Victims of what?

Overwatering or underwatering? It's hard to know since everything else around them is doing ok.

We just had a good rain on the 4th and a some the day before too so I find it hard to be underwatering.

This cornflower has looked pretty crummy for a while but if I deadhead it it starts blooming again so I can't bring myself to cut it down, yet. It will have to go soon but I would love advice for the future.

Try to refrain from gasping or laughing! It really looks worse in this pic.

These Gloriosa Daisies came up from some seeds. They have been one of my favorites and in just the last week or so they've just about pooped out on me. HELP! I LOVE them! :(

I don't know if there's any chance of saving these but I HAVE to learn how to keep them growing all year. I've already thrown out more seeds but no telling if I'll get any this year. boohoo

I beleive it is the heat Paige, some plants can take it better than others. Even plants of the same type will behave different, just like people, some are able to take stress and some are not. I would cut back the Cornflower, the other one may survive with extra water.

Thanks Josephine! It's actually not been as hot as usual (to me at least) so I just assume my plants feel that way too.

You really think I should cut back that cornflower? ;) LOL I looked at it out my window after I posted this pic and realized it DID look that bad.

It's not your fault. I had my first summer victims last week, and it rained three days. Some zinnias in a planter suddenly wilted and dried out Thursday/Friday. It rained Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and its been under 100 so I didn't water them until Saturday. They looked dried up and woody, so I cut them down. I have zinnias in a sunnier spot in two other planters that continue to thrive. The only explanations I have are variable drainage/soil quality, variable establishment, or variable genetics. Sometimes its survival of the fittest for these plants over the summer. Even drought tolerant plants such as cornflowers and zinnias have a rough time.

Thanks, just hearing "it's not your fault" is great for a gardener's ego! :)

I'm agreeing with frost and collin. Big time. When it's this hot for this long, some of them just can't take it -- even those that grow well in heat. I've had a yard now for about six weeks, and the herbs I had in pots on the patio before, are back on the patio here. The sun just beats the life out of them, and even extra water doesn't seem to help. :( But autumn will get here eventually... maybe December...

cornflowers never make it thru the heat for me--look great in early spring so I just replace them with later annuals. And that's every year--they are also not great fans of our summer humidity either.

I just remembered yesterday that I had one lone cornflower in my front bed that died a long time ago so that led me to believe they just didn't like the heat. Glad to know that is the case but I would like them to last longer! Even some of my Larkspurs have lasted longer and I've read they really don't like our heat and humidity. Hope I didn't jinx them. lol

I don't blame you for wanting them to last longer--some of the things we over winter in Texas are actually some of my favorite flowers like sweet peas, snaps, stocks, poppies, bachelor's buttons, larkspur, etc.

You "over winter"? Like keep in a greenhouse? As much as I don't like starting things from seed, there are some things that I am going to have to start early, or possibly "over winter", for them to have time to bloom.

Boy, this thread makes me feel better. My poor Carolina Jasmine looks so wiltly and droopy despite how much water it's had. One of my lavender plants is burning up but 2 others are fine. My shasta daisy may not make it either. I was getting really sad and thinking I had done something very wrong. I want June temps back...my garden looked so much better then!! (pouts and stomps feet)

By over winter I mean start from seed in Oct--plant and they grow over the winter in ground or pots. None of the ones I listed, except maybe sweet peas, will freeze to death. I just put a floating row cover cloth on them--if I think about it or hear its going to freeze. I'm out on west side of Houston, north of I10 and it freezes every winter here...several times usually.