I usually grow Dreamland zinnias for their compact size, large flowers, and great disease resistance. This year I tried the new Magellan series and was disappointed. The first blooms are very large but subsequent ones are smaller and the disease resistance is not very good - will not try them again. I tried the new colors of Profusion zinnias, and they are just as fabulous as the others - in fact, I like the new Apricot best of all, and, of course, they are completely disease resistant.
I was disappointed in the Athens Select lantanas all summer since they didn't bloom at all in the heat, but starting in October they are in profuse bloom. The only problem is that in March I put out 3" pots of them, and they are now 2 feet tall and 8 feet across.
I tried 8 different tomatoes this year, and, as usual, the only one that was really worth while in this climate was Celebrity which started producing in late April and continued through mid July.

Pitiful response so far; come on folks.........

Four citrus trees I put in the ground this year are bearing well right now. The area where they are planted has poor drainage so I had to raise the soil level. I used lasagna layers to raise the level 12" and it seems to have worked for me.
In another area, newly cleared this year, I used a lot of Knockout roses. They really covered the area quickly and the immediate show they put on allowed me to take my time and really plan out the area. I used the pink ones and they are still blooming along with the sasanquas now.

I had some luck with Begonia grandis underneath a Magnolia. I'll probably have to move it due to all the leaf litter but I'm not sure if I have another spot in the garden. I'm hoping to get some babies to pass along to friends next year. I've heard they don't show themselves until later in spring so I'll try and be patient. Hmmm.... what else... oh, a few Calanthe orchids I planted under the shade of a redbud tree performed well alondside some Tricyrtis.

I have been putting dozens of plants in my Jacksonville, FL yard each year for three years. After gardening for years in Miami where plants start growing the minute they are planted, I am learning that plants need a little longer to get established in north FL. The camellias, gardenias, citrus, bananas, clumping bamboos and shrub roses I planted two years ago look great right now. Erythrina x bidwillii, Hamelia patens, Curcuma alata, Senna alata, Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha) and the big purple and coral porterweeds (Stachytarpheta mutabilis) survived last winter and put on great flower shows this year. I removed a rose that was given to me as "William Baffin." It didn't have the long season of bloom I expected and took up too much space in a prominent spot. In general, I find that this borderland of Zone 8 and 9 is a great place to garden.