I have it in full, punishing sun in a new bed and it's doing as great as the cannas planted there. Also in a partly-shaded bed and doing okay, but those were $2.50 starts at Atwood's this year. I've never had any trouble with this plant. Don't remember if it dies down over winter, but I expect it does. Gets bigger every year. I have the purple color.

I realize I'll have to change things around next year, because none the phlox survived in the sun (it has always thrived except for the last two years) More sedums/cornflowers, less ground-planted petunias.
Sunny

christie, I grew it once but it only persisted a short time here. I don't even remember it making it through the winter but might have. I had a white and blue one.

I don't remember ever growing veronica but I would like to know how it does for you. It looks like we have some rain chances this week. I tried asters the last two years and they have been bug eaten here. A consideration for me when choosing a plant is how much the bugs like it. I don't like to spray. I tried garlic before and I'm thinking about trying soap spray. I think I have some Murphy's soap here somewhere in the barn. My cucumbers are covered with aphids and beneficial insects like wasps. I finally sprayed with sevin this morning after I hosed off the plants first to scare away the lady bugs flies and wasps. It was either spray or lose the plant. Fortunately I have other cucumber plants not affected.

It's good to know your veronica did well in full sun Sunny. I haven't planted mine yet. It's supposed to be a long blooming plant so I hope it doesn't mind being planted late and will come back next spring.
Glenda - It's not unusual for me to have a plant that does fine over summer and then doesn't come back the next year. It's disappointing. My soil probably doesn't drain well enough but if I fix that then stuff may be harder to keep watered in the summer.
The phlox that have done best for me in this heat wave are planted on the east side of a row of shrubs. It's late afternoon when they start getting shade. I have some phlox in full sun too that aren't doing as well but it's a different type so it's hard to say whether it's the conditions or the variety.
I got a start this year of 'John Fanick's' phlox which is supposed to do well in Texas where most phlox don't make it. I planted it in full sun too and so far it looks pretty happy.
One of my phlox that I thought had died last year returned this spring and bloomed. It looks dead again now. I think if it's still alive in the spring I will move it somewhere where it can get some afternoon shade.

Hi Christie

I almost bought 'Atomic Lavender' at Lowes as well, but it was covered in bees and I didn't want to fight them for it! I've grown 'Sunny Border Blue' and 'Georgia Blue' veronica and have found they like shade from about 2 pm on. They like to be consistently moist but in well drained soil. As the 'Sunny Border Blue' bloom spikes fade, I found that if I cut them to the ground, new stems will emerge and begin blooming. I used to just cut off the bloom spike. The stem would put out a few weak bloom spikes, but the leaves were ragged and the plant looked all worn out. Cutting the stems to the ground keeps my plant looking fresh and new.

Regarding 'John Fanick' phlox, I grew it for 10 years when I lived in Dallas. What a fantastic swallowtail nectar plant! It did best in full sun with good air circulation and consistently moist soil. It's very mildew resistant, but over the years, it started getting some shade from an oak tree and powdery mildew became a problem. It never had mildew in full sun.

This spring I moved to north central Arkansas and brought all these plants with me. I have the phlox in full sun and so far have had no mildew, and the veronicas seem to be happy in afternoon shade.

I hope you have good luck with your new plants!

Dana