I am cheap so I do Tropical plants that I can just put in the laundry room for the winter. The only annual I buy are coleus and petunia because the flowers are fragrant. I love fragrance in the garden and on my patio,
Okay I am stretching this.
Water Iris leaves are all I have after that flowered short term in the pond so I use canna for all Summer color to off set the green leaves of the water iris.
Fern Brilliant to give a pop of color in the shade garden
If you looked to the left the purple leaves is a Coral Bell that is fighting to be seen among the green hosta.