“Friends don’t let friends buy annuals.” My very first boss wore a button with that phrase to work every day. I didn’t have a “normal job” like most teenagers. I didn’t wait tables at the local fish house or make sundaes at Dairy Queen. Instead, I worked at a garden center, watering perennials until my fingers and toes looked like anemic raisins. My manager had a horticulture degree from Cornell and was someone whose opinions you didn’t question. I walked out of that job years later knowing a few things. One, there is no such thing as an indestructible hose. And two, annuals are bad.

That’s why I thought I was being hazed a decade later when one of my first assignments at Fine Gardening was editing an article on designing with annuals. “They’re just testing me,” I thought. “No way is this actually an article topic.” But it was. And at some point during the photo shoot for that article, my opinion of annuals changed. As I wandered through beautiful borders filled with an assortment of plants including annuals, I realized these one-year wonders had merit. Annuals didn’t have to be garish; they could be gorgeous when used thoughtfully.

In his article “Six Ways to Design With Annuals,” Steve Aitken highlights several inventive ways these temporary plants can enhance a garden. From hiding the bare legs of a robust tropical to adding needed color to a shady spot, these ideas are easy to implement on any scale. If my old boss dropped by to visit my garden today, she’d see quite a few choice annuals—and my garden is better for it. Hopefully I’d have enough advance warning to create a makeshift button of my own that said, “Friends let friends buy any plant they darn well please.”

—Danielle Sherry, executive editor

From Fine Gardening #198

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Alpine Corporation 28" Tall Outdoor Birdbath with Scrollwork Decoration Yard Statue

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STUNNING BIRDBATH: Quality birdbath is sure to attract feathered friends and create a charismatic ambiance for your garden, patio, deck, yard, or other outdoor space. SHALLOW SHAPE: Shallow and wide bowl assures that multiple small birds can drink and bathe safely at the same time BEAUTIFUL DESIGN: Luxurious and antique styling adds a touch of elegance to your garden or yard. DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Polypropylene material resists rust and damage from the elements while the sturdy base prevents the birdbath from tipping over. IDEAL SIZE: Birdbath measures 20" L x 20"W x 28"H, the perfect size for your yard, and includes a one-year manufacturer's warranty from date of purchase.

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Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

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Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency.

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Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control

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This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides.

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