What does it mean when a flower is a perennial or annual?

This is an important question when plotting out your garden. A perennial flower means it will go dormant in the winter, can generally be cut back and will bloom again in the spring. A perennial keeps coming back year after year. These types of flowers are the ones you want to anchor the garden. By anchor we mean the flower that is built upon in relation to its color, fragrance, and blossom. 

 

An annual flower is planted for a specific season and then dies. Annuals are great to plant around shrubs and perennials as highlights. At the end of the season perennial flowers need to be pulled out and replaced the following year with something else. 

 

Examples of annuals are certain kinds of pansies, most mums, and petunias. All of these annuals are gorgeous in color and stature and are excellent seasonal accents.