No one likes the drab garden that sets in once fall arrives. Then, winter takes the reigns shortly thereafter. But just because it’s getter cooler outside doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with looking at a barren landscape. Some plants actually flourish later in the year, or just after winter’s nap, making it quite possible to add a splash of color just where it’s needed. Let’s take a look at the top 8 cool season annuals that fit the bill for this.
- Pansy – Having cheerful and colorful blooms, you can’t go wrong with pansies. They last well into winter, even year round in some regions. Pansy flowers make great choices for containers or the garden bed.
- Snapdragon – Another classic plant that thrives in cool conditions, snapdragons are available in many colors and are great for brightening up those darkened borders. They, too, can be grown in containers and moved wherever color is needed.
- Sweet alyssum – Offering dainty blooms in white or purple shades, this low growing plant not only livens up containers or border edges, but sweet alyssum gives off a nice almost honey-like fragrance.
- Calendula – Providing color from late fall through spring in milder areas, calendula’s attractive daisy-like flowers offer another boon to the garden – they’re edible!
- English primrose – Available in nearly every color under the sun, English primrose plants, unlike some other primrose varieties, make exceptional choices for dramatic winter color.
- Sweet peas – While annual sweet peas are often planted and enjoyed in early spring, milder climates may find this aromatic bloomer to be just as lovely in the fall garden too.
- Iceland poppy – With a name like Iceland poppy, this showstopper is a given for the cool season garden. Found in a range of shades, these taller flowers make great companions to lower growing plants for unbeatable late season color.
- Flowering kale – this beautiful ornamental kale plant offers rosettes of frilly colorful leaves and seems to only get better as the season goes on, holding onto their color throughout winter and into spring.
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