Annual Plants for Home

Full Shade

• Shady gardens get little or no direct sunlight at all. This is common for foundation plantings along the north side of a house. Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) prefer a shady garden with organically rich soil that stays evenly moist. They are technically perennials but are only winter-hardy in extreme southern USDA hardiness zones: 10 and 11. They are grown as annuals throughout the rest of the United States. There are cultivars available that grow to only 6 inches tall and some that reach a height of 2 feet. They bloom all summer-producing flowers that range in size from 1 to 2 1/4-inches in diameter depending on the cultivar.

Partial Shade

• A few hours of direct sunlight per day is considered partial shade. In foundation plantings this normally occurs on the east and west side of the home, where plants receive direct sunlight only in the morning or evening. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) prefer a partial-shade garden with organically rich, loose soil that stays evenly moist. They are technically perennial plants but, like impatiens, are only hardy in zones 10 and 11. They are commonly grown as annuals for their colorful foliage throughout the rest of the country. These plants are available in sizes ranging from 6 inches to 36 inches tall.

Full Sun

• Six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day qualifies as full-sun exposure. Amaranthus is an annual plant that thrives in full sun throughout most of the country but should be provided afternoon shade in hot southern gardens. Joseph's coat (Amaranthus tricolor) is grown for its colorful foliage. Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus), also known as tassel flower, produces unusual 12-inch-long panicles of tiny red flowers that resemble red tassels. Both types grow to a height of 2 to 4 feet tall in average soil that drains well.

Xeriscaping

• Xeriscaping is the practice of landscaping with water conservation in mind. Annuals that are useful in xeriscape are those that are drought-tolerant and require minimal watering beyond what is provided naturally. Such drought-tolerant annuals are a good choice in dry, hot locations. Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) is an annual that is a type of wildflower. This plant grows naturally in sunny locations with nutrient-poor dry sandy soil throughout much of the eastern and southern United States and in Mexico. It grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet, producing either solid or bi-color maroon, orange, red or yellow flowers throughout the summer. There is also a perennial form of this plant commonly sold by commercial growers. Check the plant label prior to purchasing it to confirm that it is an annual.