When planning their home landscape, many homeowners overlook annual flowering plants.  Annual plants are those which survive for one growing season and usually die when cold weather arrives.  Annuals allow you to be creative with flowers.  One advantage is that if you don’t like how they look, you can pick something else next year.  The information below is provided by a guest author and discusses many of the beautiful plants available.

Beautiful Flowering Plants That You Can Change Year After Year

Planting annuals is a great way to ensure that you have new blooms that arrive each year to decorate your lawn. Usually what people look for are those flowers that promise vibrant colors and a fragrant aroma. Some areas get harsher winters, so finding annuals that can survive these conditions and still make an appearance during better weather is a good idea.

Here are some of the most popular varieties:

• Pansies – Aside from having that easy to recognize but beautiful flower, pansies are popular because they are easy to grow. Even the states in the Northeast have great luck with these flowers. Another great thing about pansies is the wide variety of color choices available. If you don’t want to wait, you can always buy containers or flats of already blooming pansies and get your yard growing now.

• Snapdragons – Another of the most common flowers, snapdragons are among the most unusual looking flowers. The name sums up the flower bloom. The shape resembles a dragon that has a mouth that can “snap” open or closed, with your fingers of course. Aside from being unusual, these are popular for the larger sized buds and the vivid color choices.

• Impatiens – The enthusiasm for these flowers actually spans the globe. Their coloring is vibrant, and they are known to be resilient. The other great news is that they do not require much care. Impatiens are also known for their ability to stay in bloom for most of the summer so your flower beds stay beautiful.

• Marigolds – These blooms are probably one of the strongest survivors when it comes to weathering rough winters. Like impatiens, marigolds are easy to grow and tend to stay in bloom for a greater length of time than other types. The two most common types include the French marigold and African marigold.

There are plenty of other well known annuals that can make any home garden become the center of attention. Geraniums, for example, are also a common choice. The only down side to the geranium is the not so pleasant aroma.

When choosing what you intend to plant outside your home, just be realistic about your climate and soil conditions. Even if you live somewhere that has year round summer, make sure the plants you choose will survive hot weather.

Annuals make a great choice because if they are treated with care, you can get year after year of beautiful blooms. Choose a variety of colors and leave room to add more at a later date. New color choices are always coming along, so leaving room means you can add these colors down the road.

For more information on starting a flower bed check out this information from the “How Stuff Works” crew. The Weather Channel offers some great tips for taking care of your annuals. And for anyone who feels they truly lack a green thumb, try the Dummies guide.

Janet is Chief Editor for HousePaintingCost.net and CostToReplaceRoof.com.  House Painting Cost and  Cost To Replace a Roof has been created to help people make an informed decision on painting, roof replacement and/or repair. Janet also enjoys blogging and surfing the web for new ideas on things she can write about. She can be contacted at janet.bloggess @ gmail.com.

This is just a small taste of what’s available at your local garden center every spring! When selecting plants, make sure you pick the right plants for different areas in your home landscape.  Your selection should be based on the light and water requirements of the plants, and of course, your personal taste.