Tips for Success with Annuals Smelling pretty Many annuals give off a scent. So, why just go for visual pleasure when you can add some wonderful fragrances to your home. Try dianthus, sweet alyssum, candytuft, petunia, heliotrope, or sweet pea. To get the most enjoyment from these and other fragrant plants, position them where your nose will find them: on a deck in containers; close to a window; and on the edges of your garden, patio, pathway or porch. Bugaboos If bad bugs are a problem (unlike lady bugs or other good bugs who feed on the bad ones) here's a simple organic potion to keep them away. In a blender mix 4 cloves of garlic with 1 chopped onion. Place this mixture in a large glass jar and add 2 cups of water. Add 2 teaspoons of bottled hot pepper sauce, stir ingredients together and steep for 2 days. Strain the mixture and add one tablespoon mild liquid dish detergent. Then dilute with 5 cups of water. Using a mister, spray plants once a week and watch the bugs retreat. See pests and disease. Pick of the crop Buy annuals that have a healthy appearance and good natural shape. Balanced proportion can positively affect a plants growth in your garden. Trunks should be straight and plants shouldn't have twisted, slanted or deformed stems. Plants that have major limbs missing or broken invite pest and disease infestation, so it's best to avoid them. Watching your garden grow Many flowering annuals reseed themselves freely at the end of the growing season. These seeds will lie dormant over the winter and, if the conditions are right, will sprout as soon as the soil warms to the proper temperature in spring. This may result in a bonus, a thicker patch of a previously planted crop. Creating a mood If your patio or deck is on the sunny side of a light colored house, at times it may feel too hot to enjoy. Try planting annuals that are in shades of cool green, blue, violet, and pastels. Although the temperature of the area won't change, it will seem cooler and more inviting. Cut-and-come-again! Bring the great outdoors in with lots of fresh cut bouquets. Many annuals are perfect for flower arrangements because they actually thrive and produce more prolifically if cut. Try zinnias, pansies, dahlias and marigolds. Select an annual Ageratum Alternanthera Alyssum Argyranthemum Aster Bacopa Begonia Begonia dragon wing Begonia non stop Bidens Boston fern Brachycome Caladium Calibrachoa Carpathian harebell Celosia Coleus Crossandra Cuphea Cypress Dahlia Dianthus Diascia Dichondra Duranta Dusty-miller Euryops Evolvus (Blue Daze) Fuchsia Garden mum Gazania Geranium Geranium ivy Geranium zonal Gerbera daisy Gomphrena Helichrysum Heliotrope Hypoestes Impatiens Impatiens double Impatiens fiesta Impatiens NG Iresine Lantana Lobelia Marigold Marguerite daisy Melampodium Mimulus Nemesia Nicotiana Osteospermum Pansy Pentas Petunia Petunia wave Phlox Platycodon Plumbago Purslane Ruellia Salvia Scaevola Scutellaria Setcreasea Snapdragon Strawberry Strobilanthes Torenia Verbena Vinca Viola Zinnia