This is my front yard flower border it's very first year. (about twenty years ago) All of the flowers are annuals, all of the flowers are very healthy AND all of the flowers are 18 inches tall or less! It seems that most annuals these days have been bred to be short and squatty. I find it harder and harder to find tall annuals at garden shops or nurseries. I used to buy larkspur, cleome, bachelor buttons, and lavatera at the garden shops but no more. Almost all of the premium annuals are sold in $4 containers or hanging baskets, with only the few familiar annuals like impatiens, marigolds, petunias, and alyssum sold in six packs. So how do I add vertical interest to my flower gardens and containers? 1. By adding taller perennials like purple coneflower, shasta daisies, and globe thistle to the back row of the garden.