Suggestions for late summer planting: Need annuals to go with geraniums and vinca vine.?

Question

The geraniums are coral colored, and the vinca is a varigated leaf (dark green to yellow) in color. I originally planted this with a light peachy-looking verbena that was gorgeous in the spring and for the first part of summer....but here lately, in spite of my best efforts, the verbena got leggy, sparse looking in blooms, and the foilage turned a faded, dusty looking color. Very unhealthy looking.

I pulled up all the verbena today, so now I have pots and window planters with gaping holes to fill until we buy mums in the fall. What would work well as an accent plant with these combinations?

(ps - has to be sun tolerant and drought hardy - we have zero trees in front of our house, and we get ALOT of sun throughout the day.)

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Here are a few things that can tie you over until you get your mums in.

For trailing plants, you can try

Calibrachoa (mini petunia)-they look like mini petunias and are available in a wide variety of colors

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Petunias (get the trailing, cascading types like Surfinia, Supertunia)

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Lantana (polecat geranium)-available in a wide variety of colors

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

For upright plants, you can try

Nemesia-there are a lot of new hybrids out there that are quite prolific and have lots of color choices

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Osteospermum (Cape daisy, African daisy)-lots of colors available

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Dahlias-They have new container Dahlias now, they might be fun to try. Dahlinova is one that comes to mind.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Diascia-again, a lot of new cultivars out now in nice peach and pink tones

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

As with any new plants, you need to water them in well for a few weeks. Then you can hold off once they are established nicely. Good luck.