2016 WINNERS
Hyacinth Bean Vine: Grows from seed without a fuss, purple pod gradient, and olive rainbow leaves? Yes, yes, and yes. Next year: Yes. Morning glories, your days are numbered. From now on the porch railing is all beans all the time.
This Tiny Boxwood: One trim and it stayed the same size and perfect shape all season. Next year: Yes. Keep showing the other shrubs how it's done, little boxwood!
Twisty Weed by Tree: No one knows what you are or where you came from but a unique sculptural piece. Smells like pee, otherwise would have been a secret weapon for arrangements. Next year: Yes, if it decides to return. Multiples will make it look more intentional.
Jazzy Mix Zinnias: Wide range of interesting flower designs, like little floral spirographs. Don't look too zinnia-y. Next year: Yes, but combined with something other than marigolds to showcase the color range. Maybe something blue.
2016 LOSERS
Weigela: Beautiful burgundy at the nursery, once planted you realize this is exactly the color of mulch. Invisible shrubs. Turns into a naked stick-y mess in the winter that needs to be cut back hard to even have leaves, so it never blooms. Next year: Reluctant Yes. Too much effort required to remove them, most likely will be ignored for the rest of time.
Cactus Mix Zinnias: Lack of cactus mix zinnias attributed to repeated bunny attacks. Next year: Yes. Further research with bunz-be-gone products required.
Lotus Vine: One flower all season. One! Next year: Maybe. It's ugliness and weird claw shaped flowers are strangely alluring. Nice silver foliage.
Weed that Looks Like a Giant Dandelion at Edge of Lawn: Refused to make perfect round puffballs this year for me to spray with hairspray and add to hip arrangements. Got mowed as punishment. Next year: Maybe. Imperfect unharvested puffballs threw lots of seeds, perhaps a more choice spot will yield better results.