I often rely on a few of the cheery African daisies to fill in any gaps - ursinia, arctotis, felicia and, of course, dimorpotheca...but this year, I had 2 new ones - heliophila coronopifolia and Gorteria diffusa - a stunning bright blue and a lavish orange. I add in some platystemons, layia, escholtsia for jewel-like patches where the soil is hot and dry.
I always throw a few nemophilas around the edges of the veggie beds - this year I had the pretty freckled n.atomaria and the dainty 5 spot n.maculata. In previous years, I have grown baby blue eyes and penny black. Along with the vivid phacelia campanularia and an all-white limnanthes, I love these little edging annuals.

Interesting, Rouge, re your shade-tolerant 'Sunpatiens'.

I do agree that annual highlights can be a useful addition to a mixed perennial garden.

In fact, if the area or amount of light available is too small, annuals may greatly improve the situation.

The biggest problem I've had in these circumstances is reseeding with annuals moving around in a bed from year-to-year.

Still, the price might suggest that 'Sunpatiens' aren't inveterate seeders.

Rouge - it's good to know that they'll do so well in lots of shade. Did they tend to wilt easily like the 'New Guineas' do? I'd read that they tended to, and thought I'd never be able to keep them alive all summer.

I, too, really missed impatiens last year. I tried begonias, and the flower size just wasn't right for the area. And even though I found the "pinkest" pink I've seen, the yellow center gave it a slight coral hue from a distance which didn't work with the Endless Summers that were close by.

I tried Supertunia Vista Bubblegum this year. I didn't have any full sun for it, and a couple areas that I thought would be way too shady (but no deep shade). They did wonderfully! I used some slow-release fertilizer when I planted them, then did NOTHING with them all summer. I think I only watered once or twice, but we did have a decent amount of rain.

Really couldn't be happier with them, and will use them again, but realize the color wouldn't work for everyone.

I normally prefer perennials but those are so beautiful I may have to rethink annuals. Since they prefer shade, they might be stunning under my crabapple tree (in a curved shade bed)...if I can afford them.

I've had good experience with New Guinea impatiens time out of mind and enjoy those vivid colored blooms.

Do 'Sun Patiens' thrive in shade as well as sun?

Rouge, I'm lovin the foliage on that variegated impatiens!

Generally, bi annual in my climate, rudbeckias provide outstanding color and self sow themselves freely.

I bought a hanging container of impatiens wallerina on clearance in July and they did very well. It contained 4 separate plants and they outgrew their space quickly so I planted each one into new hanging baskets and they again grew like crazy.

Seedlings from this plant grew very fast and have also been blooming for a while now. No problem with mildew so far. I actually didn't know at the time of my purchase that the disease was still an issue.

Another favorite annual for me this year is torenia. It stays covered in blooms and is doing well in sun, part sun, and shade. I have white, yellow, pink, purple, and a burgundy color. The bees love them too.

This is one of my very favorites from this year.

This post was edited by twrosz on Wed, Sep 24, 14 at 22:58

That is a very nice rudbeckia, twrosz, and the massed photo is amazing. Did you let them self seed or did you plant them that way?

My favorite annual this year was asclepia 'Red Butterfly'. While I grew it a few years ago it was planted late and wasn't very impressive. Found some old seeds this spring and planted the seedling, only one germinated) in my sandy, full sun mailbox garden. It has been a bright beacon to hummingbirds throughout the summer. Have let it go to seed so can plant again next spring.

gardenweed_z6a , I dont have any experience with "SunPatiens" in sun...only shade or part shade.

'ruth', we had a wetter cooler summer than usual so that may well be why I saw much less wilt than would be the case normally?

I have not had good experiences with "New Guinea" in the sun. For me it seemed to need water by the hour to stay looking good!

twrosz, that rudbeckia picture is a stunner. I wish I could see the swathe in person.

southerngardening24, your "torenia" looks to be incredibly floriferous.

I am getting great ideas for next season...thanks all.

I purchased to sunpatience this season and placed them in pots on my patio. They were in sun about 8-9 hours and did great. I am really impressed and will be using them again next season. They arent as tempermental with the watering as new guineas but you cant ignore them either.

Sherry

So good to know 'sherry'.

So now we have confirmation that SP does well in sun and shade.

Unfortunately, the SunPatiens are expensive.

I have been growing individual colors of New Guinea impatiens from seed for a few years - I am thrilled that this is now an option! They are expensive, as well, and growing from seeds allows me to grow lots of them to use as bedders in certain areas of the garden. Love them in my part-shade beds and pottery!

I also grow the "traditional" impatiens seed and have done so again this year and have had no problem with disease - not sure whether it's because people aren't growing impatiens en masse as much as years prior so less change for disease transmission, whether growing from seed keeps them free from disease from the get-go (i.e. healthy plants not exposed to disease in the growing stages), or other factors, but I'm also enjoying the regular impatiens very much, too.

mxk3 - my sister had issues with her impatiens a couple years ago, but put some in the same beds this year and had no issues. I had horrible downy mildew issues two years ago. This year, I tried a few impatiens as a test. I put two or three plants in one spot that previously had mildew, and some in pots where I needed some color. All did OK, and no mildew. I'm wondering if our extra-cold winter had a very positive side!

mnwsgal, all of these rudbeckias shown have simply self sown themselves, they're such easy care plants that bloom for months on end.

Rouge, maybe, someday you might be able to venture out this way.

Another annual I have been very impressed with is 'High Tide Blue' ageratum, it has performed excellently for me!

While I love the look of impatiens done right, I've never, ever been the one to get them right. Most of my yards have been too full sun to ever find the right spots for them.

I did buy the Sunpatiens line a couple of weeks ago, just to try. I have a spot in the front of the bed that gets 1-2 hours of full sun and then shade for the remainder of the day...and it seems to be doing okay. I took this photo two days ago on the one day it's ever rained here since the winter.

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I presume they're still adjusting from being transplanted, and I did root prune them a bit in the process. Hopefully, they perk up and grow in nicely, but I'm still doubtful that they take 1-2 hours of our kind of sun, though it has been amazingly cool in the last few days.

Twrosz -- that rudbeckia is awesome. Did you start them from seed? How tall are they? What wonderful fall colors...

Whopper begonias. They thrive in baskets or the ground, in sun or shade. Still going strong since spring, Some day i have to take time to learn how to put pics on here.

"Twrosz -- that rudbeckia is awesome. Did you start them from seed? How tall are they? What wonderful fall colors"

Sugi_C ... I usually sow several varieties such as 'Cherokee Sunset', 'Denver Daisy', 'Goldilocks' etc., though all those in the above photos are self sown plants having a general height of about 2 ft tall and blooming from mid July until well into October at my location.

This was the first year I had a dahlia (just this one in a container). I guess all you dahlia lovers know this but it is a bloom machine and it lasted well into October. (Here it is as of October 5). This one is "Mystic Dahlia"

Mexican Heather / Cuphea hyssopifolia is perennial here in 8b & warmer. Annual for you, Rouge. Picture taken this week - note leaves that have fallen as winter approaches - has been blooming since early summer. Attracts pollinators. Good, tough plant that blooms continuously all summer.

tagetes ginas giant himalayan-7ftx5ft-not a plant you need a great many of but if you like marigolds