Most of my annual stuff is still looking pretty good up here - ageratums, geraniums, and zinnia need deadheading but otherwise look fine. I did have a pot of vinca that rotted out, I believe.

What didn't do so great this year were the elephant ears - no clue why, I grow them every year but they just were "eh" this year, and my dark-leaved ones are still kind of short. So I am disappointed in those.

This time of the year, though, I start to want to see richer colors of flowers - the soft pinks, soft purples/lilacs, and pure whites start to get on my nerves around the beginning of September, they just look out of place in the fall to my eye. The weather is fall-like already, though, at least up here (it's SPECTACULAR weather today, but more like a warm September day than August). So I'm itching for some mums and stuff, but it's a bit too early, because I only want to buy once and have them bloom all the way to frost; I'll wait another two weeks or so to buy mums and asters.

Pretty much all the annuals I started form seed this year are still going strong, even most of the pansies. The baskets of Petunias look great, the Zinnia and Tower Asters are in full bloom, The few Lisianthus that I managed to grow are blooming. Geraniums from seed are huge and blooming strong, The dwarf Dahlias from seed have been covered with blooms for a few months, and will keep going til frost. Celosia, Lobelia, Coleus, all keep getting bigger and better.

I dont think I have ever had this many blooms in my garden before.

Most years, I cut all my annuals back by 1/3 to 1/2 the first week of July. When I do that, angelonias, zinnias, and salvias get a new lease on life and go until frost in early November. This year, I tried some new color combos that just didn't please me. So, I started marigolds and blue angelonias from seed in early July. I put them into the beds last week and they are already blooming. I will really enjoy them during the fall. As a result, I am delaying starting pansies from seed as long as possible this year.
FYI, the spring planted angelonias had all gone to seed and stopped blooming when I pulled them out last week. The profusion zinnias were starting to flop and break from the center, and the tall zinnias were getting black spots on the leaves.

Spring planted vincas still look great, even without a cutting back.

All my flowers,angelonia,cannas,coleus,petunias,impatiens,dahlias & zinnias are doing great.We have had no appreciable rain since early July.Looks like a record setting dry spell for Aug.A return to scorching temps is predicted for next week.
I expect the zinnias might get the dreaded black spot any day now. It happens when they get moisture stressed.
Rose Iowa

That looks amazing! Love it!

Loving my Mom's Hypoestes (with a white Begonia, a wax or dragon wing, and 'Blackie' sweet potato vine.) The empty pots behind were pansies, that I got for her... maybe she's waiting for me to get something else...? At this point, there should be more pansies for sale again soon.

She also has this cool see-through plant with the tiny white 'floating' flowers. Any idea what that is? I'd like to take cuttings. It wasn't much at first, but at this size, I think it's striking.

purpleinopp,
Your photo looks like Euphorbia graminea 'diamond frost'.
I added some to an all annual garden: full sun here in the north,a little on the dry side,but, not too dry. They've been blooming well all summer.

Yes, I believe that's correct, thanks! Glad I asked first, if it's a Euphorbia (latex sap,) I need to be ready to wash, and putting on some disposable gloves to mess with it would be a good idea. If it came with a tag identifying it as a type of Euphorbia, that would be helpful! A latex rash is just as awful as poison ivy. Glad it didn't look like it needed deadheading, dead leaves to remove, pruning, sheesh!

Purple,Diamond Frost is very easy to propagate.I just poke several pieces in a good mix & they all take.Don't even have to cover.I'm not allergic to that sap,thankfully.A plant should be easy to carry over with just some sun. Another bug free plant I like.
Rose

TY, and you are so lucky! You wouldn't believe the agony I've gone through, and the culprit was a 'friend' all along. If only I'd known! Not something I'll forget, so no fear of this plant, it's so cute! (And can't hurt me unless I hurt it first, that's fair anyway - hahaha!)

Those 'vinca things' in the back of that pot are worth mentioning. I don't like them, but that pot was put together in April.

She's got a cute little trailing white Lobelia that's been a real trooper as well.

Still going strong (but some I started from seed or tubers. Does that count?) are caladiums, coleus, marigolds, snapdragon (second wind!), nasturtiums, annual vinca, torenia, angelonia, nemesia (after a hard cutting-back), cleome, cosmos, profusion zinnia, california poppies (also a second wind).

I have to keep up with the deadheading, cutting back, and fertilizing to get this lovely bloom length-of-time, but it's worth it. It's relaxing to me and I love annuals, especially the fragrant ones.

I like deadheading too. And it's a lot easier than pulling up a bunch of sprouts the next year.

Ornamental peppers deserve mention at this time, and Portulaca.

I still have white nicotiana alata...bought a 6 pack on impulse this spring and I'm glad that I did;great fragrance on a warm evening.
Oh yeah, I still have ageratum 'blue horizon' and salvia 'black+blue' ... bought the end of May.