The Butter Icing

On half hardy annuals and the horticultural cake.

I haven’t completely decided how I feel about the fastest plants to flower and set seed. Are they the cheapest easiest flowers to grow or an ego’s trip; a false investment, horticultural pomp?

I consider hardy annuals like a thick slick of buttercream on a cake. Without them, a garden might be sophisticatedly designed. Tasteful. That cake without it, is still a cake and hits the spot. But it’s missing something. A layer. Without it, is it enough?

Not to take the analogy too far (I do love buttercream) but it is those schemes where I can spot the hardy annuals where a gardener flex’s their knowledge and really does use every tool in the box to create a planting scheme. Perennials, trees and shrubs are certainly enough to create a sophisticated layout, and one of lower maintenance, but the annuals, and especially half hardy annuals enable play. That’s what we are after ultimately aren’t we? A quick switch up in the horticultural year.