Hi Annuals in a greenhouse- Which will....

Hi I wanted to grow some Annuals which are strictly speaking perennial plants in my greenhouse. I have grown Antirrhinum as these survive year after year with protection. I have only done this for 2 years with them but thats fine should they die at the end of this year(better than 1 year only) . Can anyone tell me which annuals are in fact perennials and can be grown in a cold greenhouse over winter as well.

Just to clarify I do understand there are a few specific perennial types for plants such as Antirrhinum. I wanted more of a range to grow hence the question about specific annuals that can be grown as perennial with protection.

To make it a little more awkward, again a Antirrhinum being a good example , are there perennials types which can easily be rejuvinated should the they be in a pot longer. I have found things like Dahlias are very short term and more difficult. Antirrhinum's seem to not mind a little bit of neglect and are easy mainly.

To sum up I am looking for plants grown as annuals which are in fact strictly speaking a perennial. These would need to be tough if neglected some what. Eg slightly underwatered on occasions. Not to fussy.

Note the keen gardeners amoungst you may think with a 'little love and care' you can grow anything. I am looking for those with a 'little less love and care' that would rejuvnate normally should I forget to tend them correctly. I can look after them reasonably and would not neglect them to much. Watering and pinching out tips is a thing I can do correctly. Hence a Antirrhinum being good unless going passed permanent wilting of course.

I hope its not to confusing. I am not looking for bulbous kinds and want to grow them from seed.

Can you help ?

Thanks in advance much appreciated !

 

I'm not even going to try and answer your question, purely and simply because I don't know, but I 3 years ago I bought some really cheap wallflower plants (which are really a perennial, but most people treat them as a biennial). When they'd finished flowering I pulled up all but one which I overlooked - since then (although it's not a particularly attractive 'thing' now), it's survived 2 harsh winters, being literally frozen solid for weeks on end but I have managed to grow a few plants from the seeds it produces.

 

Hi Alpine - thats a very very big subject.

There are loads of plants which are grown as annuals but are really perennials. These are usually tender plants from warmer climates, which are perfectly perennial but die because they can't stand the winter cold. The list would include Geraniums (ie Pelargoniums), Osteopermum, Argyranthemum, perennial Felicia (there are annual ones as well), Fuchsias, Petunias (these are perennials but are not good the second year) and loads of different Salvias etc.

Tender perennials are a good group to grow because they tend to flower for a long time as they don't have to die down like our hardy herbaceous plants, which then have to grow again from scratch. Also, because they come from hotter drier climates, they often need less water.

The single best one has to be the Geranium. It should overwinter OK in a greenhouse; I have even had them winter outside in Yorkshire in a mild winter. The key to overwintering any of this type of plant is to give it virtually no water over winter, and only start to water again in spring as it comes back into growth.

As you said Dahlias need a lot of water, but Salvias usually don't, so you could try Salvia coccinea, Salvia patens, Salvia microphylla (really a small bush) but very long flowering. The key to keeping other tender perennials depends on just how warm you greenhouse is. Most tender perennials like to be frost free, but will often take a bit of frost - but must be kept dry over winter.