I love Annie's Annuals. But even I, the seasoned and obsessive gardener scoffs at paying $5-8 bucks for a 4" size annual. As I look at the catalogue I begin my roller coaster ride of thrifty gardener emotions. Will it grow? Please God tell me it will reseed at a price like that! Will one be enough? Hell, I want hundreds. But do I have the space? Will it be worth it? This vacillation goes on for a while and then I settle down and place my small order.
Yesterday I ordered something that I feel is really frivolous, marigolds. In the main I don't even like them. You see them there, in Home Depot by the hundreds, uniformed solders, a phalanx of flowers. They're all dowsed with growth retardants and fertilizers and so on. Basically they are as close to a silk flower as a real plant comes. But there are other marigolds. I remember when I was an intern at Great Dixter, Christo would have loads of stripped marigolds waiting the in the wings. The moment a perennial was looking shabby he would have some fun annual like marigolds put in amongst them to take that part of the garden through the summer. And these are full grown loose habit NICE marigolds, with REAL flowers. So I chose 'Harlequin' to grow this year, of course I will save seeds and it will be great for the vegetable garden where I will be growing it.
But the question comes back, is $5 plus shipping and tax too much to pay for an annual? I think the answer is no. When I think of the joy I will have each day when I see the red and orange stripped flower in the garden it will all be worth it. And as a horticulturist I think it's really important to support the great resources we have. Annie's is always delighting us with new and wonderful plants. We should support them and other great nurseries. And just think of the fun you have when that box shows up at the house.
