The Top Annual Flowers

Petunia

• Petunias are versatile, sun-loving annuals available with big single or double blooms that will accommodate nearly any color scheme imaginable. Regular petunias do well planted in the ground or in patio containers. Trailing petunia varieties provide masses of color flowing over the sides of a hanging basket of window box.

Marigold

• Margold is valued for its ability to provide a spark of bright yellow, orange or red that contrasts with other colorful annuals in the flower bed or patio container. Drought-resistant, hot weather plants, marigolds are available in giant, upright forms that grow as tall as 32 inches with bold, 4-inch flowers, or bushy French marigolds as small as 6 inches tall, with petite, 2-inch flowers.

Zinnia

• Zinnia is a dramatic, upright annual flower that will thrive with little care, as long as the plant is exposed to bright sunlight. Available in shades of red, yellow, pink, white, violet and orange, zinnia is an upright plant that will reach heights of 1 1/2 to 2 feet. Smaller edging zinnias at 6 to 18 inches are a good choice for a colorful border.

Impatiens

• Bright sunlight is a requirement for most annuals, but impatiens will grow happily in shady, hard-to-plant areas in your garden. Although impatiens will tolerate full shade, the plant will produce the best blooms with a few hours of morning sunlight. Afternoon sun will be too hot for impatiens, which will produce mounds of delicate-looking flowers in a variety of hues, including red, violet, pink, white and orange.

Salvia

• Salvia is a hardy plant that will bloom in profuse clumps of colorful blooms that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden all season. Scarlet sage is a bright red salvia that is also available in hybrids of a variety of colors, including purple, pink or white. The blooms of blue salvia are an intense, deep bluish-purple. Unlike many annuals, salvia will tolerate light frost.

Sweet Alyssum

• Sweet alyssum, also known appropriately as carpet flower, is a smaller annual that will spread out to form masses of tiny white or lavender flowers. Because of its low-growing habit, sweet alyssum is a good choice for borders and edging, or to tuck into a space in a garden path or rock wall. Sweet alyssum will tolerate partial shade and blooms best during cooler weather.