Flowers for Small Containers in a Hot, Sunny Location?

I thought the Florida forum might be a good place to ask this question. We have a block wall we put up last year behind five or six small fig trees in our vegetable garden, and there is a cut-out on either side, at the top, for a flower pot. We tried geraniums, Victoria blue salvia, marigolds and trailing lobelia last summer, but it was too hot up there for them and they didn't do well.

The pots are self-watering, so they didn't dry out - they just baked. Any ideas about what would work better in that location?

Moss rose; Portulaca grandiflora, You can get it with all sorts of flowers and just purchased 2 with the largest flowers I have ever seen on Portulaca.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=Moss+rose&Search=Search+PlantFiles

Spider Plant, Airplane Plant, Chlorophytum http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/104765/

Those are the first two that come to mind. Ornamental Sweet Potato may be another good one with the self watering pot.
Sidney

I'm looking for something with lots of color that will be visible from a distance and make an impact. The wall is on the other side of the garden so it would have to be rather showy. I'm not sure Moss rose would fill the bill although it's very pretty!

I'm garden hoping tomorrow. I'll keep this in mind. Maybe Wave petunias!
Sidney

That might work. Let me know if you come up with any other ideas! And thanks!

How about cannas? If they get consistent water, they can take a lot of heat and sun. There's a variety of foliage colors and the flowers are usually pretty vibrant.

Amaryllis, thanks, but I'm looking for something lower, since the planter is already high up on a wall. The mixture I used last summer would have been perfect if the flowers hadn't baked!

Lantana

Thanks, Islandgirl. I hadn't thought of that! So far the geraniums are holding their own but the salvia's not too happy, nor is the lobelia. Marigolds are okay. Lantana might give me that splash of color, though.

sedums just don't over water.

Jan

Thanks, Jan!

there are many that have great texture and flowers in their bloom time. Very easy to maintain.

Jan

Meadowyck, are you talking about sedums or lantana?

sedums, great texture in them as well as flowers, even though the blooms are very small.

Jan

sorry the pictures are so small when trying to find them to up load.

here is one of mine and no I don't remember the name, but ones like this and they will grow even hanging down, can't find that one. I grew it in a strawberry containers and it covered the hole container to where you couldn't see it. They like it hot.

Jan

I think I need something showier than that. The wall is behind my garden; you can barely see one of the pots on the right side, and another is sitting on the bistro table on the patio. I need to take some better photos of the wall and the pots! Anyway, the flowers have to be fairly large and colorful or they'll get lost.

I've had good luck with Hibiscus. Although they are a larger plant, they could be kept potted with ample water in your type of pots.
It has showy blooms that can take the heat, I like the Hibiscus. They can be kept smaller when potted and with fertilizer, offer pretty bloom throughout the summer. They can also be overwintered for the next summer.

yep now seeing your wall, my suggestions would be lost.

beautiful area.

Jan

Podster, hibiscus is very showy but maybe too much so? It's definitely a thought. I was trying for a French potager look, which is why I went with geraniums which are so popular there.

I love the brilliant primary color of red geraniums but they don't love our heat.
It took many geranium funerals for me to learn that.
Guess that is why I like the showy blooms of Hibiscus... sorry. Perhaps too tropical.

I love hibiscus, too; people do have them around here. To me they look too tropical and exotic for the Pinelands so I don't grow them, although I think they're beautiful.

You and me and geraniums....

what about the million bells, although don't know if the heat would kill them???

Jan

Okay, I don't know them. I'll have to look them up!

Also Crown of Thorns. The only way you can kill them is too much water. They can take extreme heat and sun.