Yes, I was just thinking how gorgeous my annuals look right now that the scorching heat has passed. And the two flowers that have come back in all their glory (without me doing anything to them) are alyssum and lobelia. I ripped out all my lobelia about 3 weeks ago because they looked so dreadful... but now I see that I forgot a few patches so I have back in my garden, some lovely dots of blue :)

My snapdragons did terribly this year so I think I'll pass on them next year. And I honestly might not bother with petunias next year. I hate deadheading them and they get so stringy. Weird, I've planted them every year for as long as I've been gardening, but never really thought about the "return on investment" till now, LOL.

Sweet cream marigolds I will definitely go for again, but I won't crowd them together as much as I did. Right now, 6 plants in a bed at the front of my house look like some type of enormous hydrangea from a distance! The flowers last forever, and deadheading was easy.

Zinnia profusion did well too, and the shorter Cosmos I loved. Trailing verbena - perfect - I tried for the first time, in hanging baskets and containers. Prolific flowers, gorgeous colors!

I just need to remember to read this post next year :)

Ummm, Sweet Cream Marigolds. I'd like to have a better description of those and the short cosmos. Thanks for your thoughts!

The short cosmos are magenta pink - don't know what they're called. They came back from seeds and did really well!

Here's a pic of the marigolds! They're the cream colored flowers between the weigela and the orange zinnias :)

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Yes, and I'm never ever going to be without portulaca in my garden. These two pictures are from a big pot that contained way too many plants (from seed) all crowded in there:
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and
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This is my first year gardening and I think I lucked out.

Pam: Those cream marigolds are lovely! Think I might put them on my list for next year to try.

Cosmos always do well for me. This year I pinched my bright lights when they were young and they got nice and bushy and not as tall (last year they were 5 feet tall, this year only 3). White variety (new for me this year) did well and is flowering like crazy now.

Snapdragons didn't do so well this year. Rocket mix last year was great. Dwarf varieties this year didn't seem to take the heat like I thought they would. Going to pass on these next year.

Dwarf nicotiana was lovely at first, then when August hit they started dying. Disappointing as I thought these were supposed to weather the heat and drought well. Not going to plant the lime green next year, but will plant the magenta/pinks as they fared better.

Zinnias "profusion mix" were a profusion of blooms. Will plant more next year.

Marigolds have been great all summer, although not as bushy as Pam's.

Verbena was great at first, then yellowed and died out by late July.

Cleome was new for me this year. Did fairly well, will plant more next year.

Morning glories are going crazy and taking over the yard. I love the blooms, but need to plan where to put them more carefully as they have smothered several plants.

Ditto on the snapdragons. Love 'em, but they didn't do well potted or in the ground, so will forego them for other selections next year.

Most of mine were new to me since I only 'experimented' in previous years with a couple tiny spots. Results:

Marigolds are a staple, and will become moreso in the future. I like the medium-sized varieties, but all do well. They get to stay.

Dahlias were a first-year try-out, and they did exceptionally well for first-timers. They'll have a place in next year's short-list.

Million-bells did well once I figured out how to correctly dead-head. They forgave me and did nicely repotted.

Petunias- now here's one that I could never figure out why my mother ALWAYS had petunias. I couldn't figure out why she didn't try different varieties of flowers. Reason: THEY THRIVE at our house! They will become a staple, too.

Coleus and celosia: After last year's failed stella d'oro attempt in a smallish, over-drained (read: hard, dry, packed, crusty soil) area, I put in a pile of coleus and celosia in the space, mulched and, you guessed it: That's what'll be planted there next year in BULK! Will try yellow celosia in other areas of the garden next year, too, after doing a little research just now. What a NEAT little plant!

Osteospermum (Gerbera) Daisy: Two shades of purple also did well in that icky-soil spot, but they did well, so will return next year. I also have another orangey daisy that I thought was done blooming so I gave it a full crew-cut down to the level of the grass a couple weeks ago, only to have it return this weekend in bloom! I love daisies!

Mums: bought a few cheapies at WM in July, but they aren't thriving. I've never really liked Mums anyway, but will see if they do anything the rest of the season.

I have to admit that I wasn't too keen on annuals, but have found these few to be lucky choices this year, so I have a new respect for annuals. Much of my winter sowing efforts will be spent on annuals to save $$ next year.

I can't say that my giant orange Tithonia was trouble-free, but it gave me so much pleasure and has bloomed so cheerfully for so many months that I'm going to plant even more next year. And now I know a little more about how to cope with its, uh, quirks. The biggest one being that it's so BIG and so heavy that its branches either fall down under their own weight or actually pull the whole 8 foot plant over! But, did I mention that it's always covered with butterflies and hummingbirds?

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Also loved this annual butterfly weed. The only care it needs is to cut off its seedpods, which weigh the plant down and, I'm guessing, would cut down on its months of blooming (June through September at least!)
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Here's my usual little marigolds and this creeping zinnia (I forget the real name, but it's not really a zinnia) which spreads out in a mat a foot and a half outside the garden and never needs nothing.
Can you tell that I really like orange?
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I'm evaluating my annuals--sort of. I loved Cerinthe major, but it needed more water than I gave it. I want more ornamental peppers sooner. I want to give Salpiglossis a try. I really want Salvia carduacea next year. That's about the extent of my annual evaluation--finding out that some things wanted more water than I gave them, and that there are MORE plants out there that I want.

Thanks everyone! Describe the bright lights cosmos to me a bit more. When did you prune them so they would be more bushy and not so tall? Unlike some of you, I have loved my snapdragons! They are profusely blooming. I think they really like full sun, and I have fertilized moderately. They seem even better when they reseed themselves for the next season. Also, I dramatically cut them back in August, and they are now blooming like crazy!

proudgma: I think you must be referring to my comments about pruning my Bright Lights. I waited until they were about 12" tall. I took the main stem that the plant had and snipped it off to about 6" or so. There were a few side branches on the plant already, but after the pruning it bushed out more.

Next year I may prune them even further to see what results I get. They're really hardy and the pruning doesn't seem to phase them.

Tracy

Lavatera, dianthus'idealpearl', zinnia 'whiteprofusion'+'dreamland'cream and rose, begonias+calthranthus and california poppies all did very well.
Nasturtiums were ok early...had to rip alot out. I have only one now called 'moonlight' which has trailed all over the garden.
I planted some nasturtiums seeds 2-3 weeks ago as an autumnal experiment; maybe no frost until mid october?
Snapdragons bloomed in july and have sent only a rare bloom.(I did fertilize after I cut back)
I've been cutting back my alyssum seems like all summer; location
this year is too hot and dry; they haven't bloomed well.

Like everybody else, the plants that did well for me were the hot dry lovers. I had great luck with gomphrena, verbena rigida, salvia patens, salvia Victoria, African Lion's tail (Leonotis)and all the zinnias. The Coreopsis tinctoria was stunning too.

Crocosmia MN, if you like orange, you really should try the African Lion's tail. I have never seen it in the nurseries but it is a snap to grow from seed.

Faltered, thanks for your explanation. I'll have to look up what the "bright lights" colors are like--unless you happen to have a photo to share. So, next Spring is just around the corner, right??????????

Creeping zinnia, Sanvitalia repens. Love that stuff!

proudgrma: They colors in the Bright Lights are shades of oranges and yellow (and I believe you could possibly get some red, although I never have). Mine have come out mostly orange for the past few years.

Here is an orange one:
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And a yellow one
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Tracy

Here is a link that might be useful: My website

Brachycome never stopped blooming in a pot and never needs deadheading.

Annual vinca is still gorgeous. First time with it. Nice filler for gone perennials.

Calendulas are never again for me. They're just too rangy and need constant deadheading. I've grown all kinds over the years and hate them all. Too bad cause I love the flowers.

Salvia splendens in varied colors are winners for me this year.

Mexican gold poppies (wildflowers) are still blooming and I will never be without them now.

Nigella and scabiosa (annual) will always be my darlings...self sown each year.

Hello...

Just noticed this thread. Great photos! I notice a number of people unhappy with snapdragons and just wanted to remind everyone that this was one long hot dry summer, and I thought snapdragons like cool temps?

Pam those sweet cream marigolds are amazing..and they look great with the weiglela. I tried Snowdrift last year for a white marigold, but it was a bust for me. I will try those next time.

Crocosmia....I love your canna with the tithonia. I didn't know the tithonia attract butterflies. I especially liked the butterfly weed you are growing. Did you say that was an annual? I have an Asclepias incarnata which is a pale pink and I think I like yours better...what is the name of it?

Tracy....your website is lovely ..and so are your plants.

Cactus flower Zinnia, Candy stripe Cosmos and Morning Glories livened up my summer. Heliotrope 'Blue Wonder' was a much better cultivar than 'Marine' for me, blooming 3x more, twice the height..brighter color.

Ooohh I almost forgot..Coleus Pallisandra had HUGE velvety dark leaves. Sorry I don't have photos.

Adam

It's Asclepias curassavica. Tithonia atrracts hummingbirds, too! I just now saw one!

Glad I'm not the only one doing an evaluation of annuals.

I was really surprised how well the Zinnias worked out for me. I worked over a neglected bed in July (smart idea in summer, I know) to get rid of a bunch of weeds, while also adding lots of soil ammendments & new mulch. As an experiment, I decided to scatter around some seeds left over from my wife's dollar store purchase. I figured if they shrivel in the heat, or don't come up at all, what will it really matter (not like it cost a ton of money right?).

Anyway, I have been very impressed with the Zinnias. I don't know exactly what variety they are (about 2.5 ft tall, in several colors), but anything that can sprout from seed in July and be profusely flowering in a month in full Texas sun is a winner in my book. I'll try them again next year, except maybe in a different spot now that I know how tall they can get.

The marigolds are also coming along nicely, although not blooming quite yet.

I really loved the victoria blue salvia-I've always treated it like an annual, but this year it came back on its own from roots I had failed to remove last fall.

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I say loved because they're already gone-bad case of powdery mildew, as this particular bed was way too moist. Next year I will definitely carve out a new home especially tailored for it. The dusty miller is still in this bed and has done very well-nice splash of white with the blue and yellow-definitely will be welcomed back next spring.

The clown blue torenia took its sweet time, but it finally kicked in and is really putting on a show in the shade garden-hoping for a repeat performance next year.

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The cabbage palm mixed with the coleus was also pleasing-but the Joseph's Coat (amaranthus) will not be making a return-at least not in these containers.

bren

for the orange lovers- this year I grew a dwarf tithonia- about 30-36" tall- and loved it. The flowers are just like the bigger variety. I also love my marigolds (my summer flowers tend to be red-yellow-orange) and I have to ask: has anyone else found that their marigolds cross and create new color schemes? I swear that mine are doing that.
jg

California poppies will be an annual annual for me. They were so pretty in the spring. I had pulled most of them after the heat turned them brown. Some I didn't pull, just cut back to the soil. I'll be darned, they are starting to flourish now that it's cool again! A couple have already bloomed.
More morning glory varieties and moonflowers. I usually just grow the heavenly blues but this year tried a couple of others. They were great.
Tried some alyssum this year, only white. They did great, going for colors next year.

This was my first year with Portulacas. They were great! They shared a windowbox with heliotrope, Ivy Geraniums (a mothers day gift) and a plant with lovely little white flowers that hung beautifully over the sides. The window box was a big success. I especially love harvesting those little Portulaca seeds. Fun! First year with Calendulas. (Pacific Beauty). I liked them so much that I ordered some Victoria Sunset Calendula seeds from Veseys. I have to deadhead lots but that is ok because I shared lots of seeds with friends. I quite like the Mexican Sunflower but I will plant it in a better spot next year. The other sunflowers...Well! I am still picking boquets. Need to go to Value Village and stock up on Vases! Nicotania (dwarf white) thrived on neglect but were not in a very visible spot to enjoy them. Evening Stocks smell incredibel but I need to put them in a LESS noticable spot. LOL. Nasturtiums were a bomb. I think that is all the notable ones anyway. Now I am addicted to flower-growing whereas befor it was vegetables (I like to cook). The soil here is very poor so it will be flowers in pots for the most part, until we move.