I grew snapdragons this year from Stokes, Floral Showers series red and yellow bicolour, and they were great. Each plant grew bushy and green to exactly the same height, stopped there, and bloomed all summer with no deadheading. This photo was when they first started blooming.

My zinnias did okay but didn't bloom all summer. The petunias bloomed well but got leggy and stringy. I didn't do too many annuals this year.

Did you plant your asters this year, Gil? I had quite a few from your seeds and they bloomed quite nicely. I don't know if their seeds are viable, though, as i think they froze before the seeds were ripe.

Those snapdragons are nice!

I love calendula. Mine started blooming a little earlier than usual, in August, i think. It's still blooming now. Even my gazanias were blooming when i dumped the container. I did deadhead these, but they weren't what i'd call high maintenance.

Nice snaps!

For seed grown petunias, I like the Opera Supreme series, this year I grew Pink Morn and White, but have also grown Lilac Ice and Raspberry Ice. All are very nice, uniform, prolific, bloom all season with no deadheading. And they really do trail 3' and bloom all the way along without having to cut back any stems. Seed is more expensive, about 50cents each but if you like growing petunias, this is a really good variety.

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These were some of my favs. For the life of me I can't remember the name. I'm sure some one will know.

Callibroacha. I love them too, but mine never look quite that nice!

Thanks that was it. This is a red basket that sat on my chimney pot and bloomed all summer. Just kept getting bigger all the time
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Marcia, I didn't plant the asters this year. Not sure why - I was growing all those seedlings for the yacht club, I guess I didn't have room. Incidentally, those seedlings were other colours of the same snaps, plus zinnia Zahara double cherry and some sizzler salvia, and they all did so well. I saw them halfway through the summer and the planting looked stunning!

Nice photos all! While I like multiflora petunias I prefer grandiflora which all, unfortunately, need to be dead headed, I now may have to compromise. LOVE the snaps, I did plan on planting lots this year.

I don't mind dead heading but hate doing it everyday. I am looking for long lasting blooms like zinnia.

Keep the photos and suggestions coming!!!

I'm a perennial lover and don't grow many annuals, but a couple I grew that didn't require any deadheading at all are rudbeckia and browalia.
Here's a pic of rudbeckia Tiger Eye. The flowers just seemed to last forever.

Beautiful . !!!! Such brite colors

North I feel the same way but as I slowly shape my gardens I use annuals to fill empty spaces in until I figure out what I want. If you read between the lines you will see that I will always need annuals. LOL

Oh, this might hurt, but rudbeckia is a tender perennial here... *duck*

SCG

Hi You might consider "lauretian"-comes in light pink, soft blue lasts until mid October here in northern Ont.Another I love can become large is"kangaroo paws". We grow it here at the greenhouse come in yellow. orange-red. red pink, cream pink It also continues here till mid October- looks tropical in the garden with elephant ear large ginger plant and canna lilies. I bring in the ears, ginger and cannas for the winter months

Agastache Salmon and Pink (Mexican Giant Hyssop, Hummingbird Mint). This is the plant the hummingbirds favour in our backyard when they migrate through (this year they began 1st week of August, and I spotted the last one October 2nd). It is a tender perennial (supposedly zone 5, but from what I read even that is iffy). I purchase as an annual in a 4 inch pot from a non-big box garden centre, plant it in a 20 inch pot with no competition (low growing trailers at most) and it grows about 16 - 18 inches tall, and near as wide, and can take our gale force wind like no other annual (no damage). It's stems become woody yet flex with the wind, and it really comes into it's glory near the end of July, so you have to be patient. And the leaves, when rubbed, smell heavenly to me (added bonus when a pretty plant smells good), some describe it as a licorice mint, but I must have poor sense buds, I can't tell except that it smells good. No dead heading, come frost the blooms die yet look good from a distance, and the leaves will look good until the big frost that comes around and kills everything.

Lobelia Cardinalis: another hummingbird attraction, although they don't seem to like mine as much as the agastache, This plant grows tall (near 3-4 feet) and only produces the deepest truest red blooms come the beginning of August in y zone (so late in adding colour) and it is not a good choice for a windy area. I have the kind with the wine coloured leaves. This one is a pricey purchase, usually found near the pond plants. I've kept a plant over the winter in our attached but unheated garage the last 2 winters. I bring it into the house end of March if it has started to grow in the garage - can't have weak stems and there's no cutting back for this one (I think). I bought one from Walmert this past spring for only $2, but it bloomed late because it was so small.

Lobelia Cardinalis Queen Victoria:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=agastache+acapulco+salmon+and+pink&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=K6B9UtbEAcbIrgHFtoDwBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=947#q=lobelia+cardinalis+queen+victoria&tbm=isch

I'd read that lantanas are supposed to be a favourite of butterflies, so I bought one this year. Hail knocked the plant back so bad that it didn't rebound and produce bloom buds until the end of summer, so I can't say that it did feed butterflies, nor can I comment on how much work it was or wasn't to deadhead.

I'd grown from seed and planted an asclepias plant (perennial) because I've read butterflies are supposed to 'flock' to it! I've yet to see that in person, and it is a good size now, but grows low to the ground.

Another perennial I had (for only 3 years) is echinacea purpurea. Two summers ago I had 4 Monarchs and 2 Red Admirals nectaring, and we don't normally see Monarchs around here. But this past summer the echinacea came down with 'yellow asters' so I had to rip it out (I'm still angry about that). Don't know if I am going to risk planting another since I don't quite understand the nature of that disease.

Now that the cold has arrived, it's fun to plan for next year!

Here is a link that might be useful: Agastache Acapulco Salmon and Pink

Apologies. I have no idea why my post runs into the ads.

We updated to Windows 8, and it's been an experience!

As in a 'wish we could go back to XP' experience!

celtic-07, Those are great suggestions...love the kangaroo paws! I am going to have to see if I can get some seed.

Kioni, Love those plants too. I have lots of milkweed seeds to try next year and am also going to look at lantana. I have one buddleia plant and will see how it does. I really enjoy taking pictures of butterflies and moths....

Loquins Admiral on native aster

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Have a great day.

SCG