Last week, my subject was perennials, and several people sent me photos of the flowers blooming in their yards. This week our topic will be annuals. Annuals are flowers that are planted, grow for one season, and then die. Sunflowers, marigolds, and zinnias are three of the easiest to grow annuals. If you’re interested in attracting beneficial insects such as bees, in providing larval food for butterflies, in warding off deer or rabbits, and planting flowers that attract hummingbirds, there are specific annuals you can plant for each purpose. Pamphlets, catalogs, magazines, tv programs, and books are just a few references you can use. Of course, you can use the internet. Long before the internet, my husband subscribed to Organic Farming and Gardening. Also, PBS has always had a regular line up of shows on Saturdays featuring flower gardening.

My Mother always planted zinnias and marigolds in her garden to ward off harmful insects and animals. Planting zinnias along with other annuals help to protect those plants from some common garden pests such as Japanese Beetles. Zinnias tend to attract the bad insects by acting as a sacrificial plant. Some varieties of marigolds have such strong unpleasant odors that they are to rabbits and deer. These annuals are just a few of the one’s deer despise most: cosmos, spider flower, larkspur, and nasturtiums. Deer dislikes the taste of fuzzy leaves and fluffy flower blooming plants. They despise hydrangeas for those reasons.