There are lots of things that will flower their heads off in full sun containers but not so many that will tolerate dry soil. Portulaca is one. A creeper in habit. Comes in a bunch of colors. If you will water every day, your choices increase dramatically.

If you water your pots you will find geraneums and petunias are pretty much non stop.

I am thinking of Zinnias. Calendula (type of marigold) might do well. Also Gazania and Cosmos-there are dwarf varieties. Good luck,

Jen

How about Lantana and verbena rigida? I acutally plant perennials in my hot, dry pots. Lavender, rosemary, hens and chicks and some of the big sedums like neon and autumn joy do very well in pots. I actually just overwinter the sedums in their pots.

Vinca. Loves full sun and tolerates drier soil quite well. I've grown the trailing vinca in the past, and like you wasn't too thrilled with it. Not the same thing as the "regular" vinca, though.

My deck gets full sun and I plant verbena in some of the pots and profusion zinnias. Both do well. I haven't found anything that does better. Petunias can't take the heat. I water twice a day when it's really hot.

I had great success with purple fountain grass,verbena and sweet potatoe vines. I use blackie as well as the usual yellow leafed variety. You do have to supply some water when the temps are high, but they are doing wonderfully and at this time of year, look great for fall interest as well.

"I love putting my spikey long leave plant in the center for a fan fullness effect but can never find the right plants to grow underneath."

LOL,marcincon. That's exactly how I feel too. I have pretty good luck growing plants but the mixing of different ones baffles me!

Well, I don't know that this would work with spikey grass, but I've been loving my rudbeckia Toto Gold this year. I have some planted in a ceramic pot on my back patio, which is surrounded on two sides by the asphalt driveway. It gets full sun for well over half the day, and it is blazing hot.

The Toto Gold have looked spectacular this year. One might even think they were artificial since the individual flowers stay in bloom for so long, lol. I do water them at least every other day, but again, that ceramic pot seems to dry out more quickly than my usual plastic pots.

:)
Dee

Thanks everyone for your help! Now I've got a collection of plants to try next year 8-) I've also added Impatiens 'New Guinea', creeping daisy, tom thumb zinna & creeping zinnia, melampodium, gazania ringens, dwarf marigold, mallow pink queen, globe amaranth gomphrena, osteopermum, ornamental pepper, pentas, dahlberg daisy, salvia, nasturium, strawflower bracteantha or helichrysum bracteatum, amaranthus, nigella fennel flower. Who knows what will work but I'm willing to try anything! Hope this list helps in the future. Thanks again!

I saw something in the seed exchange -- look under the header "HAVE: Esperanza". When I looked it up, it prefers the conditions you describe!

I've never grown it myself, but I did work out a trade with the gal so I can try it for next year.

Lime

You will love melampodium. Non stop blooms and no deadheading. No watering either. Also check out the profusion zinnias. I have the orange I grew from traded seed and it also has continuous blooms without deadheading or picking dead flowers off. Both are what you would call self cleaning!!

Lee

Sanvitalia, nemesia, and angelonia look great in sunny pots.
Gomphrena globosa is a tall addition of color, esp. the purple.