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If you’ve ever grown pansies, you’ve grown Hardy Annuals. Plants that winter over, bloom in early spring, and then set seed are very easy to grow in the South. So don’t stop at pansies. There are dozens of hardy annuals you can try. These 4 are making a big splash in my zone 7 B garden right now.
Baby Blue Eyes look great with viola. The viola came to the garden as transplants from Campbell Road Nursery in Cary. The Baby Blue Eyes grew around them from a few packets of seed I raked in. Love the color combo of blue and violet. A true blue flower is hard to find. This little one fits the bill.
Dianthus is another favorite hardy annual of mine. Fragrant and covered with blooms, I like to combine them snapdragon (below). 
Flashy aren’t they? What hardy annuals are you having good luck with this spring? Please add them to the list.
If you hurry, there’s still time to plant some hardy annuals like the pansies, snapdragon, and Dianthus transplants above.
They’ll bloom though spring rain, sleet, and snow; then peak in late May or early June.
After that you can toss spent plants on the compost pile and use the space for summer flowers.
It’s crop rotation for flower gardeners–Hardy annuals are an easy way to bring more blooms into your southern garden and have more than one season of flowers in your beds.
I grow them from transplant. These came from the awesome Campbell Road Nursery (off Tryon Road in Cary) for just 10 dollars a flat. 
I also grow hardy annuals from seed. The larkspur above were sown in the fall.
These baby Nigella were raked in the garden in January. As the weather warms, they’ll grow like weeds. Hardy annuals are EASY, which means more newbie gardeners should them a try.
Annual poppies, and sweet peas can also be grown this way in triangle gardens. Any other suggestions. What hardy annuals would you add to the list?
Lots of shovel action going on in my Apex neighborhood these days–and I’ve done my share of spring planting. But some of the best things in my garden right now are the hardy annuals I planted last fall. 
Like these snapdragon–Bought in October at my favorite local plant source, Campbell road nursery, these transplants became very full and stocky over the winter. They are at least three times the size of the ones I forgot about, left in the cold frame, and didn’t plant til early March.
Larkspur blooms coming soon--in front of the old roses
Larkspur is another terrific annual to plant in fall. I sowed these seeds in October, and I can’t wait for the tall spiky blue blooms that will be coming soon. It’s one of my favorite flowers and one of the best investments a Southern gardener can make.
So flip you calendar ahead to September and October and make a note in bold sharpie: Buy and plant hardy annuals. Next spring, you’ll be so glad you did.
PS. Don’t forget the kitchen garden. We’ve been eating our greens and leeks for about 6 weeks now. All were set out as transplants last fall and are so much better than what you get in the store. My purple cabbage is delicious!
