An 'annual' flower has to be pretty special to get a spot in my gardens. While 'perennials' are...well, perennial LOL meaning they come back every year all on their own...annuals, on the other hand, do all their living in a single season and must be re-planted the next year. Definitely more labor intensive.

COSMOS, however, are one of the annuals I am willing to put the extra time into. They come in a myriad of colors and there is almost nothing better than seeing these simple pretty blossoms swaying in the breeze on the end of their 12-14" stems.

The white COSMOS pictured here (photographed in the evening) is a first for me. It is the first variety I've grown w/ this tube-like structure....petals typically are flat. I really like this lovely white blossom w/ it's satin like finish and will definitely give it a spot in my gardens again next season.