I'm looking for suggestions for the SoCal coastal area for good cutting flowers. Last summer was my first down here and I didn't do so well with my seed selections. We're relatively cool and foggy most of the summer, with a few periods of shocking heat scattered around. Garden soil is unfortunately a pretty dense clay, I've begun the amendment process, but its going to take awhile.

My cosmos (something I thought foolproof) all mildewed and were subsumed in ants and mealy bugs. strawflowers weak and spindly. Phlox fine in the fog, died instantly in the 3 days of July heat. Love in a mist never sprouted.... sigh. The only thing that did well (and is happily self-sowed this year) was the Cerinthe. Daffys were pretty but lasted only a week....in January!

Anybody have some winners to reccomend? I'm mostly interested in the cool colors -- no golds/rusts/etc.

TIA!