hardy annual
Noun (Botany):
- A plant that completes its life cycle within one year and is able to survive winter frosts or cold temperatures without protection. The term combines "hardy" (able to withstand harsh conditions) with "annual" (a plant that lives for only one growing season).
- Example: The gardener chose hardy annuals like pansies and marigolds for the early spring bed. (These plants are sown in autumn or spring and bloom before tender plants.)
Noun (Humorous or Figurative):
- A recurring issue, problem, or topic that returns year after year, often in a predictable or tiresome way. This usage is metaphorical, likening a persistent matter to a plant that reappears annually.
- Example: The budget deficit is a hardy annual in parliamentary debates. (The deficit is a problem that comes up every year.)
Botanical:
- Hardy annuals are ideal for beginners because they survive light frosts. (These plants are resilient to cold.)
- Sow hardy annual seeds directly in the ground in autumn for early blooms. (Plant them before winter.)
Figurative:
- The question of school uniforms is a hardy annual at parent-teacher meetings. (It is a recurring topic.)
- Tax reform has become a hardy annual in election campaigns. (It appears every election cycle.)
"Hardy annual" in gardening contexts: Refers specifically to plants like sweet peas, cornflowers, and calendula that can be sown outdoors in autumn or early spring, unlike half-hardy annuals (e.g., petunias) which need protection from frost.
- Example: Many hardy annuals self-seed, returning year after year without replanting. (They naturally reproduce.)
"Hardy annual" in political or social commentary: Used humorously to describe a perennial debate or complaint.
- Example: The lack of parking in the city centre is a hardy annual in local council meetings. (It is discussed every year.)
Hardy (adj): robust, able to endure difficult conditions.
- The hardy plant survived the drought. (It was tough and resilient.)
Annual (adj/noun): occurring once a year; a plant that lives for one year.
- The annual report is due next month. (Yearly document.)
Half-hardy annual (n): a plant that cannot survive frost and requires indoor starting or protection (e.g., tomatoes).
- Unlike hardy annuals, half-hardy annuals must be sown indoors. (They are less cold-tolerant.)
- Botanical: cold-tolerant annual, winter-hardy annual.
- Figurative: perennial problem, recurring issue, yearly debate.
Come up (as a hardy annual): to arise repeatedly.
- The topic of funding always comes up as a hardy annual. (It appears every year.)
Return (as a hardy annual): to reappear predictably.
- The question of holiday pay returns as a hardy annual. (It is asked annually.)
The same old story: a situation that repeats itself.
- The complaint about traffic is the same old story — a hardy annual. (It is a recurring issue.)
A broken record: someone who repeats the same thing.
- He is a broken record about taxes, a hardy annual in his speeches. (He talks about it every year.)