Its hard for me to decide, but thing Gold Star Esperanza, Blue Plumbago, or Duranta are my top blooming shrubs this year. In spite of 100+ temperature and no rain, they are still blooming.

jt

Pincushion flower (scabiosa caucasia) bloomed from the time I put it in the ground and is still going strong with flowers and buds. Mistakenly bought another scabiosa midsummer, s. purpea I think, which did not impress me at all--bloomed for 2 weeks then nothing.

Hi Evelyn,
My favorite,although somewhat late to bloom, is Guara lindheimeri 'Dauphin'. It has been going strong since August with its pink and then white flowers. I think if we don't get a frost soon,it is going to bloom itself to death. One of those plants that people stop and ask what the heck is that?

Hi Evelyn,
I would like to take my selection back and instead choose Malva sylvestris 'Brave Heart'.

This plant does nothing but bloom the entire season. A few years ago I bought a packet and thought it would be best to start early because it would take 4 to 6 weeks for germination to begin. So I planted on the 3rd of February. What happened but there were seedlings in three days. By March 1st, I had 18" Malvas blooming there heads off.

I still have plants from the original by the way of self seeding.

They bloom so long and so hard that by frost you can figure on pulling them out because they will not come back the next year.

Rangoon Creeper, Coral Nymph Salvia, Indigo Spires Salvia,Mexican Flame Vine,Hyacinth Bean VIne

JOhnnie,
I live in Houston and I was going to name the same plants as you...At this moment, my duranta is going crazy with flowers. Guests at my home last week were very impressed with the duranta...I love my esparanza and the plumbago I have has bloomed almost non stop for over 2 years......Susie

How about wonderful Knautia (Scabiosa macedonica)in the burgundy and lavender.I gave up deadheading after a killing frost,and still I have bloom!!Started in late June. Carole NS

My pink Meidiland rose which started blooming in May and is still going strongly--after several frosts (though the flowers are a bit washed out this late in the season).

My longest flowering annual was Cosmos 'Picotee', which flowered from March to October with deadheading.

Verbena! Still blooming...12/20/01

Yes, Verbena 'Imagination'.

Pretty much the same thing as Delicia--Indigo Spires, Coral Nymph, and White Nymph Salvias, along with my Queen Elizabeth and Joseph's Coat roses, Callisia fragrans, Pereskia grandifolia, Crown of Thorns, and my Staghorn ferns throwing off fertile fronds.

QB

Without a doubt the longest blooming flower is corydalis lutea. For me it blooms even in snow in the late fall. Has a very early spring start. Reseeds all over the place. Lovely in shade. Beautiful foliage. Looks great with everything! I love it with blue bulbs. Great with both mertensia and muscari .

I'm glad to hear someone mention "knautia". I just planted one that I bought at a garden show sale. Its beautiful burgundy color goes well with other plants. I hope it blooms as well as the other scabiosas.

Ditto on the plumbago - the more you ignore it, the better it blooms - BRIGHT blue! You can see it above all else from across the lake. 2nd favorite is the Joseph's Coat roses, I think. Have about 60ft of fence covered with them.

Hydrangea
Campanula 'Kent Bell'
Geranium oxonianum
Omphalodes
Pansies

Nothing blooms longer than pansies.

Zinnias have given me the most bloom for the buck this year

Giant Pointsettia. Just one huge flower, still going after four months.

I've put in my first two cape plumbagos so I certainly hope I get the kind of long blooming season others have reported!

Here in Northern CA, many plants are evergreen, perennial and ever-blooming (okay, we're spoilt) so there's much to choose from. Here's my favorites:

-Solanum, potato vine
-Lavendars
-Osteospermums
-Star jasmine
-Pink cestrum
-Nierembergia

Of the plants that aren't ever-blooming, just a very long blooming period that surprised me: snapdragons. I got a cheap six-pak from HDepot for $2 and they stayed blooming for 18 months until the rust finally got to them! That was a great bargain.

cloeme

Knockout roses and stella d'oro daylilies-although not planted next to one another! April til frost which is usually late October.

dames rocket, zinnias, shasta daisy (becky),iceberg rose, carefree wonder rose, raydon favorite asters......

Lantana (confetti) is in bloom 365!
boomchuckchuck

agree with two previous posters:Verbena tenuisecta (Imagination)(two hort.distinction awards).In zone 5,seed harvesting:predominately August-early Sept., though plants will continue to flower well into frost dates...
Allysum is very satisfactory as well.

Ordinary zonal pelargoniums bloom here all year. I keep waiting for a dormancy period so that I can prune them, but it never comes.

Geranium Rozanne shows no sign of stopping and it is covered in flowers. It really brightens up a shady spot in my garden.

Yeona