Garden designers often dismiss annuals as appropriate plants for well-planned gardens. I feel just the opposite. For me, annuals add spice to the garden by complementing or contrasting with the shrubs, trees, and perennials in the border.

Michael A. Ruggiero and Tom Christopher are the authors of Annuals With Style, published by Taunton and released in 2000. Divided into three parts, this book gives the garden designer all the information needed to use annuals effectively. This book presents annuals in a way that should make every gardener want to include a few in their flower beds each year.

Part I defines the term "annual"and discusses various ways they can be incorporated into the garden. Everything from purchasing plants, growing from seed, analyzing the garden site, to staking plants is discussed in Part 2. The final section, Part 3 lists annuals the authors consider essential. Each plant is illustrated and described in detail. Tips on growing them successfully are also provided. It would be difficult for the reader to not find something in this book to try next gardening season. Perhaps it will be just a new annual. Maybe you'll see a suggested garden design you want to incorporate into your landscape. Another person may even discover the benefits of mulching and begin using this technique to save water over the gardening season.

I enjoyed reading this book due to the author's writing styles; you will no doubt find yourself rereading this book through the years. It is difficult for me to find the words to adequately describe the quality of the photography used in this book. Some give a view of a border while others show close up details of individual plants and flowers. The reader will spend many pleasant hours studying this book and seeking out the annuals mentioned in your favorite catalogs. If you can only buy one book this year, make it Annuals With Style. You won't be disappointed.