If you live in Zone 8, I am sorry to tell you that you're too late for larkspur, snapdragons or sweetpeas this year. These seeds are sown in the fall so that they bloom in the spring. They're like pansies. Once our hot weather moves in, they quickly burn up and die. The good news is you don't have a big investment in your seeds, and there's plenty of time to start some that will do wonderfully well for you all summer long. Try some of these:

Zinnias, especially Profusions, Highlight, or Crystals.
Black Eyed Susans, especially Gloriosa Daisies (they get about 3 feet. So gorgeous.)
Amaranthus: try the ones with purple foliage
Marigolds (I sow them in early August so they're fresh for fall. Then I don't have to buy chrysanthemums.)
Celosia
Melampodium (Butter daisies)
Ageratum
Sunflowers

Good luck!

Wait a minute. Zone 8 gardeners in the PNW have a different summer than we do in the southeast. We're all zone 8 when it comes to winter lows, but GA/AL/MS zone 8 is different from OR/WA/CA zone 8 in the summer. Texas zone 8 differs from us some, too.

Lucky, you might want to check with your extension service or other local sources about when to sow annuals where you garden -- or maybe some PNW gardeners will read your post.
Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: Washington State University

Absolutely right. It is so hard for me to remember that the Pacific Northwest is the same hardiness zones as we have in the deep south! And yet, our growing conditions are so different. This is another reason that it is very helpful for posters to include their state with their zone number.

Good reminder about the state. I'm used to posting on the northwest board. I know the sweetpeas will be okay. I plant them every year. Hope it's not too late for the others, but you're right the seeds were cheap, and fun to try. Our weather is still so cold I can't even imagine it being too hot for anything! Hopefully we'll crack 60 and stay there soon!
Thanks for the link Nell.

It must be the mix of humidity w/ heat that the Snaps don't like. Here they go all summer long with temps in the 90's and 100's. The majority of mine are perennial for me as well.
Self-sown Larkspur are around until mid July.
I agree you have time to do those other annuals for the heat! I really wouldn't recommend Amaranthus 'Intense Purple' if you go for purple leaved ones. These ones have threatened to take over my world....oh I'd say I only have ten thousand or so self-sown babies! Last spring I spent hours thinning, hoeing, moving and still they grew everywhere. Grant it they are pretty so I couldn't resist letting some grow...oh brother here we go again! Go for Zinnia, African Daisy (Venidium species), Tithonia and Cosmos too :D

Lucky1....we actually got down to freezing for the low this morning! Still have ice on the surface of water and on the surface of my wintersow containers, yet theres a hummingbird at the feeder! Poor little guy!!
We've had a few 70-72 degree days in April but none so far in May; yesterday was just 55 and felt like 35 with the flippin wind. Warming all the way up to 61 today... LOL!