If you’re ready to sell your house for top dollar this summer, curb appeal is likely top of mind. Most real estate agents will agree that giving your landscape a face-lift will pay a homeowner back in spades—and it doesn’t even need to cost that much.
That’s where annuals come in. Annuals are plants that grow and complete their life cycle in one year or less.
Flowering annuals are often enjoyed in planters and gardens due to their beautiful colors and textures, and are a quick, easy way to elevate your home’s front yard to entice potential buyers. And no matter which ones you choose, they can allow you to quickly kick your curb appeal up a few notches.
The benefits of flowering annuals
Most flowering annuals have an extended bloom season as they typically keep flowering from the time you plant them until the end of the season.
“This makes them invaluable in garden beds, borders, planters, hanging baskets, and window boxes because they can provide lots and lots of color, texture, and potentially fragrance,” explains Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms in Miami.
Since you need to replant annuals annually, they offer a great deal of versatility, giving you the chance to mix things up and enjoy a fresh look every year.
“It’s fun to try out new varieties or just customize your look and theme,” adds Hancock.
Additionally, these plants complete their entire life cycle in a season or year, so they’re ideal for more immediate gratification. An annual will look great the year you plant it, whereas many perennials take two or three years after you plant them to come into their own and really shine. This is a huge plus if you plan to put your home on the market soon.
Best flowering annuals for curb appeal
If you’re looking to increase your curb appeal with annuals, here are some attractive options to explore:
1. Petunias
Petunias just might be the queens of annual flowers since they’re easy to grow and very floriferous. In fact, some varieties bloom so much, you can hardly see the foliage.
“Available in just about every color you can think of, petunias have pretty good cold and heat tolerance, so in most areas you can plant them in the spring, then enjoy them all the way through summer and into fall,” adds Hancock.
Petunias do best in a spot with all-day sun, regular watering, and rich soil. You can enjoy them in garden beds, planters, window boxes, hanging baskets, and virtually any place else you’d like to take in their beauty.
2. Impatiens
While petunias rule the sun, impatiens rule the shade. Like with petunias, there’s a wide range of colors to choose from, from white to purple to pink to red to orange. They bloom quite a bit and don’t need a great deal of special care or tending to keep them happy. Plant them in late spring, and you’ll be able to enjoy them well into fall.
“These annuals thrive when they get all-day shade or morning sun with afternoon shade. They need regular watering or they’ll wilt noticeably as they’ll start to dry out,” says Hancock.
Impatiens are ideal in garden beds, planters, window boxes, and hanging baskets.
3. Zinnias
According to Hancock, zinnias are old-school annual flowers that are making a comeback. Offered in a wide range of colors, they’re great for attracting bees and butterflies, and also work well as cut flowers if you bring them in for bouquets.
They bloom nonstop from late spring to fall and are all about the sun. Although they like regular watering, they’re fairly drought-tolerant. A moist, well-drained soil will keep them in optimal shape.
“Zinnias are great for pots and planters, as well as beds and borders. Since they have an upright habit, they’re not as well suited for hanging baskets,” adds Hancock.
4. Snapdragons
“I have a soft spot for snapdragons because they offer fantastic vertical interest in the garden with their spikes of fancifully shaped flowers,” says Hancock.
Snapdragons, which resemble a dragon’s face, bloom in a range of colors, from white to dark red, and many of them are wonderfully fragrant.
They’re more of a cool-season annual, so you plant them in spring and enjoy them into the summer (or all summer and fall if you don’t live in a hot area). They thrive in all-day sun or half-shade/half-sun and like moist, well-draining soil.
While it’s not necessary, frequent fertilization can help them produce more flowers.
“Snapdragons are fantastic for beds, borders, and planters. Newer trailing varieties work beautifully in window boxes and hanging baskets,” says Hancock.
5. Heliotropes
“I’m not sure which I love this plant more for, its beauty or its scent,” says Hancock. Heliotropes produce clusters of dark purple flowers that have an intoxicatingly sweet, vanilla-like fragrance.
These annuals are ideal to plant in the spring. With the sun and regular watering, you can enjoy them throughout the summer and into fall.
“Heliotropes are upright-growing plants, so they’re fabulous in beds and borders, as well as pots and planters. Put them right by your front door so anyone who stops by can thoroughly enjoy the fragrance,” explains Hancock.
6. Vincas
Vincas are incredibly heat-resistant summer annuals that make a plethora of flowers all spring, summer, and fall. These blooms come in just about every shade you could ask for except yellow.
“Since different varieties have been bred to grow different heights, it’s so easy to customize your look. There are even trailing varieties you can use as ground cover or in window boxes,” says Hancock.
Vincas require routine watering and love the sun, so plant them in spots where they can easily soak up the rays all day long. Enjoy them in pots and planters or beds and borders.
Realtor.com
BY ANNA BALUCH
MAY 16, 2025
