Biennials

The word 'biennial' comes from the Latin 'biennis' meaning 'two years'.  Biennials are generally plants which take two growing seasons to complete their life cycle.  They grow in their first year but remains stunted at the end of the season. In the second growing sesaon, the plant grows quickly until flowering, seeding and ultimatley dying.

There are plants which are classed as biennial which may go on to flower in their third or fourth year.  These are called "short-lived perennials." In this way, garden centres tend to sell Wall flowers and Sweet Williams for example at the end of their first year so people can plant them for the next growing season and dispose of them at the end of that season.  They may grow on and flower the year after but generally do not flower as well as their first year and can look unsightly.
 

Biennials are not as fashionable as perhaps they have been in the past, mainly due to the fact that people want plants to grow and flower as quickly as possible these days.  There are however some beautiful plants that are being overlooked for this reason which are certainly worth the time and effort to grow.

Perhaps the most common example of a biennial is Digitalis purpurea, the Common Foxglove:

 

 

Mixture of Digitalis varieties being shown at Southport Flower Show:

 

Alpines
Aquatics
Bamboos
Bulbs 
Climbers 
Conifers 
Ferns  
Fruit 
Grasses  
Indoor plants  
Lawns  
Marginals 
Roses 
Vegetables