I don't know about the pansies, but some petunias will survive our summers. Last year, my mother had some red and purple petunias (as in two separate plants, not two-toned plants) that survived through the summer in the planters she has on her driveway. The planters were located right under the edge of her carport so that from sunrise to noon, they got sunlight, but they were in shade after that. But she's close enough to a dense tree line to the east of her house that I would guess the planters start getting full sun around 7:30 or 8:00am. So the planters get about four to four and a half hours of full sun. She has repeated the same plantings this spring with red and purple petunias as well as white ones and yellow marigolds in the center. The red and purple are doing okay, but the whites just are not handling the heat well at all. I don't know how much she had to water those planters to keep the plants alive though.

I know that pansies can't take our summer heat and humidity, I wish they could as pansys and violas are my favorite cool weather flowers. In shade they will last a little longer then in sun but they will most likley die in the very near future. Last year I had some snapdragons stay alive well into summer even though they were planted in full sun. I have some snapdragons planted in part shade that are starting to bloom again now so they may make it through the summer. You never know what may or may not survive, just give it a shot and consider it a bit of an experiment.

Kara

I have gotten purple petunias to over-summer up here. They looked kind of ragged and didn't bloom well in the hottest months, but perked up in the fall and bloomed like mad. However, mine were in sun - if I had moved their container to the shade (or at least afternoon shade) they may have gotten through the summer better.

I have never been able to keep pansies going past early June...I don't even try anymore.

Snapdragons, I don't have any summer experience with.

Good luck!

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm going to try. I'm hoping some of my more "unusual" petunias will make it.

Oddly, the whites already died - and fast. I tried a cutting from a sort-of-viable end, but no idea if it's going to work.

I have one plant that happened to grow up in a pot of poor, sandy groundsoil. Someone had dug up a camellia for me. I didn't get a chance to plant it, but then I noticed a little petunia plant growing. The plant is now about 3-feet in diameter and 2+ feet high, the roots have grown through the bottom of the nursery pot into the ground, firmly rooting it in place. It really doesn't show signs of decline yet, and I'm not sure if I should just try cuttings, or cut it way back, yank the pot out of the ground, thus root pruning it, lol, and repot it, or just leave it there and wait to see some decline.

I'll do a few cuttings from it, and save seed heads.

My petunias which looked great a month ago are pretty much ruined now. I have kept snapdragons alive over the summer. They self sow pretty well so multiple generations help keep stuff looking vibrant.

Mine are also starting to succumb to the heat. Of the ones my mother had in her planters, only the purple ones are still thriving.

With the exception of my giant volunteer in a nursery pot full of very poor sandy groundsoil, all of mine are declining. I'll be really sad when the giant volunteer goes, but I did collect some seeds from it.

The cuttings I started are doing well so far. (petunias & pansies)

I have one snapdragon that is blooming, most of the rest seem to be doing okay.

I never have had luck with snaps reseeding. Maybe these will.