Annual Aster Flowers Phlox Bachelor Buttons

Asters

• With their 3-foot stems and 4-inch flowers, annual asters, or China asters, are popular among gardeners growing flowers for vase arrangements. Blooms come in all colors except orange. Also know as Callistephus, the annual aster is part of the daisy family. Their blooms come in single-flowered varieties, such as the "Single California Giant," and fluffy, double-flowered versions, such as "Powderpuff." Annual asters thrive in all growing zones. They do well even in poor soil and some shade. For the best growing results, asters need full sun and well-draining earth. For the largest blooms, choose "Giant Comet" or "Ostrich Plume" varieties. "Southcote Beauty" is especially prized in cutting gardens.

Phlox

• The annual Phlox drummondii is a wildflower native to Texas, though it's been popular as an exotic flower in Europe since 1835, when botanist and plant namesake Thomas Drummond first shipped phlox seeds to England. Annual phlox can grow to nearly 2 feet. Its 1-inch, trumpet-shaped blooms come in pink, red, white, peach or lavender. To grow phlox, plant 8 inches apart in full sun and sandy soil. The annuals do well in every growing zone, and can survive temperatures in the 20-degree F range. Plant phlox in the spring in cooler climates, and in the fall in warmer areas. To encourage flower production, remove faded blossoms. Popular varieties include the tall "Brilliant," the pink, rose-like "Chanal" and 8-inch dwarf species including "Globe" and "Petticoat."

Bachelor Buttons

• Also known as cornflowers for their proliferation in Europe's grain fields, bachelor buttons require little maintenance to produce abundant blooms, and are ideal first flowers for children to grow. They succeed in all climate zones, and grow to between 1 foot and 3 feet. Their height suits them to cutting gardens. They're also easily dried for permanent arrangements. Sow seeds or starter plants in the spring in cooler zones, and in the fall in temperate climates. The first blooms will appear about two months after planting. Bachelor buttons drop seeds that may result in a new crop next season. Try "Midget," a variety that flowers in violet, red, pink, lavender, blue or white.

Other Popular Annuals

• Round out your garden with other quick-growing, hardy annuals. Marigolds come with orange, dark red, maroon, yellow or white flowers, and can repel parasitic roundworms. The low-maintenance impatiens is the rare annual that prefers shade. Impatiens bloom constantly through summer in shades of pink, red, orange and purple. Petunias need six hours of sun a day, but reward their growers with flowers from summer through fall. Zinnias also require ample sun, but they yield striking flowers with multiple rows of petals. Alyssums have smaller, less impressive clusters of white blooms, and are in demand for their strong, sweet fragrance rather than their looks.