Beginner Gardening: advice for planting annuals in July!, 1 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
If your budget is $150 for the year you are in trouble. Instant flower beds are expensive. You have to buy big plants to make an impression. 1gallon plants aren't cheap and you will need 40 plants for a 10' x 4' bed. At $4 each that is $160.

Mums in the fall are nice, but, they don't last long unless you buy them while still in the bud stage. If they look like my photo below they are past the point of planting out.