Mine is Hollyhocks..something about 7ft tall wildly blooming flowers..don't have any idea if they are something the bunnies and javies will like as well..but they take the heat and drop seed so they multiply nice..

Are you a big Poe fan? I I really like hollyhocks, I had no idea they could grow here.
Thanks

You are very welcome Laura, and yes, enjoy his work. Yep, they grow like mad here, and are so beautiful. Lots of bright happy colors..and they grow huge, don't demand tons of water..Bakers nursery has them in pots right now and I throw a bunch of seeds, some my own from my plants and some I buy for new colors. Petunias I have year around; thru the summer I keep them in bright light but no direct sun (patio, under the shade of the veggie garden, etc) and they come in many colors and several types..

I will definitely add hollyhocks to my list of nursery purchases. I have petunias but the rabbits think they are yummy where I live so I just have them in the back garden area. Thanks again!

Smart little bunnies, guess they would taste good..but you can hang some. They have some called "the wave" they drip and have quite a big spread, so off the ground, in trees, porch, patio..adds color above bunny reach. I would bet rabbits will eat a lot of things. Don't have them here in town, but see them in the fields behind us. Cute, but destructive..

I love the wave ones. I never think of putting up hanging plants. I have a shepherd's hook that is just languishing in my back garden. I should put it to good use. Another very good idea from you!!

Laura, I have a ton of white hollyhock seed. If you email me your addy, I'll send them.

Thanks, Mary, I would love some. I sent you my address!

I tried some lisianthus in the garden this summer. I bought them at HD. Very disappointed. Many died, others never flourished; My first time growing them. I had them right next to vinca, which did fine, so I'm not sure what went wrong. Ditto for Pentas (also my first try with these.)

Growing Petunias in summer here? wow, you're more talented than I am. Come June, mine get chlorotic, small flowered, and pale looking.

Next summer I want to try mix color Celosia plumosa. Love those colors.

Garden traditional red salvia (bought from Walmart) didn't do well for me this summer ( they had Small, chlorotic leaves, unhappy.) I'll try again from seed (mix color variety) early this spring...

I'm going to try something new this fall. Once my bermuda lawn goes brown, I'm going to cut it super short and sow sweet alyssum (mix colors) over the top. Does that make sense? Then seed in some calendulas around the borders.

I think I have managed to change the climate in my back yard a bit. I live in a regular sub division, so not big lots but I have ten shade trees in the back yard and a big pool right in the middle, so getting humidity and trees holding some of it in I guess. But hanging petunias in the bright shade they have done fine last two summers. Basil came up all around the cool deck, all day sun and blasting afternoon sun with reflection from the water, it not only did well, it's the hugest basil plants I have ever seen and my backyard reeks of it..go figure. Garden surprise on things that shouldn't grow and things that should, fail..It's a mystery to us too...lol..

Duranta Repens are wonderful and like pretty much full sun (although they appreciate some afternoon shade in summer). They do have to be watered regularly. Beautiful, delicate purple blooms ALL summer. The insects love them!

Another plant that does well here (but hard to find) is Butterfly Orchid tree (bauhinia). It can be a bush or shrub. As indicated by the name, the butterflies LOVE them.

Another wonderful plant I love that can take full sun is a Datura. There are several kinds; I'm thinking of the white one. It is native to AZ, I believe, and does well in full sun.

You might want to go over to Desert Botanical Gardens and they have lots and lots of plants there (not only desert plants) and can give you some good advice about wonderful stuff to grow around here. There is a lot and I am constantly learning more and more.

In a yard one street over from mine is a large, beautiful, and very healthy Persian Lilac. I asked the neighbor for a cutting, but couldn't get it to thrive. Has anyone grown this plant? The scent when it was in bloom was awesome and reminded me so much of my grandmothers lilacs in Calif. It's growing in full summer sun! couldn't believe something like that would survive here.

Quotetheraven, I'm curious about the lilac and hope someone responds. If you don't get any responses on this thread you might try posting a picture on a new thread here and see if you can some information.

I'm a curious gardener and am always trying to find plants that will survive here that I didn't know would (I've also lost a lot of plants that I couldn't get to survive, like some tropicals, for instance.)

jaspermplants, thanks for the suggestions. They all look promising for my yard.
quotetheraven, a lilac would be so nice to grow here. I hope you get some answers.

I have been looking everywhere for a Butterfly Orchid Tree. Does anyone know where I can find one locally?

Fun discussion! You know, folks might hiss and boo, LOL, but I do love lantana in full, hot summer sun. It really does well. Sure sure, it's over planted, and can be aggressive, but hey, that means it does well, LOL. I love it. I also grow a TON of hollyhocks in sun or afternoon shade and they do great and our low humidity means no foliage diseases like rust or mildew that plague them in humid climates.

For "annuals" I do a ton of vincas in sun, and zinnias.

Great discussion, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's suggestions. Happy gardening all!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my garden October 2013

everyonelovesjoey, I looked and looked for a butterfly orchid tree (bauhinia diverticata) but could not find it in any nursery here in the Phx area. I did order it from a can't be named nursery in Florida but I would not recommend ordering it from them as they have a very spotty reputation and mine came to me half-dead. It has survived but will be a long time before it is a tree-size.

Good luck finding one and let us know if you do.

I have a lot of lantana as well. It's also a good trap plant for whiteflies and when the farmers near us defoliate the cotton they all move to my yard, the lantana gets more attention than my food crops. And cosmos as well as zinnias and vincas handle the heat and look lovely. Lots of color. I have a Mexican sunflower that has bloomed off and on and is in bloom again now, full sun. And found some morning glory seeds at the store and they bloomed like mad all summer, direct sun, growing up and grabbing on to everything they could reach.

I just joined Gardenweb to echo Laura's question :)

My solid brick home in Tucson needs *summer only* shade. I plan to establish deciduous shrubs in the long term.

In the meantime, are there any annuals/perennials that do all of the following?

1) Tolerant of south and west sun exposure (with reflected heat from brick)
2) Javelina and rabbit resistant
3) Tall growth by summer

If I sound like a dreamer, it's because I'm somewhat of a beginner :) Hollyhocks and sunflowers sound wonderful, but they also sound like javelina food (am I right?)

Thank you all so much.