By late summer, some annuals look less like garden stars and more like they need a vacation. Petunias stretch, marigolds lose their swagger, and once-lush containers can develop suspicious-looking bare spots that seem to appear overnight. Instead of automatically buying another flat of annuals, gardeners can tuck in plants that offer lasting foliage, flowers, texture, or ground cover.
The trick involves choosing plants that match the spot rather than grabbing whatever looks pretty at the garden center. Light, drainage, soil moisture, mature size, and winter hardiness all matter, especially when a plant needs to settle in during warm weather. These five choices can rescue an awkward hole now while giving the garden something useful to work with long after the annuals disappear.
