Annuals for Every Purpose:
Choose the Right Plants for Your Conditions, Your Garden, and Your Taste
By Larry Hodgson
Rodale, $29.95
ISBN 0875968244

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Is it cheating to plant annuals?

Ah, Larry Hodgson's got the right attitude. He's the author of Annuals for Every Purpose: Choose the Right Plants for Your Conditions, Your Garden, and Your Taste, and he's no Gertrude Jekyll. "When it comes to annual maintenance, I'm into the minimalist side of the garden gate. I don't believe in spending all of my waking hours caring for a garden. I prefer to enjoy my gardens, and I think you should do the same."

Larry (I feel like I know the guy, thanks to his chatty tone) is actually a master gardener of many years, and his goal is to simplify gardening by using annuals -- plants that flower profusely for one year. Plant 'em, and watch 'em bloom from Day One. His copious lists of plants, grouped thematically rather than alphabetically, make it easier to find plants that suit your site's requirements. Hot summer? Cool? Larry will set you up with the right annuals. And his optimistic point of view and perky tone are the essence of the forgiving gardener.

Ann Shayne lives and gardens in Nashville.