Gerbera, Brachycome, Dahlia, Portulaca: Perennial or Annual?

Gardener bought plants labeled annual but thought perennial: gerbera daisy, brachycome, dahlia, portulaca. Also asks best plant for steep clay bank.

Gerbera daisy, brachycome, dahlia: Perennial in Zone 8+; treated as annuals north. Dahlias: lift tubers for winter storage.
Portulaca: True annual.

Crown vetch (Securigera varia): fast-spreading, erosion control, thrives in poor clay. Plant and forget.

Know your zone—many "annuals" are tender perennials.

Perennials: Long Island Perennial Garden Design: Four-Season Interest for Sun and Shade; Rhododendron Leaf Spots: Azalea Lace Bug Damage; Mexican Heather Slow to Emerge in Dallas: Wait a Few Weeks; Hydrangea Tree Stress: Drought, Disease, or Seasonal Fade?; Why Are My Hydrangeas Losing Color? Heat Stress Solutions for Zone 8; Reviving a 60-Year-Old Rhododendron in Indiana; Identifying "Yellow Silk Shell" Flowers from Mexico; Reviving Transplant-Shocked Sedum: Water, Light, and Time; Daylily 'Happy Returns' Seed Pods and Division; Are Begonias Annuals or Perennials?

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