Do you buy annual flowers ?

**ladytoysdream** · 05-27-2010, 06:35 AM

We have in the past but now that the budget has gotten real tight, it's not happening here. Seems so $ 150 was normal here for a few years for the hanging plants for our porch deck with roof. It is 52 ft long and in every 8' section, hubby likes to have a plant hanging. Last year I tried smaller started plants and put together our own hangers.

We did buy only one this year for under $ 20, because our humming bird feeder is set up next to it. Now I have to figure out how to get some inexpensive plants for the hanging pots.

Out front next to the house, he likes to have a lot of flowers. What we have now is snapdragons coming up from last year from the parent plant, and a lot of babies from seed. Should be real pretty when they get some size to them. Also a few pansies that made it through the winter. I have also planted some glad bulbs I picked up at the right price at a church sale. In the winter, I bring the bulbs in. Hoping this year because I have so many that I can experiment and leave some in the ground. Just cover them well with leaves or something similiar.

I really been pushing hard for more perennials. I get my best bargains at garage sales usually.

**thesightofoneself** · 05-27-2010, 07:02 AM

i have morning glories. i have no idea what type of plant/flower it is. i put the seeds in the ground and BAM but its pretty

**frugalwarrior2** · 05-27-2010, 07:10 AM

ltd-how about iris. They multiply very fast from the rhisomes. You can almost throw them over the fence and they'll root.
Also check w/ your garden club for someone to trade w/.

**Jenny WC** · 05-27-2010, 08:14 AM

The annuals we do it something we would plant from seeds and start in the house super early. We always do marigolds before there is not cost in them since the produce so many seed. Most of our flowers are perennials but I do add a few annuals in that I grow from seeds.

We use to always by annuals but now I think its just wasting to much money. I can find annual seeds from .10 to 1.00 a pack and get much more then I would if I went to the nursey and got them

Jenny

**bumplett** · 05-27-2010, 08:55 AM

I try to only do perennials -

**krbshappy71** · 05-27-2010, 09:41 AM

I don't buy whatever the super pretty basket annuals are, but someone mentioned Irises, those are considered annuals? Mine come back year after year.

I think some annuals it depends on where you live. Here's what I have that come back year after year:

Irises, yellow & purple
Shasta daisies, white with yellow centers
Sweet Williams, maroon
Chocolate Mint, small purple flowers and strong scent

Yet to see if they will come back: bleeding heart and columbine plants. They had a rough start as we had some late snows and cold weather.

My mom gave me tulip and daffodil bulbs, but normally I don't buy those as they wont come back.

I am very new to flower gardening due to finances over the years so I've chosen to invest in perennials. I do still gaze at the annuals and daydream.

**monkeywrangler71** · 05-27-2010, 09:44 AM

The only time I've ever put in flower annuals was when we were selling our old house. We had a planter out front that I typically grew herbs in, but since we were selling I put in flowers instead (translation, my mother came over one day and planted flowers).

I love perennials because they tend to take off and have a mind of their own. To me they look more natural, but when I see a bed of annuals I think they look really forced and I just don't like the look of it.

**stinkbug** · 05-27-2010, 09:58 AM

Right now I think we have 13 annual containers. Dh is obsessed with flowers and loves doing pots all over. We have mostly perennials, but this year with the greenhouse we did do some from seed. We also get a discount if we buy from his employer Kroger/Fred Meyer...so we save a lot there. It's our one big spring slurge since we are home all summer....we don't take vacations. Just short weekend trips.

**Jamielane** · 05-27-2010, 10:01 AM

We have slowly over the last 5 years or so began shifting to things that will come back year after year but I did get a pretty hanging basket for Mothers Day on my deck and DH bought a flat of impatients for filler last week . He got a flat for 10.99 and they go a long long way to brighten the back yard up. We spend absolutly no time in the front so we have always concentrated on the back. I have a beautiful snowball bush that came from a cutting at my Grandmothers house and a gorgeous Lilac bush that came from a cutting at my other Grandma's house a pretty burning bush and for the most part all the other stuff pops up from bulbs or seeds.

**IntlMom** · 05-27-2010, 10:21 AM

sometimes I buy some..... but we are totally not landscaping ppl. I don't think I have ever spent more than 20.00 a summer on flowers - I may spend that this year yet, maybe. maybe not.

**Contrary Housewife** · 05-27-2010, 10:42 AM

My flower beds have perennials in them, hyacinths, day lillies, irises, tulips, coneflowers, daisies and columbines. I also have a lot of dianthus which are not strictly perennial but do come back for 2-3 years. I needed things which would survive our poor clay soil, hot days and months without rain.

I have 5 large pots out front into which I put annuals. I try to find inexpensive ones that will survive our hot dry summers. Snapdragons, certain colors of petunias, coleus, and a few others do well for me. I probably spend less than $20 to fill them.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 05-27-2010, 10:47 AM

I think since we found out that the squirrel was our nemesis and not the rabbit, we're going to still continue to bring in marigolds for border trim. It'll keep one pest out and sadly, there's no flower that'll keep the squirrel away.

I'd love to get a flower box and run it along the side of the stone steps and anchor that in with some concrete screws. I think it'd give me more of a push to plant some annuals. They're pretty reasonable at Superstore. I got a set of 8 for $3. However, at the greenhouse they're $3 per annual. Yuck.

Other than the flower box and the border flora, we wouldn't have need for any more annuals.

**Josephhgoins** · 05-27-2010, 11:15 AM

I only plant food. Right now on my patio I have several containters of herbs and a pineapple. All easy to grow from seeds directly in the pot and require almost no attention. Usually when It rains I set the pot in the rain to get some rainwater.

The pineapple was a pineapple top I cut off and planted. As I would thrown that in the trash I consider it free.

I amthinking about some hanging pots, but they will have something edible in them as well.

**pita1213** · 05-27-2010, 01:36 PM

I try to use seeds instead of buying plants. The flowers (except for Tulips) are all in pots. The lavender I bought as plants 2 years ago. Not an annual but it's one of the few flowering plants I have.
I have some marigolds popping up in the veg garden, and a pot out front with wildflower seeds in it. I got an impatiens a couple of years ago and it self seeded over and over until a cat tore it out.
The tulips will go in a pot in the fall once they die back. A mole got to some of them this year so I want to pull out the rest of them before it eats them over the winter.

**frugalfranny** · 05-27-2010, 01:48 PM

Sometimes I will do a couple pots with a 'color pattern' of petunias, but haven't for a couple years, as I have too much other stuff to do and don't want to mess with them.

If I do any other annuals it is seeds (in ground, not pots).........just toss them, walk on the seeds, water them, and what grows, grows!!

Last year I did some marigolds, zinnias, alyssum, and baby's breath. The baby B. will reseed, alyssum too,....as will the zinnias, depending on the color. I use lots of alyssum seeds as it is a great ground cover.......and fragrant!!