Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one season, while biennials need two seasons, producing leaves in the first year, flowers and seeds in the second.
Nigella damascena is one of the group of plants typical of the English cottage garden. It looks well with lupins and aquilegias against a background of clematis and old roses.
These Californian natives produce brightly coloured flowers for the summer border or for cutting. The plants are compact, with mid-green, pointed leaves, and bear trumpet-shaped blooms of red, cerise, peach or pink, often edged with white.
The velvety flowers of nemesia are like a smaller version of antirrhinums, and come in an equally dazzling range of colours suitable for the summer border.
Petunias -Summer bedding would not be the same without the trumpet shaped flowers of petunia hybrids providing a focus of colour that is vivid without being gaudy.
Native to South America, these daisy-like flowers bring vivid colour to borders or containers well into the autumn. Varieties are available in shades of yellow and pink.
Tagetes patula, the French marigold, is in fact a native of Mexico. Various strains produce flowers of yellow and orange, sometimes blotched with crimson or bronze, some with double flowers.
Gazania - The brilliant daisy-like flowers of cream, yellow, orange, crimson or mauve will only open in direct sunlight. The narrow leaves are grey on the underside.