Question
Hi,

Dead out of ideas, I asked my mom what she would like for Mothers Day. One of the items she mentioned was some annuals. Problem is, I've never bought flowers before in my life. What exactly are annuals versus other types of flowers, how are they sold, and what is the best thing to look for when purchasing them? Are they the type of flower you're best visiting a store to pick out, or do they work well being ordered over the Internet?

Thanks a lot,
Sam

Answer
Hi, Sam.  Annuals are plants (not cut flowers) that last for only one season.  They don't return the next year (unless they happen to drop seeds just right, but that doesn't happen very often).  The benefit of annuals over perennials (those which return every year) is they grow more quickly than perennials, and flowering annuals bloom much longer than perennial flowering plants.  They bloom from spring to fall, unlike perennials, which usually only bloom for a month or two.

Annuals are sold all different ways.  A favorite for mothers day is a hanging basket.  You can get them containing one type of plant (geraniums, petunias, impatiens, pansies, and lobelia are some of the most common), or you can get them in mixed garden baskets.  These combine several differents flowers which have the same moisture and light requirements.  They are a beautiful choice for hanging on a porch or outside a door.

You can also get ready-made gardens in a half-barrel or decorative pot, which generally contain several types of annuals, along with some annual green plants.

If your mother is intending to plant the annuals herself, in a window box or a garden, etc., then you'd be best to purchase annuals in packs.  Packs are small plastic containers which each contain one annual plant.  They are usually sold in 6-packs, although sometimes 4 or 8.  Some annuals commonly found in packs are snapdragons, impatiens, salvia, violas, petunias, verbena, pansies, begonias, and portulaca.  Annual vinca (make sure it's not perennial - that stuff is almost impossible to get rid of once it's planted) is a nice trailing green plant sold in packs.  

There are a TON I've left out.  I suggest to visit a garden center for more ideas.  Someone there will be able to point you toward the annuals, and they can let you know the specific requirements of each plant.  

This is one area where I would recommend to purchase in person.  Quality ranges greatly, so hand-picking them is the safest bet.