Annual and Perennial:

The Difference between an Annual and Perennial

by Nicholas Algernon Rogers

Four years have passed since we first moved into our house when I decided that I wanted a flower garden to brighten up the dreary landscape. So I went to the local greenhouse to get started. I walk up to the owner and mentioned that I only knew a little about gardening. The first question he asked me was whether I wanted “annual or perennials.”

My response: "Well, whichever one grows flowers." Though I'm sure it was well-intentioned, her laughter would have scared away a lesser person. Still chuckling, she said they both grow flowers. Embarrassed, I asked her what was the difference between an annual and perennial.

The difference was simple, she said. "Annuals only last a year. Plant them in the spring, enjoy them in the summer, and by fall they’re next year’s fertilizer. In some cases, they will reseed themselves so you’ll see a similar plant the following year, but it'll never be the same plant."

Based on that description, I figured perennials were flowers which kept coming back year after year. But perennials actually have a life cycle that extends past a single growing season and usually into 3-5 years.

I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant. She said that perennials are like a haircut. Your hair grows until it gets too long and then you cut it. The hair hasn’t died, it's only become shorter. The plant doesn't die during the winter months; rather it "shorts" itself. The flowering part dies until the next year when it grows out again, just like human hair. (Unfortunately, I'm starting to go bald, so her analogy really hit home.)

Suddenly it clicked about the perennials as I touched my receding hairline. They live for several years –- like hair –- grower taller every year, and then they start to weaken and die.

Too bad real hair can't be replaced. But guess what can? After a few years, it's a good idea to replace perennials with more viable plants.

I thanked the lady for the crash course in botany. She said it was a good idea to mix perennials and annuals when I was ready to start my garden.