A Frugal Gardener's Dream : My Favorite Annual Self Seeding Flowers

There are good and bad things about annual flowers.  The good... no great...thing about annuals is that they amp up the color display in our gardens and just don't stop until the fall frost reminds them that they were not built for our winters. The bad thing about annuals is that, like I said, they are not built to survive our winters here in Zone 6A (used to be 5B....just learned it recently changed here in central Indiana).  While our perennials are able to keep life alive underground in their roots, these annuals we cherish all spring and summer do not have the roots to withstand our freeze, so we go back to the store year after year and buy more.  Now hitting the local garden center is part of the fun of spring, but what I want to write about today are those annuals that you do not have to buy year after year....the self seeders. These plants are perfect for the areas that you are going for a more natural look or even as a backdrop to your more formal annual planting. They simply do all (most) of the work for us by dropping their seeds at the end of the season and sending up new plants in the spring....no greenhouse required!

 I first encountered Cosmos sulphureus 'Polidor' when I worked as a horticulturist.  The height of these plants is perfect...they are tall enough to be seen among other plants, but not too tall that they flop over (about 30 inches tall).  I saved seeds I collected from our old house and literally threw them in the side garden at our current house.  I did absolutely nothing except toss them in the general direction I thought a patch would look nice (they like a sunny location).....no soil prep, no covering up afterwards.  They are really that easy!  They typically give me a light orange/dark orange display,  but I occasionally get a red/orange bloom.  This variety looks great with purple flowering plants....stay tuned...you'll see!

Cosmos sulphureus 'Polidor'-early June. The feathery leaves in the surrounding area are from the surrounding Rocket Larkspurs that have yet to bloom.

 Delphinium (Consolida) ajacis (Larkspur/Rocket Larkspur, Annual Delphinium) are 12-36" in height (mine tend to be on the taller side).  I first encountered these beauties when I worked as a horticulturist as well and I was lucky enough to inherit them at our current house.  These are eye catching indeed and not shy about spreading....love it!  Like my Cosmos, these flowers are very giving year to year.  Both form fairly well behaved "colonies".  I have not yet collected seed from them, but they have not disappointed in how they have determined their distribution.  Most plants flower in this amazing electric purple/blue color, but every once in a while I get a pink one. The feathery foliage is different than most other garden dwellers and provides a nice contrast.

Rocket Larkspur early July 2013

Rocket Larkspur

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena) is another favorite. This is a tall, but fairly sturdy plant (36"-48") with clusters of tiny lilac colored flowers on top. It looks best mixed in with other plants as it has such a tall stem with minimal leaves on it, but I do have a few that have seeded along a garden border and I don't mind them there...they may just have an occasional flop over into the yard.  I have not tried to collect and spread these seeds (they are super tiny), but have instead let it spread as it wishes. I did notice it in new places this year, but it is definitely not as prolific as my Rocket Larkspurs or Cosmos.  Tall verbena prefers a nice sunny spot and handles dry conditions well.

Verbena bonariensis early July 2013

Nigella damsacena (Love in the Mist) is a shorter plant (15" in height) with an interesting flower and very feathery leaves.  Love in the Mist comes in shades of blue, purple and white and I think they are a great plant to soften a garden look because of their delicate leaves.  I have them in a partially shady area and they are doing wonderfully, but I know them to do well in fairly sunny locations as well.  Their seed heads are worth waiting for as them resemble a papery balloon, providing some garden interest in late summer and autumn.

Nigella (Love in the Mist) early July 2013

My husband saw Alyssum at the garden center years ago and wanted to try it and we bought seed last year and spread it at the new house. I like this plant on the border (4" in height) and it reseeds itself in relatively the same spots every year. My Alyssum patches are growing in the partial shade of a crab apple tree, but they do well in sunny spots as well.  Allysum blooms in delicate white (my favorite) and shades of purple. You may often see this plant in potted displays as they seem to do well in those conditions and make a nice filler.

Allysum early July 2013

I have used several different varieties of Nicotiana over the years, but the variety Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green' is by far my favorite.  The flower is a five pointed star like flower about 2 inches wide.  These flowers are not nearly as prolific of re-seeders as the others in my gardens, but they do consistently return the next year preferring the partial shady spots, although I know them to grow in sun as well.  They tend to be around 36" in height, but in shadier spots such as mine, they do not reach quite that tall.  I do wish they were bit more aggressive, but I give their brown seed heads some extra shakes at the end of the season to help encourage spreading.

Nicotiana 'Lime Green' early July 2013

Purple and Orange- Delphinium and Cosmos 'Polidor' early July 2013

Cosmos 'Polidor',Verbena bonariensis, and Delphinium early July 2013

If you are looking for some no fuss garden additions next year, you might make note of these varieties whether you decide to buy them first as plants are try your hand at growing your first batch by seed, I don't think you will be disappointed.  :)