Gingers are my favorite. Some recent pics on my blog:

http://beckisbackyard.blogspot.com/

I am a daylily lover. I have had good sucess with them and just love the range of colors. My favorite is Fun in the
Sun which I just aquired last year!

Angie - Keller, Tx

Wow! Those are great. I love Ginger too...

By far my best summer perennial is phlox! It's fragrant, the butterflies love it, it's nice to use in arrangments scenting the whole house, it blooms non stop into fall, especially when deadheaded which is easy to do just by snapping off the faded blooms by hand and new flowering shoots come out from the sides. No bugs bother it and the foliage stays looking nice until the end of the season. It prefers afternoon shade and just a little watering.

I have three kinds. This is the old fashioned summer phlox ...

Fanick's Phlox which seems a little more compact than the others ...

First lady phlox is more fuchsia colored and tall. This picture was taken at ARE. I don't have a good picture of mine loaded to Photobucket at the moment.

Rose Lee, your phlox is GORGEOUS! I love the old fashioned summer phlox and I'm thinking about adding it to my perennial bed. Thanks for sharing!

It might sound boring, but I guess my lantanas. I have a lot of them. The butterflies love them, you can totally mow them down in the winter and they come back bigger and better than ever every year. I have a huge bed of yellow ones around the light post and then I have planted the confetti type (very pretty blooms) in big containers and other beds and they go bananas. I know no matter what I do, the lantana will thrive and bloom like crazy.

I forgot to say I live in San Antonio. My real name is Ragna Lee (pronouced with a broad A), but I go by Roselee so much here and on Yahoo groups I am beginning to think that's my real name! :-)

Hi, I am with Roselee as to the summer phlox being just about my favorite. I also love purple coneflower and roses, mostly antique and old garden. I just recently bought a rudbeckia hirta Indian Summer, and I, too, like it a lot. It is very cheerful in my garden. I am thinking about going back to get a few more. Will these come back next year? Sure hope so. I also love daylilies and lantana, especially the one called confetti (pink, yellow, peach blooms). Are you starting to catch the drift. I haven't met a flower I don't like! I am sorry I can't take pictures, no camera. I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Vicki

Stella's of course
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Iris
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Oak Leaf Hydrangea
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Salvia Greggi pink
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I love my Gerbera
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Blanket Flower blooms like mad
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Skullcap
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Althea
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Phlox and our doggie:

cool pic of phlox field at old cemetery near house:

There are some that will bloom from spring to frost, and some others that will have foliage that looks good all season.
Verbena bonariensis, otherwise known as tall verbena. Must be sheared every year to keep it shorter than you.

Echinacea tennesseensis, hard to find, but easy to start from seed if you can find the seed for sale. Notice how this echinacea has petals that don't droop!

Centaurea gymnocarpa, which is like a perennial dusty miller. Has purple flowers which are not shown in this photo:

I don't know the name of this one but it is a gorgeous ground cover for the sun. I've seen it sold at Lowe's. It comes back every year but it may be a reseeding annual, I just don't know. It's kind of slow to come up in the spring. It spreads to fit the space it is in but doesn't run over the other plants. Absolutely wonderful.
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And of course Purple Homestead Verbena:

All of the salvias are great too. I particularly like the blue flowered ones. I don't have any pictures of those.
Hope this helps! These really are Texas Superstars in my book. They either bloom or look good all season long, even on the non rainy years!
Last but not least, what is a garden without old garden roses?
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My favorite is blue plumbago, but cannas are the best performing for me.

Can't figure out how to put a picture in here!

Plumbagos--I have white and blue. Hydrangeas, roses, passion flower, datura, brumgasia. I wouldn't know how to post a picture if I had to!

My Luna Hibiscus has to be my favorite this week... I can see her blooms from a block away.

Pam

Got to love Esperanza

and how about the Texas Star Hibiscus

One of my favorites Texas Blue bells

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Fairysoapgirl, your oakleaf hydrangea looks great. Mine bloomed very early in the summer and the blooms have already dried up. This is so much fun getting to see everyone's perennials. Thanks for all the feedback. Keep an eye on the site as I will be posting all of this info in a new article. Should be up tomorrow!

Callie

Here is a link that might be useful: Xylem & Phloem Texas Garden Blog

I'd have to say my favorite summer bloomer is flame acanthus. It even looks good when not in bloom. Along with the with black and blue salvia for the hummers and false sunflower (heliopsis helinthanoides) for the butterflies, it makes a striking combination, and always a busy area with the hummers, butterflies, and bees.

xylemphloemcallie - Thanks!! It is mostly dried up now, although with all the rain it suprised me and sent out new blooms after the first set, so some are just turning pink now... I love this plant.

My name is Julie Cox in Arlington, and these are a few of my favorites ...

Double variegated petunias
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Hibiscus
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Balsam, aka Touch-Me-Not
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Abutilon bella
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Right now it's ( Mexican Bush Sage ) Even tho it's not blooming The Foilage is Beautiful !! When the wind blows it just look's like it's so Happy !!
Olgaflowers