answer:An annual is a flower with a life cycle that lasts a year or less. It grows from a seed, to a plant and then dies. So annuals might be pansies, zinnias, marigolds. You will often find these in little punnets at the garden store. Great for adding some colour and filling gaps temporarily. Or they could be lettuce or vegetables of that type that won’t keep growing and providing produce. A perennial is a plant that may last for more than two years but may last for many, many years. A tree is a perennial. A geranium is a perennial too. So your shrubs and the plants that will form the foundation of your garden are perennials – shrubs, trees and the like. Some vegetable plants are perennial too. They will keep providing produce year after year. According to Wikipedia there are 422 different species of geranium. In my experience they are very hardy. You can grow them in plants or in your garden.