When most people think “annuals,” it’s snapdragons, petunias, geraniums and impatiens that spring to mind. Sure, these plants add gorgeous color, but there are other annual options out there that serve dual-purpose – ones that are beautiful and beneficial. What are these optimal options? Blooming ornamental herbs, like sunflowers! (Sure, you may never need to make a rope from a sunflower stalk, but the plant’s usefulness for such is what distinguishes it from other “regular” annuals, like petunias.)
Plant your borage on a hill to best enjoy its cheerful, nodding flowers.
Photo Credit: Burpee
Not only are calendulas beautiful, their roots produce a monoglucoside that may suppress nearby weeds.
Photo Credit: Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Mallow is prized for its long growing season in the North, as well its ability to attract butterflies.
Photo Credit: Brother Alfred Brousseau @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
This heirloom variety of nasturtium (
Tropaeolum majus ‘Peach Melba’) produces creamy-yellow blossoms with maroon blotches near the centers.
Photo Credit: Burpee
Sunflowers are native plants that date back 3,000 years.
Photo Credit: Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Like many other colorful annuals, ornamental herbs grow fast and can be sown outside in their permanent home – no indoor babysitting or transplanting required. They do require some preliminary attention to cultural requirements, but many are flexible with their soil – as long as they get the right sun.
Here are some of my favorites:
Borage (Borago officinalis) adds a beautiful blue hue to a bed, border or rock garden and has a cucumber-like fragrance. The clusters of star-like flowers grow to 2 feet on fuzzy stems with silver, hairy leaves by early summer. The foliage can be used in salads, and whole flowers and crushed leaves can be added to cool drinks. (This herb reportedly relieves rheumatism pain and hoarseness.)
As far as planting and care goes, borage likes it dark until birth, so plant seeds where you expect them to grow, and keep them covered for about a week until they germinate. The plant likes lean soil and moderate moisture in sun or partial shade once the sprouts appear. Encourage fresh flowers midsummer by trimming.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) gained a reputation as being the workhorse of the garden because of its long growing season and tolerance for frost, making it possible to sow the seeds early. The plants grow 8-20 inches tall, and the large (1-3 inches wide) daisy-like flowers come in a brilliant color mix. Some cultures have used the plant as a medicinal herb (for treating ailments like diaper rash or toothaches), and its petals can be sprinkled on salads or crushed in lieu of saffron.
Calendula isn’t a fussy herb, but rich, well-drained soil prompts the best blooms. Remove dead flowers regularly for even more blooms. These helpful plants self-sow for an attractive cottage garden look. Large double bloomers make great narrow borders, and dwarf versions nicely accent other herbs in a large pot.
Mallow (Malva sylvestris) is an attractive plant with delicate white, pink or magenta, five-petaled flowers. This is one annual that’ll go anywhere as long as the soil is well-drained. You can find varieties that grow anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet tall, and they look great massed against a wall of your home or climbing a fence. They’ll self-sow for years of bloom. (Just don’t confuse it with the unchecked weed M. neglecta, which you may see growing in the wild.)
Mallow prefers full sun but will tolerate part shade. It likes barren soil and will produce an abundance of blooms from summer to fall without much maintenance and little water. (If the soil’s rich, your mallow will probably need some staking.) The flowers are prized for pressing or for use in puddings or mousse, and a tincture from the leaves of some varieties can be used to soothe bee stings.
Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are known for their bright, colorful, edible flowers. They come in 12-inch-tall bush varieties or vine varieties up to 10 feet. Best of all, these tasty beauties love poor soil conditions and hate overwatering. Timing can be tricky for sowing seed because seedlings can be killed by frost. It has to be late enough for warm soil (minimum of 65 degrees F) but early enough for the plants to beat the heat.
Once established, nasturtiums form a weed-smothering mat. They make a fine edge for a sunny flower bed or a great background plant, depending on the variety. The jewel tones range from lemon to peach to coral to salmon to red.
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are often visualized as the giants of the garden, but nowadays you can find them in a variety of sizes, and many still supply those delicious seeds for snacks! Of course, the plants give us more than just something to munch on: Seeds are ground for butter or pressed for oil, and stalks can be used for fuel or to make paper, rope and fabric.
With their cheery, large heads, sunflowers can grow anywhere from 1-10 feet (depending on the variety) in well-drained soil and, of course, lots of sun. These plants adapt to almost any soil and are drought-tolerant (a real bonus for dry areas). Because blooms can range between 3-8 inches wide, choose the sunflower with the right height and flower size for your garden.
These are just five of the many wonderful blooming edible annuals you can grow. (And you should be able to find the seed at your local center.) So this year, try a new annual décor that you can enjoy for its beauty, as well as its herbal and edible benefits!
