Of course,lobelias, portulacas, and many others are in this size group.Lobelias take a surprising amount of sun,as long as moisture is present. Portulacas are brightly colorful and look best in a large multi-colored group. Good looking both at close range and afar. Allyssum's fine lace trim is well known, and grows easily from seed.

Next, still small, but with more presence, are the dwarf snapdragons, vinca, impatiens, annual dianthus, and verbenas. The Peaches and Cream verbena is softly colored, mixing better than many of the other colors. I am dependent on the snapdragon for color that takes the Midwest summers without flinching. I always plant petunias, too. -Except for whites which were ruined for me when someone remarked that they look like so many wet Kleenexes. They do.

More of my favorite annuals:

Small Choices

Nasturtiums

The Cherry Rose and Alaska varieties are especially fine. The plants themselves, may take a large space, but it depends on the variety and growing conditions. " Alaska's " splotched leaves are showy and make an attractive addition to an herb garden. Some varieties have a lovely fragrance ,too. Yes, they are also aphid magnets, but without real harm to their appearance.

Candytuft

Iberis Umbellata. Here is quick color in pastel violets, white, and pink. They are easy and showy, but, alas, short-term in lifespan. Resowing can produce more.

Godetia

Satinflower, their common description, gives you an idea of the garden effect. I've only tried these in a border situation and haven't grown them in a long time, but it's time to include them in the dooryard garden this year. Easy to grow.

Pansies

of course! There are so many varieties, the Antique strain and types with "faces" are my favorites. Pansies will reseed themselves, unless (like I did) you mulch around them. The mulch discourages them to extinction~ and I thought I was doing them a favor at the time.

Verbena

I love these, but except for the Peaches and Cream variety, I find them difficult to integrate into a garden. They are most compatible with petunias, annual dianthus, or on their own in mixed colors. If you let them dry out, they recover, but look spotty and they need dead heading through the season.

Arctotis and Osteospermum

I put these together because when I grew these daisies they looked very similar and not as good as I hoped. I sowed both in the garden, and, to be fair, a friend who grew Osteospermum from nursery plants had a wonderful result. That's why they are listed- the combo of the daisy flower, interesting foliage and carpet growth looked good all summer in her garden. Worth trying, but start the plants early or buy them. Update on this: I am using osteospermum 'Lemon' in a container for season 2000. It has a beautiful lavender eye that is matched with a veined plummy petunia(looks like 'Sugar Daddy').

Salvias

splendens in vivid red for where you want unmistakable color; like tulips, these are best in groups. Last year I tried the burgundy wine color and it was excellent.

farinacea -why anyone bothers with the whites is beyond me, but the blue 'Victoria' is a staple (and it has sometimes wintered over,and sometimes reseeded, although you can't count on it). Blooms dependably and has healthy blue spikes in a small bushy plant.Dries very nicely if you pick it soon enough.

Calendulas

these are what the English refer to when citing the name marigold. They have some excellent qualities (the English do, too, but I'm referring to the calendulas), one of which is a bloomtime long into late fall. I recommend buying the hybridized seeds for truly beautiful flowers in some marvelous colors. Once they reseed, the flowers are smaller, not as double, and revert to bright orange and yellow, only. The sublime apricots and creams are lost.

Baby's Breath

Gypsophilia elegans 'Covent Garden' is easy to sow and grow. It makes a nice companion to most any flower- with petunias it's a country bouquet.

Eustoma

or Lisianthus, was a new one for me last year. The flowers are gorgeous. Heidi Rose Pink was lovely. I didn't grow it to perfection, but it still gave me pleasure. They seem to need consistent moisture, even though the catalogs say otherwise. I bought a few expensive nursery plants, and believe this is one plant worthwhile starting yourself.