How to differnetiate between perrenials and annuals.?

Question

Moved to a new house and trying to maintain the garden and no one to ask what is what.

Answer 1

If you don't know what is in the garden, then it will next to impossible for you to tell or for us either because there really isn't any special feature that sets an annual apart from a perennial other than will it return or not. I will say that most gardens are filled with perennials and annuals are used for splashes of color in just a few areas. The only thing I can tell you is that the simplest way to tell it to wait until next spring. Those that return are perennials and those that do not are the annuals. However, this is not exact because some annuals like zinnia, for example, will drop seed and will return. Another thing you can do is post some pictures here on Answers and we can tell you what they are and if they are annuals or perennials.
Good Luck

Answer 2

I won't insult your gardening knowledge and explain to you the difference between an annual and a perennial like those first two. I think your question is how do you know which is which so you don't dig them up, right?

Unfortunately there is no easy answer, especially given the time of year when everything will start dying back soon anyway. In general, anything that is not currently blooming is more likely a perennial that flowered earlier in the spring/summer. Anything blooming now, could really go either way. Best bet is to buy a gardening book with lots of pictures and/or visit some local nurseries to see what they have that looks like what you've got.

Answer 3

Perennials are plants that grow, live and flower for more then one year. Actually, most perennials will live for several years and with proper care (splitting, composting, twice a year minimal care), many perennials will live for many many years and give an abundance of bloom and foliage. One rule of thumb on perennials is the first year they sleep, the 2nd year they creep and the 3rd year they leap!! This is true for new plants and most transplants or split perennial plants.
The one down side maybe that perennials may only flower for a set period of time, and you have only foliage or seed heads the rest of the time.

Annuals are often cheaper to buy, give a flush of color that varies depending on the area, type of plant and growing conditions. Many are developed to give maximum bloom with minimum effort, once the soil is prepared and the plants are in the ground. All you have to do is some weeding and watering... but, alas, the annuals will fade with the coming of fall/winter seasons, and you need to restock/replant the next spring.
But annuals will give great impact as far as color and bloom for one season.
If you figure the cost of annuals compared to cost of perennials then you may suffer from sticker shock, but if that perennial plant will grow AND expand in size, giving many young offsets that can be split to new plants over the years, perennials are a very good deal for the long term gardener.

Answer 4

A perennial plant or perennial (Latin per, "through", annus, "year") is a plant that produces flowers and seeds more than one time in its lifespan, and therefore lives for more than one year. This term is usually applied to herbaceous plants or small shrubs rather than large shrubs or trees, but used strictly it also applies to all plants which flowers and produces seeds more than once.
Annuals don't live more then one season.