Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: Low Maintenance planter, 3 by Pistil

Pistil wrote:
Hi superpickle-
You live fairly close to me.
I have found several Annual flowers (annuals are plants that only live one year) that do well in my planters without deadheading, in a sunny spot:

Calibrachoa-there are many varieties, many colors. All do well. You can't go wrong!
Salvia 'Blue Victoria'-others I have tried are not good.
Nasturtiums- If they get overgrown or get aphids, whack them off and they will come back!
Scaevola-both varieties I tried do fine.
Petunia 'Tidal Wave' one plant will be like a shrub!
Petunia 'Blue Daddy' is low growing, weaves around other things.
Petunia 'Prism Sunshine" the same.
Some other petunias have more ugly dying blossoms, but these three I find acceptable. If they seem scraggly cut them back just once, midsummer and they will return all bushy again.
Lotus vine (aka Parrot's Beak) has lush growth, does not usually bloom well unless hot summer. colors available range from yellow to red. I love the foliage.

If you have a big sunny pot for a permanent shrub, get a Cestrum 'Orange Peel'. Blooms nonstop, I leave it out all year now.

Snapdragons do well, but look scraggly and need deadheading. They overwinter here many years.
Osteospermums don't bloom well for me, and need deadheading.
Lantana same.
Bidens same.
Heliotrope same.
Begonias need deadheading.