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A term to describe a plant that completes its life cycle (germinating, growing, flowering, setting seed and dying) within a single growing season.

There is a range of easy-to-grow, climbing annuals that will flower non-stop from June until the frosts, producing striking blooms and sculptural leaves. Because they grow 1.8m to 3m or more in a season, half the joy is amassing so much plant from

have to trim its fig-like leaves to let the Spanish flag flowers truly shine. Set off these two annual climbers to perfection by planting delicate but colourful bedding plants around the base of the display. Don't be tempted to plant out tender young

An annual plant, the seeds of which can tolerate sub-zero winter temperatures and whose seedlings can survive spring frosts.

and the roots usually stay where they are and it will regrow from them.Yellow sorrel grows as an annual, but it happily and plentifully regenerates from seed each year, as the seed pods explode and fire seeds all around the garden.The best way to deal

Willowherb, or fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium, is a pretty plant that looks at home in a wild garden, but will take over any domestic garden, spreading by seed and tough underground roots. Left unchecked, it will invade the space of other plants

Chickweed, Stellaria media, is best thought of as a delicious rather than a pernicious weed. Its young leaves are packed with vitamins, so it makes a healthy addition to salads. However, it can also harbour greenfly and spider mite, so remove it immediately if it appears in your ...

Cleavers grows rapidly during warm weather. The sticky stems are able to scramble around the garden, smothering small, cultivated plants and setting masses of seed. It's usually introduced on the coats of animals, birds' feathers or human clothing

in from surrounding gardens, fields and waste ground.A bushy weed that bears small yellow flowers and fluffy seedheads. Its leaves often have orange-brown pustules of rust fungus in summer and autumn, which can spread to cultivated plants. Pull out young

into the garden through the compost of new plants purchased from nurseries or garden centres. It spreads from neighbouring gardens and the seed is capable of remaining dormant in the soil to germinate when it's turned up to the surface by cultivation.Quick growing