tried-and-true annuals for shade
☀️/🌳 And three incredibly versatile annuals that thrive in both sun and shade
These are plants I trust in my own garden, and they’re perfect if you’re looking for a confidence boost or want guaranteed success without the stress. 🌸
Whether you’re planting containers, flower beds, or landscape borders, these annuals deliver consistent color and performance all season long.
45 Comments
Good morning Creekside family I'm so ready for spring 🌱🌼
Greeting's from Pennsylvania got 7 inches of more snow last night. I enjoy each of your vidios. I learn as my gardens grow. You have been so helpful for my gardening. I'm dreaming spring.
Good morning, Jenny ☕️I love them all! I will be adding the Pegasus & Rex Begonias this year! Have a Blessed Day 😊🐶
We have a carport built onto our home. It has a 5ft×20ft fower bed on the side. I plant Angle Wing Begonia. Let me tell you stunning.
Im curious I'm Pennsylvania can I order Coleous from you.
I had to smile when you mentioned the messiness of the Rockapulcos. Fabulous plant, BUT don’t put it on a wood deck….I had to constantly scrub my deck to keep it from being stained.Put it in the garden!
Such great info as always, Jenny! You're such a teacher 😊 In a future video, could you please list annuals that do well in pots that tend to stay moist…as in Aquapots or other super big containers. I struggle with that… I'm thinking that I might try the Espoma cactus mix instead of their regular potting mix…as some annuals like to dry out a bit between waterings 🤔 So, what annuals thrive in consistently moist soil? Thanks!!
Thanks Jenny for amazing tips and description of plants! Can't wait for spring.
I have a complete full shade garden. I put a purple wishbone flower, kinda as a ground cover and it bloomed non stop. I planted it in early spring and it still have blooms on it in December. I've never had a flower bloom non stop that long. I will be repeating that again. I love begonias so much but the squirrels will decimate them.
Can coleus take no sun?
Love my Lantana, the deer don’t bother them and if I have a mild winter they come back beautifully. So ready for flowers this year, it’s definitely not been our normal winter here in South Carolina 😊❤
Good morning Jenny, great beautiful flowers. Im ready for spring.😊
Good morning Jenny. Sad 😔 in Mocksville, North Carolina. We bought a home 3 years ago that has red rock all around it. We always had beautiful hardwood mulch around our previous home. Retired and unable to do that work anymore, the rock is low maintenance but…ugh!! What can I put out against the house that flowers in that red rock? My husband and I hope to plan a day trip there this year! Thank you!
I love this, Jenny. I'm always paying close attention to you then when I'm in my garden, I'm mimicking your words. lol. Even in my content. Thank for teaching me.
Great list. I get a lot of these…in my pre-orders, yes plural, because I love them in my yard/garden. Thanks for such a helpful resource for knowing what to expect in the size a plant can grow. You are the best. Have a great day🙏❤️🌟👏🤞👍🪻🌷🌸
Don’t mind the sounds around; that is fun to hear what is going on 😊
Bonjour Jenny! 🌺 About the sunpatient they need a lot of water! 💦 Browallia are also white and it’s pop in my shade garden, zone 5 🌟⭐️
No list ? I could not spell a few of them .
OMG Jenny I love your candle. I smell your favorite soft gardenia and is it jasmine also maybe a soft old rose? At least that’s what my nose smells.
Love the annuals you described. You mentioned this and I have experienced it with El Brighto coleus. In the shade, it had more pink hues. While in the sun, it was more yellow/orange.
I’ve had the Rockin Fuschia in my garden for 4 years . Keeps coming back in zone 7b NC. We will see if it comes back after this winter.
Lantana is awesome. Here in Iowa lantana just sits there for a month, but by late June it takes off. Our favorites are pina colada and citron. Is Proven Winners no longer producing Luscious Citron? It is not listed on their website. Thankfully, I took cuttings last fall.
Oh Jenny, those that try any of these; once they try them will be tripping over their feet to get to them every year after. This is one bug there is no medication to cure! May God continue to bless you and your family.
😊
Listen up, Folks! When Jenny says “grab your garden journal” or something to take notes with – DO IT! There is so much great info in this video, and I didn’t take notes. So, had to do what teacher said, had to go grab paper and pen, and watch this for the second time (maybe third 🤫). Thanks Jenny!
Great show! I hope I can order these online.
In the next “behind the scenes” can you show how many quart size containers fit in a shipping box. When placing multiple orders I’d like to make the most use out of your packaging and order full boxes- I’d hate to order an odd number and you have to send out a whole box just for one plant with lots of filler paper especially when there is “free” shipping. Every little bit helps a business and our planet.
I grew Cleome from seed last year, and I hated the thorns SO much, I couldn't even touch it to cut any of the blooms off that I loved! And so many things about it, the foliage and smell of the leaves literally had me wondering what the heck I was actually growing cause it looked SO sus right from the start when the true leaves came out!! LOL MJ is legal in my state but STILL I live right beside my church and have friends over all the time and kept thinking I'm gonna have some explaining to do until this thing blooms!! LOL and it wanted to spread by seed like crazy but serious those thorns were terrible, I yanked all of them out of my garden half way thru summer. So I am REALLY interested in trying a variety with all of those problems solved!!
I found the last part helpful, Jenny, those plants that can handle different areas of the garden. I love using the white wax begonia in shade. I know it’s an older variety, but it’s cheap and really shines in the shade.
Please do a list for perennials too 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
My rockopulco were fantastic last year in pots on porch and landscape and I rarely fed….fantastic!
Love hearing about the annuals that work. Wonderful information and love seeing pictures of the plants. Thanks for sharing!
Hello, I’m a fairly experienced gardener and my lantana always seems to be a white fly magnet … is there anything I can do to prevent this…. If it’s not the deer then it’s bugs, but I love lantana!
Excellent video. I love the way you explain things so clearly. Cannot wait until April!!!!!
I don't think you listed it, but Gomphrena. Not the PW one, but the regular ole purple. That's thing is a rock star, needs nothing from you, and pumps out blooms for the longest time. The foliage is so pretty on the regular one, too, much fuller and greener than Truffala Pink.
My Lantanas are perennial. I cut them down to just above the soil and cover with mulch and they start popping out new growth in April, zone 8a.
LOVED this video! Thanks for doing this. Love it when you say "grab your garden journal".
Thank you so much Jenny for all this information. Love your channel. God Bless you Always ❤
Very helpful Jenny. But trust me, Sunpatiens will not take full sun in the desert Southwest no matter how much mulch you use. Mine do ok in morning sun.
Thank you so much for explaining all the differences between the numerous plants that are out on the market. Your personal experience of growing the various plants contributes to the success of the viewer's gardens. You are so much appreciated for doing this presentation. Thank you Jenny❤
This a great informative video.
Thank you.
This is one of your best videos to start planning this years garden! You’re really good at explaining things that makes it easier to know what you want to put in this year, size, conditions, color, etc…. Thanks so much!!!! You’re great Cindy!
Coleus (other than Proven Winners varieties I guess?) produce gorgeous flower spikes where I am in 9a. Super helpful video especially dividing it by sun exposure thank you!
Is the playing the blues salvia comparable to the mystic spires salvia? I adore mystic spires. I plant it in multiple places. Just wondering what the Proven Winners version is. Salvias are probably my favorite. Here in Houston 9b, they all seem to come back every year.