8 Outstanding Annuals that Add "Wow" to Your Garden

Annuals are where it's at this year. For anyone looking to make a real difference in your spring garden, annuals are the answer

Annuals that bloom have always been very popular. Producing a large amount of festively colored blooms from spring to fall, they are an affordable way to spice up your garden. Annuals can be easily and effectively added to any landscape. Large or small, formal or light-hearted, bold or subdued; there is an annual to fit every taste.

An annual is a flower that must be replanted each year. It may seem like a lot of work, but the payoff is more than worth it. Put some annuals in your bare soil, and presto -- you will have a great garden. These plants can add lots of color to your garden for the entire summer. Blooming annuals will fill your garden with vibrant color, no matter the amount or sun or what sort of soil you have. These 8 new exciting annual choices are new this spring!

BabyWing White Begonia

An endless show of color blooming all season long is provided by the BabyWing White Begonia, a new, pure white, easy-care variety. These plants grow upright and mound, a controlled behavior ideal for landscapes and containers. These plants can tolerate high stress and very high temperatures. For best results, these should be planted in partial shade. This plant grows twelve to fifteen inches tall and about ten to twelve inches across. These flowers also come in BabyWing Pink.

Pacifica Burgundy Halo Vinca

Its "angel" nickname comes from the lovely halo, burgundy-colored, around the flower's white center. This vinca blooms very early in the season with huge flowers, and keeps blooming throughout the summer. Its tolerant to almost any heat and humidity conditions, and it requires very little attention. The 2007 All-America Selections Award went to Pacifica Burgundy Halo, which is a testament to its performance in gardens. These do best if planted in full sun conditions. It does well in the garden or in patio pots. It spreads six to eight inches and will grow ten to fourteen inches tall. Your hardest decision will be choosing between its twenty-two shades!

Fiesta Salmon Double Impatiens

Plant a fiesta of flowers in your garden! These impatiens bloom twice and are a wonderful choice if you enjoy miniature roses. The bloom shows far above the foliage, creating a contrast that is hard to miss or top. This is a flower that is shade-loving and full of big, bright, eye-catching blossoms that simply burst with color. It can grow to up to 16 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Plant in shade to partial sunlight. It is available in fourteen different colors.

Landmark Rose Glow Improved Lantana

This lovely, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant flowering plant will dress up your garden with glow. This lavish plant produces numerous two-colored blossoms. Landmark needs full sun. It is bred to be a landscape plant that will give you long lasting color with out much effort. It spreads up to 24" and reaches heights of 20". These other varieties are also available: Gold, Flame Improved, White, Peach Sunrise Improved, Yellow, and Pink Dawn.

AngelMist Basket Pink Angelonia

This garden favorite thrives in full sun and grows best in well-drainedsoil. It is sometimes referred to as the "angel flower" or "summer snapdragon". A plentiful "mist" of color, lasting the whole summer, is given by the frothy flowers of AngelMist. With their spike-like leaves these plants create excellent texture in pots and gardens. Plant AngelMist in full sunlight. It grows six to ten inches high and spreads out sixteen to twenty inches. It can also be found in 12 upright AngelMist varieties, as well as in AngelMist Basket Purple and AngelMist Basket White.

Live Wire Isolepis

One of the most popular grasses available this spring is the new Live Wire Fiber Optic grass. This grass looks great with any collection, and works well in indoor or outdoor mixed containers. Live Wire grows upright as an adolescent plant, however once it matures it will drape over the container. The plant is so named, because each blade looks like a fiber optic strand. Live Wire will surely bring a spark of interest to your landscape! This plant does well in wet conditions and requires partial sunlight. It will reach 6 to 8 inches in height and about 18 to 20 inches in diameter.

Maracas Brazilian Fireworks

Whether you plant this in containers or in a shaded garden corner, Brazilian Fireworks is awesome! Its center flower clusters explode with rich color, and are surrounded by a fascinating foliage made of long, angular green leaves that sport silver striping. This plant from the tropics prefers the shade, enjoys hot and humid conditions, and will bloom throughout the summer. You're sure to be the envy of your neighbors! It grows six to eight inches tall, spreads eight to ten inches wide.

Fusion Glow Improved Impatiens

Your garden will glow in the shade when you plant this specially developed impatiens. No shade garden would be complete without impatiens. No other flower is this low maintenance, while still blooming all season long. Impatiens tend to be taken for granted, but these outstanding little flowers are getting more attention as new and more exotic varieties are becoming available. Fusion Glow Improved is designed to look like orchids, growing with an orange center surrounded by bright yellow petals. This flower is breathtaking. Place in partial sun (ideally, a location that's sunny in the morning but shady in the afternoon). It will grow ten to sixteen inches wide and tall.

Annuals are the hot topic of summer, this year. If you plant something in your garden, make sure it'll provide a good show all season long.

Bell Horticultural Company's Simply Beautiful collection is only being sold at selected garden centers, and will not be available in the major chains. This collection was bred specially to produce excellent gardening results without a lot of time consuming maintenance. Go to www.simplybeautifulgardens.com to find tips, plant details, and retailers near you.