Answers: Part 3

Stacy, as for your plants not growing I am going to guess that it is probably not the type of plant but a sun, water, fertilizer, or soil problem. Obviously I don't know the conditions, but if you have a clay soil it will hold water (and fertilizer) for longer and not need to be watered (and fertilized) as often, if it is a sandy soil it will need to be watered (and fertilizer) more often.

The side of the house you plant on will help you know the amount of sun your plants are getting. The north side is the shady side, the south and east are sunny, and the west is mostly sun with some shade. Other trees and the overhang of your house will also determine the amount of sun the plants get.

Annuals vs. Perennials
One of the major advantages of perennials is that you don't have to buy them year after year (because they come back) and if you have a friend or family member dividing theirs you can get a lot for free.. Most perennials need to be cut back every year and occasionally divided when they get too big. The disadvantage of perennials is that they don't flower all year long. So if you are going all perennial it is important to know what part of the summer they bloom (spring, early summer, late summer)and plant a good variety of plants so you will have color all summer.

Annuals do bloom all summer, but you have to buy them year ofter year.

Deadheading will help annuals and perennials continue to bloom for longer. Deadheading is removing the dead blossoms so the plant will send up new flowers. When removing the flowers it is important to remove the stems the flower are on too. So on a geranium you follow the flower stem down to where it connects to the plant and then snap it off right there.


Favorite Perennials
This is hard because I like most perennials. It would have been easier to list the ones I don't like :) 

delphinium
painted daisies
hostas
ostrich ferns
penstemon
liatrus
black-eyed susans
purple coneflower
campanula
asiatic lilies
irises
bleeding hearts
ornamental grasses
peony
lupine
clematis

How's that for a start. My advice is to plant what you like. My grandma had a huge iris garden so I love them because of her--but they need to be divided quite often. Bleeding hearts remind me of my great grandma because she had one growing by her front doors.