If your perennial garden starts to fizzle as soon as hot weather arrives, then you need a plan to keep your beds blooming. Try interplanting your perennials with annuals that love hot weather. You can experiment each season until you find combinations that suit you, your garden, and your climate. To see the first part of this article, click here.

Melampodium paludosum Height: 8 in. to 24 in. Color: Yellow Notes: Good for hot, humid climates; very tough plant. Can't Tolerate: Rich soil; wet soil	Mirabilis jalapa Height: 2 ft. to 3 ft. Color: Red, pink, salmon, yellow, white Notes: All parts of plant are poisonous. Best direct-sown; self-sows. Can't Tolerate: No problems
Nicotiana Height: 8 in. to 5 ft. Color: Rose, pink, purple, white Notes: Easy to grow from seed; self-sow. Can't Tolerate: Wet stems and leaves	Petunia Height: 6 in. to 24 in., varies with cultivar Color: All colors Notes: Deadhead for continuous bloom. Can't Tolerate: Humidity; frequent rain
Portulaca Height: 4 in. to 8 in. Color: Red, magenta, pink, salmon, orange, yellow, white Notes: Easy to grow from seed; rooted cuttings will overwinter. Can't Tolerate: Humidity	Sanvitalia procumbens Height: 4 in. to 8 in. Color: Orange, yellow Notes: Performs in partial shade, but plant close together for fullness. Can't Tolerate: Poor drainage
Tagetes (marigold) Height: 6 in. to 4 ft. Color: Maroon, orange, yellow, cream Notes: Easy to start from seed. Deadhead for continuous bloom. Can't Tolerate: Rich soil	Thymophylla tenuiloba or Dyssodia tenuiloba Height: 4 in. to 8 in. Color: Yellow Notes: Short-lived, but reseeds. Can't Tolerate: Poor drainage
Tithonia rotundifolia Height: 30 in. to 8 ft., varies with cultivar Color: Orange, yellow Notes: Shrublike. Deadhead for continuous bloom. Can't Tolerate: Rain; rich soil	Verbena peruviana Height: 3 in. to 6 in. Color: Red, pink, white Notes: Good as groundcover and on slopes; performs in partial shade. Can't Tolerate: Wet soil
Verbena tenuisecta Height: 8 in. to 12 in. Color: Pink, lavender, purple, white Notes: Shear plants to 2 in. tall if they become leggy. Can't Tolerate: Poor drainage	Zinnia elegans Height: 4 in. to 4 ft., varies with cultivar Color: All colors except blue Notes: Easy to grow from seed. Deadhead for continuous bloom. Can't Tolerate: Wet soil; poor air circulation