The amount of money that people spend on annuals (they only last one season) astounds me.  My husband knows that I prefer a rose bush over a bunch of cut roses.  Jacob’s coat is my favorite.

However, I would much rather have some amaryllis bulbs.

Or the red and orange tulips.  Just gorgeous!

I hesitated at spending $10 on three elephant ear bulbs about five years ago, even though I knew they would not only come back but multiply. I can be frugal to a fault.

From those three bulbs have come over 300 elephant ears. And, yes, I counted! I dig them up each year and give some away or just spread them around the front of the house.

Last year I dug up an old four-o-clock bush from a property that was about to be razed. This year it gave me a bounty of seedlings that I distributed around my house.

This year, I was the beneficiary of approximately 100 canna tubers. I planted all that I could at my home, planted some at a friend’s home, and gave the rest away. Here are some pictures from these beautiful plants. Grasshoppers get the artistic credit for the last two photos.

I spent $1 on a packet of morning glories.

Daffodils are another wonderful bulb, but I just got started with those this year. However, is a picture I took of my daughter at an abandoned farm house with a yard full of daffodils.

I did buy a lovely hibiscus tree, but I’m sad to say that the grasshoppers keep eating all of my buds.  And they were so lovely!  Suggestions?

When and if I ever get settled again, I think I’m going to try out dahlia’s.  I saw a great article in this month’s issue of Southern Living.

Note: My personal photos are the canna lillies, the ones with the girl child, and the morning glories.