As the calendar turns to fall we thought we would share with you, our 5 favorite annuals for this year.  Some of these plants are long time favorites but others are fairly recent additions to our garden. Let us know what your favorite annuals were this year. You can post your comments below or let us know on the Blooming Secrets Facebook Page. 

Number 5 on the Blooming Secrets list of favorite summer annuals is the Sweet Potato Vine. We grew these plants for the first time in containers and were pleased with their rapid growth and easy care nature. We grew a variety that had black foliage which combined beautifully with its silver dusty miller and red coleus companions. Sweet potato vines do best during the warm days of summer and prefer moist, well-drained soil. They thrive in sun or shade.

Tuberous Begonias are #4 on our favorite annuals list. We have grown begonias for the last few years in both hanging baskets and containers. They are tender bulbs and won’t survive the winter in most areas of the country but if you dig them up and store them in a corner of a garage or basement you can plant them again next season. They combine nicely with plants such as Nasturtiums and Petunias which can weave in between the Begonia’s large leaves and pretty flowers. They will bloom from summer through fall and one of the most appealing characteristics is they add much-needed color in the shade. Begonias were one of the flowers of the year as designated by the National Garden Bureau.

Coleus is #3 on our Blooming Secrets top 5 summer annuals and this is another one that we have grown on and off for many years.  Recent years have seen the introduction of varieties that can tolerate sun as well as shade and we have grown several Coleus this year which have a variety of leaf sizes along with dazzling color combinations. The color intensity on these plants varies depending on sunlight, heat sensitivity and other conditions.

Tithonia or “Mexican Sunflower” is #2 on our Blooming Secrets list of the 5 best summer annuals. This flower attracts a tremendous number of butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowers are dahlia-like, 2-3 inches wide and come in bright, bold colors of yellow or orange. They grow up to 6 feet and can be 2 feet wide. We grew them from seeds as they can be hard to find in garden centers. Once the heat of summer arrived they grew fairly quickly and they make a great cut flower.

Now for the moment you've been waiting for...the #1 Blooming Secrets summer annual is the Tropicanna Canna. They are a newcomer to our garden having only been grown for the past 2 summers. We were introduced to this flower at a trade show. As you can see this year we have selected several annuals that have exquisite foliage and this Canna is no exception. Besides its beautiful tangerine flower, the foliage on these Cannas makes you feel like you are in the tropics! The foliage comes in a variety of colors and they are striped in burgundy red, pink, yellow, gold, and deep green.  We grew these Cannas in containers, where they grew up to 6 feet tall and certainly garnered a lot of attention from passersby this year!