Gardening Basics: Maximizing Color with Annual Flowers

Annuals—geraniums, impatiens, marigolds, etc.—deliver nonstop summer color. They're reliable, tough, and bloom even with neglect. Drawback: repurchase yearly, which adds cost and labor for large areas.

Versatile Uses

• Fill entire beds (aka bedding plants).
• Container displays: pots, window boxes, planters.
• Hanging baskets.
• Edge walkways.
• "Spot" color in perennial beds.
• Edge vegetable/herb gardens.
• Mask fading spring bulbs.

For instant, long-lasting color, annuals are hard to beat—just budget for spring replanting.