Too busy to deadhead annuals? Then plant varieties that grow right over their spent flowers and keep pumping out blooms. Trailing petunias are a good example (look for Cascadia, Supertunia, Surfinia, or the Wave series), as is the petunia relative Calibrachoa, better known as million bells. Here are some other good choices for busy gardeners.

• Angelonia
• Bacopa
• Bidens
• Cobbitty daisies or marguerites ('Butterfly', 'Comet Pink', 'Summer Melody')
• Compact zinnias ('Profusion Orange', 'Star White')
• Evolvulus ('Blue Daze', 'Hawaiian Blue Eyes')
• Heliotrope
• Pimpernel (Anagallis)
• Trailing gazanias ('Sunburst', 'Sunglow')