Annuals are very much back in style after the decades-long perennial revolution. You see annuals in every garden, with the old-fashioned flowers still among the most popular. With new varieties being launched every year and older ones (many dating back more than four or five years) disappearing just as quickly, gardeners need help sorting them out. Author Larry Hodgson tells you what to look for among the numerous new introductions: greater adaptability to growing conditions, longer period of bloom, improved insect and disease resistance, and more--everything, in fact, that you need to know to make growing annuals both simple and fun. You'll discover: How to cut back tired annuals, like sweet alyssum, to get them to rebloom even more intensely than before. How to save money by taking cuttings of so-called "designer" annuals, using one plant to create many. All about overwintering numerous "annuals" that are really tropical perennials. Which cool-loving annuals you can sow in the fall so they can sprout when the conditions are perfect the following spring. Simple tricks that make designing with annuals a snap. And much, much more! You'll find annual gardening has never been easier--or more exciting--than when you have "Annuals for Every Purpose as a handy reference.
Larry Hodgson is a well-known garden writer, lecturer, and media personality. He is a regular contributor to gardening magazines such as Horticulture, Harrowsmith, and Canadian Gardening, has authored several successful books, including A Garden Lover's Guide to Canada, Houseplants for Dummies, and the best-selling Perennials for Every Purpose, and co-authored others, such as All about Perennials.
Larry's a favorite on the lecture circuit for gardening groups in the United States and Canada and he can be seen on French-language television, both as a host and as a guest. He is a former editor-in-chief of HousePlant Magazine and a radio garden commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is also a gardening columnist for several Internet sites, including Icangarden.com. He leads garden tours all over the world, visiting public and private gardens on various continents.
Larry lives with his wife and children in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, just outside of Quebec City. He studied at the University of Toronto and Laval University, where he earned a degree in modern languages. Always involved in every aspect of gardening, Larry volunteers for various gardening organizations and is presently national director for Region VII of the Garden Writers Association of America. In addition, he finds enough spare time to appear in community theater productions for the Quebec Art Company.