Annuals (Flower Child)

Annuals are the flower children of the flora kingdom due their vibrance and energy, and like children or rather their clothes, annuals usually have to be replaced every year.  Just as a child’s youthful energy burns through their clothes,  an annual burns through their youthful energy, and perish for good when their season is over.    

 Examples of annuals are :

• Coleus
• Geraniums
• Chrysanthemum
• Pansies/Violas
• Petunias

Perennials (Workhorse)

Perennials are the workhorse of the flora kingdom, and provide a bountiful return every year.  They may not always be the show ponies of the season like  their annual counterparts,  but what perennials lack in pizazz, they make up in reliability. Like a winter coat, perennials are sound investments, for the plant enthusiast who want something long-term, because like that winter coat, perennials come out of the darkness when it is time, and return when their time has passed.  Trees, shrubs, groundcovers, ferns, and succulents can also be classified as perennials. 

 Examples of perennials are:

• Hellebore (Flowering Perennial)
• Maple Tree (Deciduous Tree)
• Creeping Jenny (Vining Groundcover)
• Painted Fern (Perennial Fern)
• Azaleas (Deciduous or evergreen flowering shrub)

Foundation Shrubs (Fixer Uppers)

Foundation Shrubs are the fixer uppers of the flora world. Just as contractors have various tools at their disposal for  various projects, they also keep several foundation shrubs in mind for decorating yards or landscapes on the fly. If you have ever driven past a new housing complex, or building, then you have no doubt seen newly planted boxwoods or Sky Pencils surrounded by pine needles. Foundation shrubs are also utilized by homeowners selling their home, and require a quick fix to spruce up their yard.    

 Examples of foundation shrubs are:

• Boxwood (Baby Gem, Japanese, Wintergreen, English)
• Sky Pencil
• Knockout Rose
• Holly (Carissa, Nellie B. Stevens, Blue Boy, Blue Girl, Winterberry)