Easy Roses

Some years I start annuals early–like the sweet peas I should have planted after Thanksgiving. They would look fabulous now growing near ‘Buff Beauty’. But other years I am preoccupied with other things.

I love annuals for color in the garden, keeping up the show while the roses and perennials cycle in and out. The garden needed watering, so before putting on the sprinkler a few minutes ago, I sowed generous quantities of the following seeds:

• Salvia coccinea ‘Lady in Red’ (my favorite annual salvia, which is beautiful and not a big vulgar)
• S. coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’ (not as vigorous as ‘Lady in Red’ but nice)
• Eschscholzia californica ‘Jersey Cream’ (California poppy)
• E. californica ‘Thai Silk Fire Bush’
• E. californica ‘Apricot Flambeau’
• Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Giant Tetra Trianon’
• C. bipinnatus ‘Double Click’

All except the S. coccinea came from Select Seeds, which has about the best selection of old-fashioned and worthy modern annuals.

Late-sowing of annuals is a great trick for keeping the garden looking great well into fall.