What's So Great About Annual Flowers?

Grow some calendulas

My first gardens were all about two things: vegetables and annuals. For one thing, I rented, and as a renter a person is not very motivated to sink time, money, and effort into planting perennials and shrubs.

So probably the first thing I did when I rented a house was to plant bulbs. Not annuals in the strict sense, but carefree color when I most needed it. Tulips and crocus bulbs were the main choices, and then every spring I would get some flower seeds and plant the bulb areas with brightly flowering annuals. Zinnias, candytuft, alyssum, marigolds – even cosmos. It was sort of a wildflower look- wild, anyway!

Then I would carve out a veggie patch and put in tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and whatever else I felt would be yummy; parsley was favored for under the tomatoes.

The year I tried Salpiglossis. So lovely

Then I moved into my own first home…. and I discovered perennials. Perennials were my long love affair with plants and gardening, but I never forgot annuals. I only put them back in the scullery, so to speak, as perennials grew and multiplied (with a little help from their friend, me!).

Through the years certain annuals remained, doggedly perhaps, sprouting up in the sometimes disturbed earth of certain parts of my borders. The Nigella, Love-In-A-Mist, hordes of Shirley poppies filled June, the specie form of Calendulas, long reverted to their old origins, but no less cheerful and sweet for all that.

Certain annuals have loved it here- I have dill weed in bunches every year. It is a good thing, because I have nowhere near the garden opportunity that I did years ago: grandchildren must be visited, vacations to make up for years of not having any, the necessity of portioning out more of my energy to just keep up this place and try to declutter (my main goal for this time of my life!).

It will soon be time to plant morning glories

But I find I am also returning to my first love for annuals. Why would I do that?

8 Good Reasons To Plant Annual Flowers

Annuals are easy
They provide long lasting color and a source of cut flowers
Annuals are worry free, not having near the problems with diseases, etc.
They fill in spots where things look bare, and do it quickly
I can seed or plant pots of nursery grown seedlings
Many are fragrant
They can be old fashioned favorites or new to me and exciting to try out- without too much expense
They fill the containers that I now use for most of my summer long color. So what if the border got weedy, or certain perennials died out in a drought or whatever? I have my pots of bright and cheery annuals to keep me happy until I can remedy those problems

Past Container Pottings

So, you see? In my older years I am reverting to things I once found joy in, and annual flowers are a part of that rediscovery.
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© 2013 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.