Favorite Spring-Blooming Annuals

You’ll savor a spicy clove scent when you include flowering stock in your spring garden. This old-fashioned annual prefers cool weather and boasts frost tolerance. Flowers linger until temps hit the 80-degree mark. Tuck stock into pots and beds near entries so you can enjoy the fragrance.

Meet a cousin of the snapdragon: diascia. This pretty bloomer unfurls tangerine-orange flowers that look great in pots or planting beds. The flower show continues through late spring frosts, offering early season pollinators a nectar source. Plants shift out of bloom when night temperatures stay above 70°F.

A classic cottage garden flower, snapdragon thrives in early spring’s cool temperatures. While some snapdragon varieties have a shorter stature that’s perfect for planting beds, ‘Maryland Lavender’ is a cutting variety that soars 32 to 60 inches tall. Plant extra so you can snip stems to fill vases.

Viola brings on early spring color with plenty of personality. The cute flower faces start opening while hints of frost linger, and this variety keeps the blossoms coming all season long. ‘Jumping Jack’ is a winter hardy perennial to Zone 4.