I had basically quit annuals except for buying some alyssum or lobelia to edge a border of perennials. Although I loved my plants on the deck, sometimes we just weren't home enough to water them properly. Now I have a much larger flower bed, and have been using annuals for 3 years to fill in until the perennials get larger. Between last summers wet and this last winter's lack of snow cover/cold, most of my perennials planted in the last 2 years died, so I guess I'll be using annuals longer than I thought. And that's fine with me, because I discovered that poppies, liatris, and clarkia, all of which I love, don't need my help to thrive. Add in the pansies that come up everywhere, the bright calendula and canary vine that I start from seed, and I have brilliant color all summer long with very little work. After this year's dieback, it's perennials I sometimes want to give up on!

I've been thinking that reseeding annuals would be easier to manage and enjoy; thinning the volunteers(annuals) seems quicker than dividing nonblooming clumps of perennials every number of years. The solution about watering would be solved by only growing regionally native types in both categories. [Poor biennials, don't get a mention at all]

Okay, I'll mention biennials...I forgot my forget-me-nots...sow 2 years in a row, and then forget about them! Their blue, along with my pale yellow daffodils and the perennial (native) Jacob's ladder and a few pansies is a treat for my eyes.

I never plant annuals in the garden. I use plants with color foliage. Last year I found some old packs of Zinna seeds so I just sprinkled them on the ground and they were blooming machines. I liked the flowers but I can live without annuals. My perennial garden is planted to have blooms and color Spring to Fall.

My pots are always planted with tropicals, cannas, Dahalia, Glads, EE etc. I drag the pots in to the basement in the winter and drag them out in the Summer. Instant pots already planted. LOL If I find a pretty coleus or two I might put some of those in the pot.

I do not have to water these plants a lot. I put a baby diaper in the bottom of the pot so I only have to water once a week. I get so many compliments on my tropical look patio.

Annuals are too much trouble for me.

As with anything else it is possible to "bite off more than you can chew". Speaking as one who is getting older and just not able to "cover as much ground". I have had to give up a lot of things I enjoy doing to avoid putting pressure on myself. If you feel guilty because you can not keep up, its time to cut down on your schedule. Al

I'm giving up on a perennial bed this year. The groundcover weed Germander Speedwell has moved in, along with quack grass. I'm digging up some iris, monarda, phlox, and rudbeckia, keeping the roses, and asking my son to weed-whack the rest.

Like Calistoga, I've had to take a hard look at what I can accomplish in the garden, and what I can't. One thing I love about annuals is my ability to pull them up at the end of the season and cover the bed with cardboard for the winter. End of weeds!

I was at the point you are several years ago, not only with my gardens, but with everything. I worked f/t +, had 9 animals to care for, a huge house on over an acre, and commuted 1 hr+ one way. Newly divorced, and having everything fall on my shoulders, I had to willfully change my way of thinking. Whatever needs to be done will still be there to do tomorrow. Don't sacrifice your sanity, your stress level and your happiness to have perfection. Life is so, so short. Gardening is my de-stresser and I let it turn into quite the opposite by trying to overachieve. Do what you can and only so long as you enjoy it and then just let it go. Find a balance. If you looked at those annuals and thought, "Well, I can either be happy pitch this $____ worth of flowers, or I can kill myself and take all the enjoyment out of it and get it all done," maybe it would make more sense to just let some go. Seems like I tend to overbuy some years. So, I do what I can as I can and if I waste some flowers, so be it. Better that than to turn my love of gardening into another chore that stresses me out. Sometimes it takes a step back and some real mental effort to de-stress and be happy.

Yep! going thru that also. So much,every other day. Still have bulbs and plants I want to plant and to top it off the weeds are now knee high. I'm afraid to get out: its cold,rainy,muddy...afraid of falling due to wind. Now I am tempted to plant my Japanese iris bulbs in pots till I can put them in the ground. My seeds will have to still wait. What a Spring its been.

Yea, good points Betsy. That's the point it's at now - no enjoyment, just a chore. I also thought who exactly am I doing this for, anyway? I'm not home much with my crazy schedule, I don't really even get a chance to enjoy the annuals in the back much at all and I have to deal with all that @(!*&^! watering. At least the handful of geraniums I plant in the front I can enjoy as I pull out/in the driveway or walk to get the mail and such, and the shots of color make the house look nice overall, which I feel is a good reflection on me/DH.

So, yea, I'm going to re-evaluate what I'm doing/why I'm doing it next spring, it really may be time to cut way back on the spring annual planting madness and like I said just enjoy the perennial displays I have.

If I had known it was never going to rain, and start 100 degree days about a month ago, I would not have bothered buying as many annuals as I did. It was not my intention to become a "hose slave," but since it hasn't rained since April 15, that's what has happened. It's not yet 9 AM and it's 85 degrees already, with a matching 85% humidity!

There is 6" of rain MISSING here compared to average. I gave up on most of my pots and put those plants in the flower beds, but I can't go 2 days without something wilting. It's so dry, lizards follow me around when I have the hose out, and most of the grass is completely brown and crispy.

"It's so dry, lizards follow me around when I have the hose out" That made me smile, even though I understand the frustration of no rain.

I did say screw it last year when we had disgusting heat and very, very little rain last summer (what little rain there was kept missing my town). I probably said screw it the year before as I was super busy, and it rained for 2 months anyway.

But you know, it all came back this year. The joy. The need to get out there and get dirty. Despite some pretty gnarly weeds in some beds, everything pretty much survived without me. I had a lot of clean up and hard pruning to do this year, but the desire really is back. I keep running outside on non gardening days just to look at everything again. The break was good for me and my beds.

eek! I realized after I hit post that I thought I was on the cottage garden board. I guess my post wouldn't really apply to annuals. Sorry 'bout that.

LOL! Well, when you say "screw it," it's not usually just annuals "getting screwed."

{{gwi:4760}}

I love Begonias and have had them for 20 years. They require little care. I put a little Osmocote on each one when I plant them and water them. They are so easy to grow.

Betty

I say the same thing every May, that I'm not spending the money and carrying water to keep them alive; but, then I think come summer when not much is blooming in my garden,I'll miss the little extra punch of color the annuals give.

However, this is the first year in like 30yrs that I am not planting a big vegetable garden. No four or five different lettuces, all the greens, peas, beans,ect. I planted three tomato plants and four sweet green pepper plants two weeks ago - that's it this year. Now if I change my mind, I can still plant some cole crops like lettuce in July.

I'm saying screw it and moving to Bettyfb's yard. =D

I'm saying screw it and moving to Bettyfb's yard. =D

Thanks; you are all welcome to stop by if you are ever in Louisville, Ky. I will put you to work. I was born with gardening in my genes. Mom helped me start my first Marigold garden when I was 6, and I still remember that round flower bed. I have high energy, and love perfection and hate weeds. And yes, it is worth all the hard work to sit back and enjoy the flowers and have neighbors enjoy them too. And by the way, I have had two major surgeries in the past 12 months and was in the hospital for a couple of months, this past January. I count my blessings and just keep moving ahead.

Happy Gardening!!!!!

Betty

Aside from some hanging baskets on my porch, I did not put anything in pots this year because of the time spent watering. I had big pots of roses which were killed by this unusually cold winter and did not replace them. I am not adding anything new except to fill in existing beds - just getting to be too much work and not enough fun. I have started adding more evergreens and flowering shrubs to my flower beds to simplify things. I am hoping by really filling the beds full it will choke out some of the weeds. It can get overwhelming with everything else we all have going on in our lives. Oh - and I am also trying to learn to live with "less than perfect".

Ooh - my grandmother had a round marigold bed!! Brings back memories :0)

I loved Betty's garden and appreciate her comment on the begonias. We visited France a few years ago, and were impressed with the use of fibrous begonias in many out of the way locations, where little maintenance would be required. Many roundabouts had massive displays. I wish we had much more of them in our public places. Al

I grow most of my own plant, but this year I'm having a terrible time trying to get them hardened off. The weather has been the worst I can recall in my area -- rain, drizzle and fog, especially the latter two. Temperature rarely goes past 10 C. In the past four weeks the sun has been seen two days. Other parts of our province are enjoying great weather. One thing is certain I'll not be sowing so much seed another year. Betty's garden looks great. I love begonias too. Have kept them for years. Suppose there is still some hope.

purple....I hear you loud and clear about the drought we're going through in AL. It's been terrible.

We drag a hose around for our newest trees and container plants, and even put up a sprinkler in a different part of the yard in the early morning. You should see the birds play in the water! We don't have the anoles this far north, darn it.

We have a small (maybe 15 ft.) tree near the back patio that has pretty large foliage. In the late afternoon, if we spray that tree down real well, the hummingbirds will come and take their little baths in the leaves.

This year would be one that could get me to say "screw it". Here in Wyoming our last killing frost hit June 9th! It has been a real battle getting the garden in and avoiding all the frost. Just took the greenhouse down yesterday!

In the end....I like all the flowers and great stuff from the garden. Now that it is finally warming up I am enjoying the flowers....the garden is now completely planted. And it is time for some margaritas!