Amy, I have terrible luck with calendula, and I love them. Do they need shade in our area? I know they prefer cooler weather. Same problem with any celosia, even if I buy it.

I think my problem with globe amaranth is my clay soil. Trying them in pots this year.

I‘m probably going to have to add some large pots to the front yard this year.

My calendula dried up last year. I will put them in a pool pot this year and see. The first time I grew them they did great. I might have winter sowed. But they don't last all summer, I don't think.

The first year I grew celosia it got crowded out. (Did you know the leaves are edible before they bloom?) Last year I had a giant. There was a 6 pack in a big pot. The stems were 2" wide. This one was the brain looking flowers. It was on pool row, full sun, but watered daily.

I bought globe amaranth because Dawn said it would grow in heat on the west aide of my house. I don't have much flower experience, but I'm in love with agastache.

What would be a good plant to on my dogs grave? My wife and I dont know much about flowers. We would like to plant something that would be about the size of a pansy, or a little larger, that will bloom for a long time and come back each year. We will amend the soil to what ever is needed. It is in full sun, except the 3 Crepe myrtle that will be kept trimmed to a smaller size.

Thank you.

I think you may want to ask about this in the main thread. Danny may have more suggestions. My thoughts are to start with pansies and maybe allysium and when they fade moss roses. Those are low growing. I have a purple salvia that is perennial and bloomed even in the snow. They aren't low growing. I think they get pretty big when not in a pot.

If you want something that will return and not need replanting a couple of times a year, then the wildflowers are in. You didn't say moisture/soil, but from what I know of your gardening, I would think average to wet would fit ?
Let me know if this interests you and I'll think about it, versus listing if you don't want perennials.

Yarrow, salvia, malva sylvestris (hollyhock zebrina). The malva and salvia will get 2-3 feet tall. . .the yarrow slightly shorter. All three are long bloomers. Natives would be rudbeckia (brown eyed Susans) and gaillardia. In fact, gaillardia might be the pick of the bunch. . . (blanket flower--OK's state flower).

Is it out in the open, up next to a building or under a tree, etc?

I planted a rose on my old man's grave, then put a flowerbed around it. With rose rosette such an issue here I probably should have picked something else. I like Nancy's idea of blanket flower. They're pretty & as a native they should come back every year. Coneflowers would be nice, & they have them in different colors. Mine bloomed from late spring until November.

I can't grow many agastache here, Amy, but I do have anise hyssop. The pollinators are crazy about it. I have two clumps of it here, and started some at Lincoln last year. Since I decided to grow mostly greens in the deck containers, I'll return to ipomoea alba (moonflower vine) on the deck railing.

Nasturtiums for spring, then re-plant for fall

Petunias

Pansies (I've not grown pansies from seed before--have you all?)

Alyssum (white)

Sempervirum

Red Torch and Yellow Torch Tithonia

Mullein again

Zinnias, Thumbelina mix

Sunspot Sunflower (a "dwarf, yeah, we'll see about that)

Illinois bundleflower

Patridge peas

That's about all I'll have room for.

Same things at the school, with the addition of bachelor buttons, red corn poppies, and cosmos.

Speaking of calendula, I had some, but bought more since I wanted to get it going at school.