Petunias are a fairly common type of annual flower. The annual part indicates that you need to replant the flower year to year; the plant will die and not hibernate in some way through the frigid winter. People typically buy flats or pots of petunias in the spring or early summer, then attempt to keep the plants alive until it’s time to replace them with some variety of fall flowers. Certain sources say you should water petunias regularly and fertilize them monthly to keep the flowers in bloom from spring through summer. Petunias can also be a tempting buffet to neighborhood rabbits, so it’s best to keep them elevated or to consider providing a tastier alternative nearby.

Petunias can mimic perennials, however, if you allow them to die out naturally and drop seeds. It’s important that you don’t disturb the ground too much throughout the fall and winter. That is, do not replace the dying petunias with vibrant, new fall flowers. Allow nature to run its course and let the ground reclaim what it grew.

An easy way to avoid disturbing the soil after the petunias die out is to have that ground elevated in a flower box on a shed. If during the following spring you realize the fuzzy-leafed sprouts are not weeds and you let them grow, then with enough neglect and forgetfulness, you can have flower boxes full of petunias. If you had hybrid colors of petunias the previous year, you will find some of the same hybrids growing along with flowers of only the individual colors. It’s like a science experiment in a flower box.

Consider neglecting your garden next year and see which annual flowers decide to mimic perennials. You may only get weeds, but you might save money on flowers you tend to purchase year to year.