University of Vermont Extension 
Department of Plant and Soil Science

Armitage's Garden Annuals
Allan Armitage. 2004. Timber Press, hardcover, 368pp.

The author needs no introduction, having previous excellent and popular references on perennials and annuals.  Subtitled "a color encyclopedia," that is just what this reference is, with over 1300 color photos of annuals.  Although an excellent companion to his previous Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-hardy Perennials, this reference also can be used alone.  If you are visually oriented as I am, perhaps you might even get more meaning from this one.  The text is written with humor, his experience with performance and combinations, and mentions the basics of care with the details left to the previous book.  While the previous book is an A to Z listing of genera, species, and cultivars, with detailed descriptions, this book is a similar listing only with photos and narrative text.  Of the many flowers that could be included, those depicted include plants "interesting, important, or overlooked."

The author is widely traveled in the world, as can be seen from the location captions on many photos.  Some photos show the context of the plant depicted, either against surrounding structures or in combination with other plants, thus providing additional ideas.  Sometimes a couple photos are shown of the same plant, showing different combinations or colors or habits in different settings.  Common annuals are shown, as well as new ones to many, quite a few seen in the "vegetative" series.  There are even very unusual genera one would really have to hunt to find, such as Stachytarpheta (Snakeweed) or Stictocardia (Braveheart vine), and many unusual species as well.  There are many of the tropical foliage and flowering plants popular outdoors now as annuals, including such as the Plectranthus (Swedish Ivy) selections, and passionflowers.

Names are quite accurate, such as the more recent genus name of Sutera for the small, white-flowered bacopa.  The author, however, has a very realistic view of using names.  In regards to this new name, the author states, "That doesn't matter a great deal, because wherever these are sold, they will be called bacopa, and that is that."  Such firm opinions are very characteristic of most horticulturists, who often disagree, and agree to do so.  He states that "Bacopas do not make particularly good garden plants, North or South, ...".  He should see our solid groundcovers of them at our annual display garden at the Burlington Waterfront Park!

The only weakness of such a book is not a function of the book, but of the topic.  Annual cultivars change dramatically from year to year, so with each year an increasing number shown will become more rare or obsolete, and of historical interest.  Even in this though, this book will remain a useful record and photographic catalog of older selections over time.