1Sweet Pea
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This charming annual is a vining flower that blooms in profusion in cooler weather. Some varieties are sweetly scented, too, making them a lovely addition to the garden.
Sun Exposure: Full to part sun
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
2Sweet Alyssum
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This honey-scented, low-growing annual should be in every garden. It comes in white, pink and pale purple and looks amazing tumbling over walls or spilling out of window boxes.
Sun Exposure: Full to part sun
Bloom Time: Spring to hard frost
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3Ammi
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These delicate flowers make a spectacular addition to cut bouquets. They grow easily from seed and will self-seed for future years.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Time: Summer
4Gerbera Daisy
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Gerbera daisies are some of the prettiest, most cheerful cut flowers, but also work well as bedding plants, too. Give them morning sun and afternoon shade in hot climates. They’re perennial in warmer regions, but they’re grown as annuals in colder climates.
Sun Exposure: Part to full sun
Bloom Time: Spring to autumn
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5Nasturtium
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These pretty flowers are one of the easiest annuals to grow from seed. They come in tons of bright, cheery colours, including pink, yellow, salmon and red.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Bloom Time: Summer to autumn
6Nigella
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These pretty annuals look beautiful by a garden gate or along paths. Plus, they self-sow by dropping seeds in late summer and bloom best in cooler weather.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Time: Spring or autumn
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7Cornflower
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These lovely annuals appear to be made of crepe paper. They’re available in many shades, but the most stunning is, of course, cornflower blue. Deadheading the spent flowers will keep them blooming.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Early to mid-summer
8Poppy
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The paper-thin petals atop tall stems make poppy flowers hard to mistake for anything else. You’ll find them in every shade of the rainbow and can be easily grown from seed. Though technically they’re short-lived perennials, they’re mostly grown as annuals.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Late spring to early summer
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9Zinnia
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Zinnias are easy to grow from seed. The flowers attract pollinators, such as butterflies and bees. They come in every colour imaginable and sizes varying from a foot to three or four feet tall, making them a worthy addition to a cutting garden.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Summer to autumn
10Petunia
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You can’t go wrong with these fuss-free flowers for containers, window boxes, hanging baskets, and garden beds. ‘Supertunia Vista’ is an especially striking variety that blooms and blooms until a hard frost.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Spring to autumn
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11Begonia
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These super-tough flowers, which bloom in shades of white, pink, and red, require no maintenance and upkeep (no deadheading or pruning required!). When autumn arrives, you can move them indoors or dig up their tubers to reuse for the following year.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade, depending on the variety
Bloom Period: Spring to autumn
12Angelonia (summer snapdragon) 
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These heat and drought-tolerant flowers are perfect for gardeners everywhere. They come in various colours, ranging from white to hot pink and heights up to a foot tall. Perfect for a cottage garden.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Spring to autumn
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13Cosmos
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These charming flowers produce all summer long as long as you keep harvesting them. Available in an array of lovely shades, including pink, cream, white, and hot pink, they’re a must-have in any annual flower garden. They have a long vase life, too.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Blooming Period: Summer to autumn
14Geranium
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Dress up your walkway or front garden with these old-fashioned favourites. They come in vining varieties as well, which look good spilling out of a container.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Bloom Period: Spring to autumn
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15Marigold
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Need an inexpensive annual to fill in beds fast? These sturdy flowers produce flowers all summer long and need zero care. They’re also attractive to pollinators.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Blooming Period: Spring
16Snapdragon
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Easily add height, dimension, and bold colour to your garden with these tall, stately flowers. They also don’t mind a little cold, so they’re a great annual to plant early in the season.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Blooming Period: Spring to mid-summer
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17Sunflowers
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Sunflowers are some of the easiest annual flowers to grow from seed. They come in a variety of classic golds and yellows, but new types include burgundy, chocolate brown, or pink.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Late summer to mid-autumn
18Dahlia
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These stunning flowers will make your garden beds look lush and romantic. From honeycomb-like shapes to fluffy peony-like varieties, there are endless options. They’re technically perennials in warm climates, but in cold climates, dig the tubers up in autumn and replant them the following spring.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Late summer to frost
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19Chrysanthemum
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If you’re looking to add some fresh colour to your garden, chrysanthemums (or simply, mums) are a must-have.
Though technically perennials, they often look best when grown as annuals, and they may not survive winter in your climate if you don’t plant them until late autumn because they won’t have time to establish a strong root system before winter.
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Period: Late summer to frost
20Pansies
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Pansies add cheery colour to any garden. They work equally well in pots or beds. Some varieties bloom again in the autumn, or in warm climates, throughout much of the winter.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Bloom Period: Spring and autumn
Christopher Michel is the former Senior Food and Gardens Editor at Country Living Magazine. Chris has well over a decade of experience writing and editing for national magazines and websites, mostly in the food space, such as Cooking Light, The Kitchn, Rodale’s Organic Life, and Bon Appetit. Prior to that, Chris worked in a variety of food spaces in New York City. In 2022, Chris completed the Alabama Master Gardener’s Program hosted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Chris lives in Birmingham, AL, where he enjoys running, reading, and cooking for his wife and two girls.
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
Deputy Daily Editor, Country Living and House Beautiful
Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she’s busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
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