What are cool-season annuals?

Annuals are a great way to add variety and color to the landscape and containers. As temperatures cool in late summer into fall, many of the summer annuals like marigolds, coleus and impatiens are looking “tired”. These annuals can be replaced by those that do well in the cooler temperatures of fall. Likewise, early spring is a time many gardeners are looking for color and those annuals that tolerate the cool temperautres of early spring can be planted.  With good timing and plant selection, you can have colorful annuals as early as March all the way until the end of November. 

Cool-season annuals are annual plants that prefer cool temperatures, growing best in spring or fall. Many are tolerant of a light frost often surviving down to 28°F or sometimes even 25°F with little damage to flowers or leaves.They are great additions to containers and garden beds in the shoulder seasons to add color late into fall or early in the spring season.