From the Garden CenterFull Sun Annuals That Don’t Fry in Our Summers
A customer from Schaumburg walked in last May with a problem we hear constantly. South-facing front bed. Full sun beating down all day. Nothing she planted there had ever survived a summer. The flowers she liked at the big box stores kept crisping by July.
Ryan walked her to the annuals section, picked out zinnias, lantana, and angelonia, and sent her home with instructions. Three months later she sent us a photo of the bed in August. Her neighbors started asking what she did differently.
The thing about sunny spots is they don’t kill plants because of the sun. They kill the wrong plants. Full sun annuals are bred specifically to handle six-plus hours of direct light, often more. We stock the proven varieties every spring at our Barrington garden center.
Read your yard first ·Why Most Annual Failures Aren’t the Sun’s Fault
Sunny spots don’t kill plants because of the sun. They kill the wrong plants. Full sun annuals are bred specifically to handle six-plus hours of direct light. Often more.
People check at noon, see sun, and assume their bed is full sun. By three in the afternoon the maple tree’s shadow covers everything and the spot is actually part shade. Watch the spot through a whole day before you plant.
Reflected heat from sidewalks and driveways intensifies things. A west-facing bed against a brick wall is brutal compared to a sunny lawn corner. Match the plant to the actual conditions.
Find Heat-Proof Annuals at Goebbert’s
At our Barrington garden center, we stock the proven full sun varieties every spring, with the heaviest inventory from May through June.
Bring photos of your sunny spots. Tell our staff how much watering you’ll realistically do. We’ll match you to plants that perform with the time you actually have.
Our heat champions ·Nine Full Sun Annuals We Stock Every Spring
These are the varieties we hand to customers fighting south-facing beds and hot patios. All proven in suburban Chicago heat across many summers.
Lantana
The hotter it gets, the better lantana looks. Trailing and upright varieties. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit constantly. Blooms non-stop until October frost.
Profusion Zinnias
Modern disease-resistant zinnias that solve the powdery mildew problem of old-school varieties. Bright colors. Cut for vases and they make more blooms.
Vinca (Catharanthus)
Possibly the toughest annual we sell. Shiny dark leaves. Pretty pinwheel flowers. Total indifference to heat and drought once established.
Wave Petunias
Trailing petunias that bloom continuously without deadheading. Spread up to four feet wide. Best annual for hanging baskets and window boxes.
Geraniums
Classic and reliable in pots or beds. Big red, pink, white, or coral flower clusters. Old reliable for porch containers and front entry pots.
Angelonia
The "summer snapdragon." Upright spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers. Loves heat. Perfect thriller plant for the center of a container.
Calibrachoa
Million bells. Tons of tiny flowers in every color. Self-cleaning so no deadheading needed. Beautiful trailing over the edge of hanging baskets.
Marigolds
Easiest annual from seed. Deer-resistant. Bright orange and yellow. Bonus benefit of repelling some garden pests around your vegetable beds.
Verbena
Spreading habit that fills space all summer. Butterflies love it. Pairs beautifully with grasses, salvias, and other sunny garden plants.
Make them last ·Six Rules for Annuals That Bloom All Summer
Watching customers buy plants in May and come back in July with problems teaches you patterns. Skip the mistakes everyone makes.
1.Wait Until Mid-May
Around here, the last frost lands about May 15. Plant warm-season annuals before then and they stall out for weeks or get cold-shocked.
2.Give Them Space
Tags say eighteen inches between petunias for a reason. Pack them tight and you get leggy, disease-prone plants by August. Read the label.
3.Water Containers Daily
A twelve-inch pot in July sun dries out fast. Skipping a day during a heat wave can fry the entire planter. Set a phone reminder.
4.Feed Every Two Weeks
Annuals are heavy feeders. Without regular liquid fertilizer, even the best varieties stop blooming by July. Two weeks, no exceptions.
5.Deadhead Where It Helps
Geraniums, petunias, and zinnias bloom harder when you pinch off spent flowers. Calibrachoa and lantana self-clean and don’t need it.
6.Layer Like a Designer
Thriller in back, filler in middle, spiller over the edge. The yards that look "designed" follow this pattern. The ones that don’t look random.
Annuals that get oversold ·What We Tell People to Skip
Just like with perennials, some annuals get marketed as easy that really aren’t. We’d rather steer you toward the proven performers than send you home with a plant that’ll disappoint by July.
Standard impatiens (not New Guinea or Sunpatiens) still get hit hard by downy mildew in our climate. We stopped carrying them in 2015 and don’t recommend them for new beds anywhere in the northwest suburbs.
Most coleus varieties want more shade than they advertise. Plant labeled "sun coleus" in full afternoon sun and they often scorch by August. Begonias can be picky about water. Tuberous types especially. Wax begonias are easier if you really want to try.
Stick with the heat champions if you want guaranteed performers. Zinnias, lantana, vinca, angelonia, geraniums. Skip the picky stuff unless you actively enjoy babying plants through the summer.
The customers whose annual beds still look great in August aren’t doing anything mysterious. They picked the right plants for the spot, watered consistently, and fed every two weeks. That’s the whole secret.
Questions we hear all summer ·Annual Garden Questions Answered
After watching customers buy plants in May and come back in July with questions, the same things come up over and over.
When can I plant annuals outside?
Mid-May minimum for warm-season annuals around here. Our zone 5b last frost lands around May 15. Memorial Day is the safe conservative target if you don’t want to risk a cold snap.
How often should I water containers?
Daily in real summer heat. Sometimes twice for hanging baskets that catch full afternoon sun. A twelve-inch pot in July sun dries out fast and skipping a day can fry the whole planter.
What about fertilizer?
Slow-release fertilizer at planting plus liquid feed every two weeks. Annuals are heavy feeders by nature. Without regular feeding even the best varieties stop blooming by July or early August.
Should I deadhead?
Yes on geraniums, petunias, and zinnias. The plants reward you with more blooms. Calibrachoa, lantana, and most new petunia hybrids self-clean and don’t need it.
Can annuals survive frost?
No. First fall frost ends the season around here, typically mid to late October. Pull plants when they collapse or compost the whole pot. Buy new starts every spring.
Do I really need 6+ hours of sun?
For most full sun annuals, yes. Some tolerate 4-5 hours with reduced flowering. Watch your spot through a whole day before you commit. The afternoon shadow always surprises people.
Container Combos That Work
Three tested combinations our staff recommends to customers all season long. The Hot Pink Wow uses Profusion zinnia, Supertunia Vista Bubblegum, and Diamond Frost euphorbia for a saturated pop of color on a sunny porch.
The Bold Tropical climbs a black-eyed Susan vine through tri-color lantana with sweet potato vine spilling over the edges. The Cottage Look pairs tall angelonia with geraniums and trailing Wave petunias for a classic mixed look.
Bring photos of your space when you visit. We’ll show you exactly which full sun annuals to combine for the look you want, and how to keep them blooming through October.
Come see our annualsSelection Peaks May Through June
Fresh shipments come in through July to refresh mid-summer beds. From Barrington, South Barrington, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, or Algonquin, stop by and let us help you get your sunny beds blooming.