Start planning a refresh for your summer-weary garden with brilliantly hued winter and spring annuals to delight the senses. Each of these selections is available in a multitude of cultivars and colors to suit any aesthetic, whether grown outdoors in pots or used indoors in cut flower arrangements.

Windflowers  

(Anemone spp.)

• Annual or perennial • Blooms: Varied colors; winter to spring • 6″-8″H by 4″-6″W • Well-drained soil • Zones 7-10 • Full to partial sun • Medium water; low maintenance • Attracts: Bees, birds

Commonly called windflowers, anemones are grown as perennials from corms (similar to tubers) in temperate climates but can be treated as relatively short-lived container annuals in the desert. When brightening a pot outdoors, they perform best when daily high temperatures remain under 80 degrees.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Anemones are available at nurseries in a wide variety of colors and are ideal for cut flower arrangements with their large flower heads and prominent centers. Whether a solid color or bicolor, such as the variety ‘Italian Bicolor” shown here, anemones can survive as cut flowers for as long as 10 days.

Treasure Flower  

(Gazania spp.) 

• Annual • Blooms: Varied colors; winter to spring • 6″-8″H by 6″-12″W • Well-drained, sandy soil • Zones 8-10 • Full sun • Low water; low maintenance • Attracts: Birds, butterflies

Gazanias can be either perennial or annual; though annual varieties are known for larger blooms in more vibrant colors, they do not do as well in the heat of the desert summer as hardy varieties (perennials) and are best used as cool-season annuals. Gazania is sometimes referred to as African daisy, though other plants also use that name.

WHY WE LIKE IT: With its showy, often bicolor, blooms, annual gazanias produce a colorful spring floral display with many cultivars available, ranging from yellows and oranges to pinks, reds and purples. Gazanias also attract butterflies and are a great addition to pollinator gardens.

Purple Coneflower  

(Echinacea purpurea) 

• Annual •n Blooms: Purple; winter to spring • 1′-5’H by 1′-2’W • Well-drained organic soil • Zones 2-11 • Full to partial sun • Medium water; low maintenance • Attracts: Bees, butterflies

Purple coneflowers are hardy perennials in more temperate climates but because they are intolerant of our summer heat, they’re considered spring annuals in the desert and are best sown from seed in the fall or purchased in pots from nurseries.

WHY WE LIKE IT: These purple flowers, known for their prominent centers and drooping petals, not only provide eye-catching color to container gardens and vases alike, but echinacea is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties and its dried roots and leaves are boiled for use in tea.

African Daisy  

(Osteospermum spp.) 

• Annual n Blooms: Varied colors; spring-fall • 1′-3’H by 1′-2’W • Moist, well-drained soil • Zones 9-11 • Full to partial sun • Low water; low maintenance • Attracts: Birds

Known as either cape daisy, osteospermums are available in a wide array of vivid colors not found in classic daisies. With more than 70 species and numerous cultivars, they can be either annual or perennial, depending on growing conditions.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Osteospermums work well as flowers for borders and mixed beds but are ideal in containers to brighten up a patio, especially when multiple colors are used. With their vibrant colors, they also make stunning additions to cut flower arrangements.