PUSHING THE BORDERS

.................what (if any) annuals do you lads and ladies grow.

The reason that I'm a little shy is that some forums can be rather sniffy about annuals! In much the same way that I can be if the truth be told.
But they do have their place. I used to grow Cleome hassleriana (quite well IMO) every year...................


Many years ago I grew it in a 3m x 2m bed with Amaranthus which was always a good show.

Hanging baskets here tend to be very simple - Lotus berthelottii..................


Cerinthe palestina is a little more challenging than C.major as it seems to be a little bit more tender, but wort the effort...............



The reason that I ask is that I have a new favourite at the moment - Nigella orientalis....................

Not the most showy bloom in the world but it bears close up viewing, and the emerging bloom is interesting too................

I don't grow as many any more but I always grew annuals back when I was really into my gardening. It was all going for the tropical look at the time so it was things like Ricinus new zealand black,Gibsonii,Impala,Zanzibarensis all grown as feature plants with things like Cleome,Millet,impatiens,canna,small Dahlias and then climbers such as Thunbergia,Mina Lobata,convolvulous all as ground cover.

On the old forum we would have two to three meets a year when you could swap plants or just get given loads of things that people grew and had too much off that was given away freely...I miss those days :(

Most certainly do.

Zinnias, Cupheas, Cleome, certain types of marigold, Begonisas, Portalucas, tender salvias, Rincinus, creeping flowering succulents such as Livingston Daisys, etc..oh and Impatiens( Marks fault, they are everywhere)

Anything that says " Hello, I'm here :o ", :lol: . I like them dotted along with all the greenery in the garden. Anything that stings the retinas basically.

Wayne

I like to grow Cleome spinosa. I sowed some this year from seed collected two years ago but I think I was a bit late and they are still not much more than seedlings. Hopefully the will catch up and flower before the season is out.

Like Mark, I used to grow various ricinus, purple millet, maize quadricolour etc, but I don't have the space for all that anymore. Partly due to deliberately filling the garden out with perenniels in order to save on the work-load of growing and planting out annuals.

The only other anuals I'm growing this year are Niconiana sylvestris and those things who's name escapes me, with the red centred, heart shaped leaves :?

Red Spider Zinnias are my current favourite.they seem to hang in the air, as they have very thin stems and seem to fit in with anything around them. Wayne

My list is similar to Mark's but in addition I like Tithonia rotundiflora and Rudbeckia. This year it is Rudbeckia 'Marmalade', previous years it has been 'Toto', 'Cherry Brandy' and 'Irish Eyes'. Also sow a few Nasturtium 'Queen Victoria' or similar bright red flowered varieties.
I like your Zinnias Wayne, I'll try those next year.

Phew! I'm not alone!

I lost all bar one of my Nicotiana seedlings (N.langsdorfii and sylvestris) when I forgot to open the g/house door a few weeks ago.

I like to grow Tropaeolum peregrinum, but it seemed to be a magnet for flea beetles at my last two houses.

Wayne - I like those Zinnias - might bring some seed back with me next visit!