for me, the candy striped, multi-colored zinnias, flowers last forever, and the plant goes on and on into fall. It appears to be Powdery Mildew resistant also.

Angelonia,or summer snapdragon - long flowering in a container this year, next year in the ground.

Hybrid Tithonia from Burpee that has long stemmed flowers outstanding and prolific, unlike older varieties that have more greenery.

Ornamental Kale - exotic varieties from special mail order companies on the web. Have you seen these?? WOW.

Centaurea americana- I had never grown it before because I thought it was just another Bachelor's Button. It is an incredible plant!
Ipomopsis rubra-I know having them increased my Hummingbird activity many times over.
Anagalis monellii-spectacular blue!

Oh yes, that anagalis monelli is indeed a beautiful blue! I grew that for the first time this year.

Annuals I will never be without:

zinnias
chinese asters
annual rudbeckias
cosmos
morning glories
sunflowers

Boring-but-must-have-anyway:
impatiens
marigolds

:)
Dee

Annuals to grow again: (I'm in shade - dappled sun)

Encore Impatiens - they well suprpassed all expectations (and catalog descriptions). They grew well over the expected and made a HEDGE of color. They grew up to about 20-24" and look/looked FAB YOU LUS! I had nearly 100% germination on them too!

RED DRAGON WING BEGONIAS - AMAZING! Seed is expensive, didn't grow well in the house (got so big then seemed to stop), they took a while to bloom once in the ground, but once they started - they haven't stopped yet - and it's October 4th (cool here in Z5). They are sterile so they just keep blooming and blooming - and blooming. I'm going to attempt cuttings (with the help and advice from someone on this forum - THANKS). They grew awesome in the sunniest spots of the yard - and did great in the most shady spots. Had 80% germination sucess with this begonia... Very HAPPY!

Highly recommend both!

Tom-

The Flowers i grow every year are (gazania daybreak mix.
Zinnia magellan mix . and lots of geraniums.also corkscrew vines.

I am hooked on melampodiums - now my favorite (which used to be all colors of profusion zinnias). They are drought tolerant, hardly any deadheading and such a pretty yellow.

I have a big list including nasturtiums, zinnia, cleome, cosmos, and many more but I think my most rewarding annual that I will get on a soapbox about is

Browelia!

It needs no deadheading, it grows well in shade, it weaves in and about other plants in an attractive way and growing the blue form means you can have blue flowers in the shade (blue flowers on plants that grow well in shade).

Coleus!- Love all the colors and patterns, it grew beautifully didn't take too much work and was super easy to propogate therefore convincing my friends/co-workers that I'm a gardening whiz.

Peppermint Twist Zinnias (Burpee seed)- best $1.00 I spent all year. Grew from seed, still blooming, beautiful flowers that I've been getting beautiful photos of all summer. Grew taller than I expected (duh... read the packet), and needed to put a cage around them in their pot.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:25454}}

Profusion Zinnas: the Fire was excellent, for it didn't fade in our intense heat
Zinnias Angustifolias: I don't know why these aren't more popular. They look better than any other annual in my garden right now, except, perhaps the heleniums.
Melampodium (Butter Daisy) was listed, and I agree. One note. They reseed like mad, but seedlings are not consistently the same height. I tried the "Lemon" one this year. It's just as nice as Million Bells, but faded in our intense heat. The winner and reigning champ for me is Million Bells.
Annual helenium: this was my first year to grow them, but won't be my last! They never, ever gave up and look perfectly fresh and unblemished, even now.
Salvia farinacea, Victoria: blue and spiky, everblooming, and other than one cutting back are carefree.
Torenia (Wishbone flower) and browallia: wonderful in the shade!
Sorry I don't know more common names. I learned long ago that it's just as easy to learn the latin names and then you always know exactly what you are getting. If the latin name isn't the same as what you're looking for, it's NOT what you are looking for. Common names will fool you into buying the wrong thing.

Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender'-non stop bloomer for shady areas

Torenia 'Yellow Moon'-great color combination of butter yellow and purple blooms

Browallia-provides that great blue color for shady areas

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'-beautiful, airy, white blooms with no deadheading and drought tolerant

Melampodium, Scaevola, Bacopa/Sutera hybrids, Perilla 'Magilla'-all heat and humidity tolerant

Angel Wing Begonias

Coleus (the more the better)

Salvia "Lady in Red" & "Coral Nymph", hummer necessities
Verbena bonariensis, and lots of it. Beautiful, low maintenance, butterfly magnet, late bloomer
Cypress vine, a necessity in the hummer garden
Yvonne's salvia, same as above, and just stunning
Angelonia, it's pretty & a non-stop bloomer
Abelmoschus manihot-Sunset Hibiscus, I've grown it faithfully for 3 years now, and have no intentions of stopping; truly beautiful

First...Mia, those Plectranthus 'Mona lisa' are awesome houseplants as well! The more sun the darker the purple on the undersides too :D

For me it's staying power!
Cosmic Orange Cosmo....the staying power was unbelievable!!
Scabiosa.... stunning; cut back late summer for fall..fairly quick rebound
Statice.....no fuss...no mess LOL!
Sweet Alyssum....keep on going right up until Thanksgiving with light haircuts; also makes them BIGGER and BIGGER mounds!
Amaranthus 'Intense Purple'....you never have to worry about it NOT reseeding!
Verbena bonariensis....same here...it'll be back!

Tracy, I can't wait to try Abelmoschus manihot next year; got some in trade!! Yippie!

Vera

I grew some dwarf zinnias called "Persian Carpet", and they were wonderful. Small flowers, about the size of a half-dollar; all are a combination of golden yellow and deep maroon-red, but the pattern those colors are in varies from flower to flower. They have gotten very rangy for me (yes, they are still blooming their little heads off), but I'm sure that's because it's so hard for me to cut things back when they're blooming! They have bloomed all summer, no insects or disease, just happy little campers. Next year, I'm planting a whole tub of them!
P.S. I got them from the Seeds of Change catalog, where they are listed as "rare". Probably people pass them over for the more spectacular zinnias, but I'm not really a big fan of those.
I'll also grow nasturtiums again, not because they do well here, because they don't. But once I found a spot with a little more shade they were happier. They really have been at their best this Fall, once it got cooler. But I'll grow them again because I just love them!

OT,

"I grew some dwarf zinnias called "Persian Carpet"..."

Some strains of Persian Carpets come in a fairly wide color range, including maroon tipped white, and dark gold tipped light yellow, among others. Some strains of Persian Carpet may have the reduced color range you describe. I think the actual strain you get depends on which grower's field the seeds came from. Some growers are much more conscientious about roguing their fields to maintain higher quality strains. That seems to be true with zinnia seeds in general. You might want to experiment by purchasing Persian Carpet seeds from several seed sources, like Johnny's, Renee's Garden, (see Renee's photo), and Pinetree. Perhaps some forum participants can suggest some additional sources of Persian Carpet, or have some saved seed they would share.

Aztec Sunset is an improved strain of Persian Carpet, with somewhat larger flowers.

MM

Maineman - Thank you so much for the information on Persian Carpets AND for all those links! That was really fun! I had no idea there were so many different types of zinnias. I was especially taken by the photos on Renee's Garden. I think next summer will be my Year of the Zinnias! Thanks again for taking that trouble. OT

Lantana was a big hit for me this year. We barely had any rain all season and this plant never missed a beat and today it is still full of blooms. From a 4" container plant it morphed into a 3ft wide shrublet! lol Very little watering and no yellowing or slow down of growth. No fertilizing at all. Next year definitely.

Portulaca was a great performer for me too. Put those in late. Bought 2 six packs on sale and put them along the street side of a front bed. Very quickly grew into a blooming mat of flowers all summer. Hoping they reseeded and will come back for me next year. Another plant that didn't get much supplemental watering. We had a water ban most of the summer. No fertilizing either.

Still enjoying four oclocks despite the fact that they don't open until pretty late. Broken Colors was very exciting when it was open and very fragrant. Easy to grow, easy to collect seed from. Great if you are out in your garden at dinner time onward.

Does Basil count as an annual? [g] We love basil at our house and I noticed this year that two basils..one that was dark leaved and one called Ruffles which is a new variety I think were especially pretty in front of some Candy Stripe Cosmos. Even after they started going to seed, they were very pretty. Plus you can't beat the fragrance.

Poppy..Patty's Plum...was really pretty too and I hope that will reseed for me.

pm2

'Carpet of Snow' alyssum will always be in my garden!

Temps have gone to 25°F and I still have this flowering plant in bloom!

Lantana...this was my first year growing it and it was nearly bulletproof. It bloomed reliably and late into the season, it didn't need deadheading, and smelled great. I had 'Dove Wings' and another deep buttery yellow one in a pot. It was always forgiving if it didn't get enough water but let you know by the drooping leaves.

Snapdragons...still blooming and give so much for so little. I've grown them in full shade to part sun. This year, I bought several 6-packs with scarlet flowers and deep green leaves and planted them in drifts. At planting time I cut back about half of them and they have provided a long season of bloom They got watered regularly only because they were in a section that did, but they didn't sulk if they didn't get any.

Coleus...again, they needed little in the way of care and thrived. The only water they got came from the sky.

mia_r mentioned Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' I love this plant - you can take cutting off and they will root anywhere. This picture was taken on 11/1/07, after three frosty nights, when everything else has crisped up because of the weather and it just keeps going. EXCELLENT plant. 30" tall and wide and still blooming it's head off, even when my mums look like junk!

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For me it will be

Zinnia's - Green with Envy and one that I do not have the name for but it was a bright bright orange
Love Lies Bleeding. It is so cool
Cosmos
Sunflowers - I'll protect these better from the bunnies
Snap Dragons

I've set out my poppies for this year, hopefully I'll have something new to add for next year.

One that I have not seen anyone mention but I grew it a couple years ago and loved it: Venidium, or Zulu Prince Daisy. They bloomed their fool heads off, were enjoyed in bouqets although the stems had a droopy habit the flowers themselves stayed for a while. Some got to be 4" across. Upon close inspection it looked like somebody handpainted the petals around the center with a fine paintbrush. And you get bazillions of seeds from them too. My mom thought they looked like giant eyeballs,haha.

Hi,

I will plant Dragon Winged Begonias again for sure. They really are like begonias on steroids. The first picture is one that I am over-wintering under lights and the second is a cutting I rooted in water from the first plant. They root very easily in water and I am having no insect problems with them growing under lights.
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Great question. It seems like cosmos are a favorite of many. I plant cosmos every year, different varieties. They bloom and bloom great plants. I like cut and come again zinnias, they are beautiful in a vase as well as the garden. The profusion series is outstanding in pots in my garden, lots of flowers. The wave petunia as well as the regular petunia, can't beat the variety of colors. Sweet peas are delicate, wonderfully scented as they trail up the trellis. Fushias, begonias, impatiens, coleus, allyssum I plant every year. I usually try new ones each year I haven't decided which but I am reading this to see what works for others.

Ageratum 'blue horizon'

I have used this long blooming annual among my perennials
for the past two seasons. The color,height and shape of this flower blend well with the rest of my plants.

In the past, I haven't done too many annuals, but I LOVE the zinnias!!!
I have grown the Oklahomas, peppermint stick, buttons,cut and come again, giants, envy, purple prince,thumbelinas.
This year, I will be doing alot more with annuals.
I picked up cosmos,sweet peas,amaranthus,stattice,straw flowers, and much more.
I'll be w/s these, along with the perennials I have started,I have alot to do, but I'm so excited about this.
I love zinnias because they're just a happy flower, and they look great wherever they are.
I usually focus primarily on perennials,shrubs and roses, but I will be adding the annuals this year.
Happy gardening season.

I only plant annuals in pots, because I rent. With the drought we had this year I had trouble out of several annuals I was told were hardy.

The two that I loved were 'Diamond Frost' Euphobia (Very delicate looking, but non stop blooms, even in drought,) and my Purple feather grass! This was in a 4" pot when I bought in in late spring, and was four feet high and 8" in diameter by the time I cut it down for winter!

I am looking forward to getting my hands on 'Bonfire' begonia this year. It looks incredible!

Here is a link that might be useful: Site for 'Bonfire' Begonia

oh WOW, plantsonthepoint, both of those begonias - Bonfire and Bellflower are gorgeous.

any idea of where to get them in the US? this is the first that I have seen them!

linda- that plectranthus is so neat! Did you grow that from seed, or do you get starter plants? Gorgeous foliage!

I really enjoyed my sky blue sweet peas last year and saved all the seeds I could get my hands on. Not sure whether they'll come true, but the original seeds appeared to be of a species, not a named cultivar.

Larkspur - once you've grown one, you've got volunteers for life!

Tried purple perilla last year for the first time and really liked it.

'Purple Majesty' millet - an imposing plant and birds like the seeds.

I'm now thinking I've got to try plectranthus - thanks for the photo and the enabling!

I am crazy about annuals and cannot understand why so few varieties seem to be grown. I like to try different ones as much as possible. Last year, my faves were Layia, Omphalodes linifolia, Phacelia campaniflora, Legousia, Agrostemma gracilis, Blazing star (possibly Bartonia lindleyensis, i think?), Alonsoa, Cosmos Purity, Lavatera,
good old cornflowers, Linum grandiflora, Gypsophila, Rhodochiton (plant of the summer for me). This year, I am trying Browallia (thanks everyone for bringing it to my attention), Coleus, Incarvillea 'Cheron' Yellow Poppies (something beginning with Dic.....)Canary Creeper, Cobaens Scandens, osteospermums, Ursinia and Platystemons. There are just so many and generally, the seeds are easy to save too.
Great Question

mmqchdygg - the plectranthus was a plant that I got from Kane's Flower World in Danvers last spring. (I tend to nursery-hop in the spring to see if there is anything MORE that I like!!) It was the only place I've seen it and it was probably 8" tall when I bought it, totally on impulse.

It did not set seed that I saw, but was incredibly easy to root from cuttings

Well, most of the annuals actually act as perennials here (except for a few true annuals like marigolds, zinnias, nasturtiums..), so my garden is pretty much what you'd call annuals.

zinnias - zinnia angustifolia and profusion orange & fire. They bloom non-stop, colors don't fade in the sun and come true from seed. I bought one packet 3 years ago and never had to buy another.

vincas - they all look good, but my favorite is the trailing 'mediterranean' series. Here is a picture:

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This is mediterranean peach, I also have deep pink and apricot broadeye.

nasturtiums - I just sow the seeds in late summer where I want them to grow and forget about them. Last year mine bloomed from may to december.

torenias - the common annual torenia is great for shady spots, but I like the trailing torenia best. It is some sort of cross between Torenia fournieri and wild species and are widely used in here.
They grow equally well from full shade to full sun, don't need deadheading(they don't set seed) and trail up to 2 feet. The only con is that there is only one color available.

Here is ONE 1 year old plant growing in a 18 inches window box (sorry about the background, but I had to bring them in to take the picture).

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sweet alyssum - so easy to grow from seed and great fragrance. The white ones seem to tolerate the heat much better than the rose/purple.

begonias - I stick to Begonia semperflorens (the most common), they are cheap and look good planted in mass - specially the red flowered-bronze leaved. Never had much luck with other begonias.

marigolds - just scatter the seeds where I want them to grow.. low maintenance, blooms like crazy and self seeds.

snapdragons - one of my favorite plants. Here I plant them out in the fall and they look great until it gets really hot. They usually stop flowering, but most of my snaps make it through the summer and bloom again when it gets cooler.

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portulaca - grow anywhere with good drainage, colors are very bright, self seeds.

ivy geraniums - blooms year round and are very drought tolerant. Some of mine are 5/6 years old.

violas - I start them from seed every year. Flowers are smaller than pansies but(from my personal experience) they have more blooms and can take the heat much better.

scaevolas - found out about this amazing plant last year. I bought two of them, a blue and a white one... they looked pretty much dead for the first couple of weeks but after 1 month of regular watering and weekly fertilizing there were so many flowers you could barely see the folliage! And once they start flowering, nothing can stop them.. they look great until now (talking about 7 months in FULL bloom).

Actually they grow so fast that I have to prune them every now and them so they don't take over the other flowers.. They are VERY easy to root, and now I have more than 10 plants growing in my garden.

This one of my scaevolas from cuttings..
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verbenas - carpet of color all summer long.. mine get huge, but need to be deadheaded to look good.

petunias - I stick to the Tidal Waves.. they grow much faster and look much better than the other petunias when it gets hot. I never deadhead mine, and when they start to look leggy I just cut them back to NOTHING and in 2-3 weeks they are covered with flowers again.

dianthus chinensis - are perennials in here and look amazing in early spring. After the first flush of blooms I cut them back really hard and they keep blooming year round (there are at least 4/5 blooms in each plant anytime). Don't mind the heat a bit.

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angelonia - I really like those.. they are not available as plants here in Brazil so I had to buy seeds online. I started all 'Serena' colors and white is by far the most compact and floriferous.

Well, I guess this is it. Sorry for the long post!

Mauricio

Hi Mauricio,

I loved all your flowers and especially the trailing Vinca. I too first discovered Scaevolas last year and I love the purple. Do you root it in water or potting soil?
You have a great climate for gardening in Brazil. I am anxious for spring.
Here is a picture I took just a few days ago.
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Hi betty,
I can't imagine myself living in a cold city. When I want to see some snow I usually go to Chile or Argentina and enjoy it while I'm there, but here my winter nights in the 40s are just fine, lol! Oh, and your kids are very pretty, you must be a proud mother!

About scaveolas: I have tried taking cuttings in many different ways, but this seems to work best: Water your plant really well the night before and take the cuttings in the morning. Cuttings from wilted or stressed plants take much more time to root.
Choose a strong steam and take a cutting around 5" in length right below a node(I use a sharp knife), remove the leaves on the bottom inch of the cutting and also the flowers. Leave it in the water for a couple of hours and then stick it in good potting soil. Keep it well watered, away from direct sunlight and in 2 weeks(or less) most cuttings will have rooted. Once they have roots you can fertilize and pinch them back.. scaevolas branch real nicely and will fill in in no time.

Hope that helps!
Mauricio

Hi Mauricio,

Thanks for your help in rooting Scaevolas. I will give it a try in the Spring or Summer.

The picture I posted was taken of Sophie and Sadie, the girls I nanny for. I hate winter with a passion but they love it.

I enjoyed your pictures. They made me hopeful for spring. Today we are having another ice storm starting this afternoon. Last week 8 of my Arvorvitae Shrubs that were 8 feet tall fell to the ground. I tied them all up and they are now upright. Hopefully they will be ok tonight.

Betty

Hi Mauricio, I love the trailing Vinca, as well as the trailing Torenia, did you purchase the plants or sow them by seeds ? I've never seen the trailing Torenia before, but the trailing Vinca are available to me by seed. Did you have any trouble germinating them if you grew by seed? I tried the regular Vincas, sowed them using bottom heat, in the dark, and 1 sprouted, then quickly died. I'm assuming damp off got to it. I'm currently growing Torenia Clown series by seed, as well as Bacopa by seed, Shock Wave petunias and Opera Supreme Petunias, cannot wait until this snow disappears, probably will have another 6 weeks of it.

Hi Sabina,
I grew the trailing vinca by seed and also lost most of the seedlings shortly after they germinated. I did some research and it seemed the problem was too much water, so I sowed them again and watered them only when the soil was dry and they did fine. They also need good airflow and high light levels to thrive.
It could also be aerial Phytophthora? I'm not familiar with this disease, but I know that it is a major problem with vincas, and can kill a plant in no time. If this is your problem you should consider trying the Cora series, as they are resistant to phytophthora.

About the trailing torenia, it's only available as plants here. Mine attracts lots of insects and even hummingbirds, but I've never seen a seedpod.. I guess they are sterile.

Anyway, there is a series called Summer Wave, by Suntory (the surfinia petunia breeders), which has trailing torenias that look just like mine and even have a wider color range(here is the link), but they're patented and much more expensive. If you're interested, there in the U.S. Proven Winners is responsible for selling them.

My shockwave petunias look great, specially the ivory.. it's always covered with blooms no matter what.. opera supreme pink morn is also a good performer, but the color fades in the sun (at least in here) and doesn't look like the pictures, but they are pretty anyway.

Mauricio

I am pretty new with annuals, but I am very happy with all of the volunteer seedlings that came up this year from last year's plants. Right now I have Madagascar vinca, white and purple alyssum, Dahlberg Daisies (which can very easily get out of control if you let them), snapdragons, portulaca, and lamb's ear. This year I planted cosmos, African Daisies, and petunias (the white ones did the best). I'm really looking forward to seeing if the cosmos and daisies self sow as well as everyone seems to think they will. My goal is to have as many seeding varieties as possible, so they come back every year with little to no work on my part except thinning and weeding. I also started cardinal climbers and purple hyacinth bean indoors, and will be planting them outside as soon as they are big enough. The hyacinth bean will be planted under a tree so it can wind itself up and cover the tree in pretty blooms, and the cardinal climbers are for a 3 rail fence area.

Tried Zinnia "Cut and Come Again" from seed, directly in-ground. My soil is hard clay, amended over the years with limited improvement. This Zinnia doesn't seem to mind. So far, no mildew.

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http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx211/Board_Poster_bucket/GARDEN/Annuals/IMG_8386.jpg

They're all gorgeous, but that last one is to die for!

Cut-and-Come Agains are a sturdy floriferous strain. That last link didn't get the right HTML to make its picture show, so here is the last picture that Dave_K intended to show.

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Cut-and-Come-Agains are not particularly resistant to Powdery Mildew, so as we get deeper into the Fall season they could be susceptible. It has been too hot here for PM to affect my zinnias yet. But, as the days shorten and night temperatures drop, most "regular" zinnias can develop disease problems. The Profusions, Zaharas, and Pinwheels do have considerable resistance to Powdery Mildew, but they are not as tall as Cut-and-Come-Agains, and many other zinnias as well. I like the larger zinnias, even though I do have to deal with the mildew.

ZM

One of my favorite commercially available zinnias is the Whirligig strain. This is a picture of part of my Whirligig bed this spring.

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Whirligigs have a great variety of bi-color and tri-color color combinations, and they have a variety of flower forms as well. No matter how many Whirligigs you grow, they always seem to have some new surprise in store. In my opinion, Whirligigs are one of the most entertaining zinnia strains to grow. I like the ones I got from Stokes Seeds because they have a fairly high percentage of doubles. Several other seed companies carry a version of the strain. Even the single forms of Whirligigs look good, because they display their color patterns better.

I grow and breed zinnias as a hobby, and Whirligigs have played an important role in that for the last several years. By saving seeds from your favorite zinnias, you can develop your own personal strains of zinnias that you can't get from a seed packet. This is an example.

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I refer to the petal form on that zinnia as a "toothy". I am in the process of developing a strain of "toothies". I first found an early form of the toothy petal form on a Whirligig zinnia. I crossed it with some similar zinnias from the Scabiosa Flowered strain of zinnias (now available as Candy Mix). Those crosses seemed to enhance the toothy trait. And I am working on several other new zinnia strains. Zinnias can be a lot of fun, and they never cease to surprise.

ZM

I always put Petunias in planters. Not daring, just my go-to annuals. Dependable, resilient and productive.

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Through the window. The color is actually quite a bit brighter than in the photo. Pardon the rainspots.

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I bought some "Rocket" Snapdragons and planted them around my mailbox post. They're great. Nice colors, height, good vigor and they rebloom (I deadheaded). I spaced mine about ten inches apart, in a circle. I could have spaced them much closer, as there's too much space between.

What other sources have you used for your Whirligig zinnias, Zenman? As you may recall, I am not after the doubles particularly, but the singles, which the butterflies prefer. They make better "landing pads" for them.

I think these are the ones I'll try next year.

Thank you!

My best performing annuals this year, and ones I will keep, include a lovely purple flowering Gomphrena that "volunteered" via seeds or something else. The foliage is particularly nice - a rather flat green, but has pink veins. It grew large in width, but only about 1-2' tall. Loved it, and the smaller butterflies, like the Hairstreaks, Blues, and Skippers were all over it.

Another is Gazania! Love the color changes in those flowers, from a pink/white to brilliant orange. They take the heat and drought like troopers, too. They do need sun or the flowers won't open, but boy, are they stunning flowers.

Cleome is one I allow to reseed and will always be a garden staple. I grow it because of the unusual flowers, and because the Cabbage Whites use it as a larval host plant. Doesn't stop it from blooming its head off.

Sunflower - a yellow common one that popped up in the garden from bird seed mix. Much branching habit, smaller flowers than the Mammoth and such, but it has been loved by the finches, bees, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I think the hummers dine on the tiny insects that are attracted to it. They get about 10-12' tall, but the wildlife show you get from them is outstanding!

I always have Cosmos 'Cosmic Orange' in the garden, which self sows yearly, and the butterflies love it, too.

A native annual I grow that I adore is Verbesina enceliodes, or Golden Crownbeard. The leaves are a bluish green color - very attractive - and the flowers are a very nice color of yellow, with yellow stamens, so you get a monochromatic look from them. They are very popular with the butterflies and get about 3' tall. Leaves are attractive with serrated edges. It also reseeds, but not to the point of nuisance.

Susan

Susan,

"What other sources have you used for your Whirligig zinnias, Zenman? As you may recall, I am not after the doubles particularly, but the singles, which the butterflies prefer."

Parks Seeds has a strain of Whirligigs that includes a wide variety of singles.

ZM (not associated with any product or vendor mentioned or linked)

Thanks, Zenman! A lot of people were having problems with delivery of seeds and seed germination from Park's this year. Probably due to the "changing of the guard" there last August. So, don't know whether I'll risk ordering from them for awhile.

I see you are from Kansas, and that is my home state. I grew up in Neodesha, down in the SE portion of Kansas. My family still lives in the area. It's the pretty part of Kansas.

I am thinking of Chippendales, Zaharas, and Whirligigs for next year, and some Profusions thrown in here and there. We get very, very hot here in OKC. This summer we had 63 days of over 100 degree temps. I know Zinnias are heat lovers, but these temps were almost too hot for them.

Thanks again for your help!

Susan

I've had great results with tuberous Begonias. They give me as much bloom and color as Petunias. Apologies if they're not considered annuals, strictly speaking. Around first frost I bring the pots indoors to the basement and stop watering. Usually the bulb (tuber, corm?) survives and sprouts in spring.
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My little Zinnia patch (Cut and Come Again), still going strong.
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