cool summers, 1/2 day of sun - can i grow sun lovers?

Has anyone living in the Pacific NW (or a similar cool summer area) with only afternoon sun had any luck growing sun-loving annuals like amaranth, zinnias, morning glories, etc.? So far I haven't had much luck with these kind of plants. I'd love to hear of anyone's successes in these circumstances. If it's possible for me to grow these kind of annuals successfully, I'll give it another try. If not, it's time for me to rethink my plans and change yet another bed over to plants that can handle afternoon sun only. (Most of my garden beds feature plants that actually do well here, but I would dearly love to grow some of my old favorites like those I grew up with in southern cal!)

Thanks for your advice and ideas,
Terri

If you have four or five hours of direct sun in the afternoon you should be able to grow most of these plants. Also I recommend that you water only in the morning so that the leaves of the plants can dry off before sunset . This watering practice will help prevent mildew from forming on the zinnias. It will also ward of diseases from developing on plants in general. You should know that amaranthus does particularly well in the hottest regions of the USA. I would use some of the newer types of coleus instead of the amaranthus. There are some really gorgeous cultivars . For example "Tilt a Whirl".

We're in the Oakland hills, SF Bay Area, and I know what you mean about having difficulty with those warm weather annuals. You really need to give them a full southern exposure, preferably sheltered by the house or a wall, with direct sun by at least noon to take that damp morning chill off, and very bright shade when there's no direct sun passing over.

You'll need mildew resistant zinnias and marigolds. Morning glories seem to be tough to keep going the first couple of years but once established will take off on you, so keep trying various kinds to see what you can succeed with.

Amaranth really needs warmth, reflected heat off pavement is right up its alley. It won't make it on only a half-day of coastal sun.

I'm trying milk on my powdery mildew prone plants- 1/2 c per gallon of water. I've read on several organic sites/forums that this works well. They say stronger is not better. It's pretty cheap to do, and it can't hurt.

Try Grandpa Otts morning glories. If you can put them where they have air on both sides rather than on a wall, that will help them to dry out. They are pretty forgiving. The smaller varieties of zinna may work better for you. They do not take as long to flower. When I was staying in Eureka last summer, the hotel over looked a nursery that looked pretty promising. Couldn't tell you the name though.

I have your climate here in the mtns. of NC. It's rainy here and quite cool all summer. I also have too much shade. Some things will surprised, like pansies which c an handle less than full sun all day and also petunias. Many bulbs will do fine, too. My lilies get only about 3 or 4 hours of sun a day...

Thanks for all your suggestions. I did try small zinnias and coleus, and they're doing okay so far (although it's still early days). Decided not to even try the amaranth; if I lived a mile or so further inland I'd chance it but I think it's a lost cause here. In the past I haven't been very good about watering in the morning instead of in the late afternoon, but I know I'd have better results if I would do this task in the a.m. (And I'll try the milk in case I get powdery mildew.) I'll also use the tip about trying lots of different morning glory types (including Grandpa Otts) until I find one that will "take." There's nothing like morning glories to give a homey, happy feeling to the garden, so I'll keep trying until I get those little suckers to grow. Surprisingly (at least to me), I can grow penstamon, gaura, lavender and other plants that I'd expect to like either more warmth or less acidity. It never hurts to try a plant out, does it? Thanks again to everyone who replied!