(article taken from The Irish Garden magazine)
Gardening can be an expensive business at times, especially when you’ve a large space to fill, the cost of buying plants can easily mount up. If we only look to shrubs and large plants for immediate gratification, we risk overlooking a multitude of annuals and tender perennials that can add excitement and drama to both new and existing planting schemes.
New gardens and borders take time to establish, so it’s a good idea to invest some time early in the year to sow seed of fast-growing annual fillers that can be planted among the slower growing, long-term residents, to give impact through summer and well into autumn. Established gardens can also benefit from their inclusion; their often-lush foliage or vibrant flowers can add a punch of colour or dramatic leafage, enlivening plantings that perhaps run out of steam as summer slides into autumn. Using annuals also enables experimenting with a different canvas of colours and textures each year without the commitment that comes with planting hardy perennials and shrubs.