These will put smiles on your face, these little faces of pansies....make me smile when I see them. Here are some reasons to plant annuals in your garden.

Hope the pansy makes you smile, even if it is sideways.  

herbs planted this week.  Sorry for the sideways picture.

​     Here I am back in from the greenhouse.  What you see in the picture is the herbs that were planted this week.  There was sun out today, so the plants are happy and they are growing.  What I show you as small plants today in a few weeks will be alot bigger. 
     So why you should plant annuals?  Here are the answers.
 
Why You Should Plant Annual Flowers
Choosing the Best Flowers—An Annual Debate!
By Robin Sweetser
Annual flowers are like Rodney Dangerfield: They “don’t get no respect.” However, if you have no annuals in your garden at all, you are missing out on one of life’s joys and a whole lot of color. Let’s discover some of the best and easiest annual flowers—including beautiful pictures!
 
Annuals provide gardens with all-season color, but they have to be replanted every year, so they often get the cold shoulder. Perennials are the garden divas; they give one outstanding performance a year and retire to the background to bloom against some time next year. Annuals are the hardworking chorus line, kicking up their heels all summer long.
At our farmers’ market, I have seen shoppers fall in love with an interesting annual in bloom, all ready to take it home until they hear that it is “only” an annual and then they drop it like it was on fire. However, there are many reasons to have annual flowers. 
Life without zinnias? Not worth living! Bumblebees and butterflies will also enjoy your zinnias.
 
The Benefits of Annual Flowers
Annuals have many advantages and compliment perennials well. Here’s how I use annuals:
1.Filling in bare spots
2.Experimenting with new color combinations
3.Adding color to containers
4.Providing cut flowers for bouquets all season long.
5.Changing the look of the garden every year by growing different annuals
 
Go from bold and bright to soft pastel or from cottage garden to tropical paradise by switching out your annual plants.
 
Tall Architectural Plants
Tall plants look great as centerpieces, against a wall, or to add a touch of drama to the landscape. Examples are Nicotiana sylvestris, sunflowers, and elephant head amaranth.
 
Edible Flowers
Expand your palate with some edible flowers like nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, and calendula.
 
Annuals That Double-Duty as Beautiful Dried Flowers
•Grow some everlastings like celosia, globe amaranth, and statice to dry for winter arrangements.
 
Statice aka Limonium is a great accent plant for landscape borders and flower gardens. It loves full sun and sandier soil.
 
Annuals for Different Situations
Most annuals do best in full sun with well-drained soil, but there are annuals for every situation.
 
Annuals for Hot, Dry Soil
•Hot, dry soil a problem? Try growing portulaca, tithonia (Mexican sunflower), or gomphrena. They are pictured in order below.
 
Annuals for Shade
•Shady sites can be brightened up with impatiens, begonias, lobelia, and browallia
•For shady areas, also look to foliage plants like coleus, iresine, and Persian shield
 
Annuals for Moist Soils
•Moist soil is no problem for cleome (spider flower), torenia (wishbone flower), or monkey flower.
Or, plant a mixed border—a mixture of plants including perennials, shrubs, bulbs, vines, and annuals. Don’t be afraid to mix it up!
 
Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market.
taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant-annual-flowers-varieties-pictures
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net