Austin, Texas resident Nancy Naeve dedicated much of her time to overseeing community development and beautification projects as a board member of the Lost Creek Municipal Utility District and president of the Lost Creek Neighborhood Association. Now retired, Nancy Naeve enjoys tending to the annuals she plants in her Austin garden.

Annual plants go through their entire life cycle within one year. Annuals come in a range of colors, heights, and sizes and add seasonal variety to a garden. Gardeners can find an abundance of annual seedlings at nurseries or start from seed.

Once planted and in bloom, many annuals, such as petunias and forget-me-nots, can reseed and renew themselves without much maintenance. Newly transplanted annuals should be thoroughly soaked.

Afterward, most annuals should only be watered once the soil feels dry. To keep the plant blooming all season long, gardeners must also routinely remove spent blossoms, a process known as deadheading. When the colder temperatures set in, gardeners have the option of allowing the plant to die out naturally, bringing it inside, or storing cuttings and seeds to plant the following year.