I have a spot where I pulled out a few old dying bushes and I want to plant some annuals in that area this year. Years ago I used to plant impatiens for my grandmother. Last few years I heard that there were problems with that flower. Are they ok now? Are they available? Any other suggestions for some colorful flowers to plant in a 6 x 1 foot strip next to the house?
I like zinnias.
The answer to that question is going to vary enormously depending on where you are, how shady the spot is, why the old bushes were dying (dry? wet? acid?). More info, please.
Impatiens are still, apparently, having problems with downy mildew–at least in some areas. Is your site full sun, partial sun, or full shade? If full sun, impatiens wouldn’t be the right choice anyway. With full sun or partial sun you can plant New Guinea impatiens, which don’t have the downy mildew problem and look quite a bit like regular shade-loving impatiens, but with showier leaves… But they definitely need more sun than regular impatiens. If the area is shady, then you might try begonias or (my favorite) torinia.
Is it sunny or in the shade? If 6x1, it sounds like it will be one row of planting. What is the house like next to the bed?
The area is full sun and it is between the cement house foundation and driveway. We are in suburban Chicago.
The old bushes were boxwoods and just overgrown. We hadn’t keep up with trimming for a few years and they were encroaching on the driveway. When we went to trim them back, the middles were all just branches, no leaves. The leaves on the outside looked really great. I think it was our lack of upkeep that caused the problem.
We cut them down real low and want to plant flowers around them. There are some small suckers coming out that we left in tact. Maybe they will grow back next year. If not, we will just dig them completely out next year and look for something longer lasting than annual flowers.
We have lots of green around, low maintenance arborvitaes, peonies, rhododendrums which are all doing well. That is why I am looking for something colorful, low maintenance and short term.
Marigolds and blue ageratum? Some people like the fiery red salvia.
One of my favorite summer flowers is blue salvia (salvia farinacea). Not every place has the plants. You have to go to a good garden center.
^The mix of yellow and purple sounds lovely. If you need something taller than marigolds, I had a great success with margurite daisy last year. It was blooming from late May until December under the snow. How tall would you like your plants to be? Is it easy to water or do you need them to be drought tolerant?
Do you like mandevilla flowers? They are originally a climbing vine but cultivators came up with non-vine type. Not cheap tho.
I think something sturdy and not really thirsty will be easiest, since the area is rather narrow and between a foundation and drive. I like two colors that really contrast and pop out. You are in Chicago–this is not a long term commitment–only May to Sept! Vinca are a nice alternative to impatiens. Very colorful and bright, a little more difficult to get going, but then amazingly sturdy, likes heat, and drought tolerant. Wave petunias could also add a lot of color. Zinnias are prone to mildew in zone 5.
Impatients have been back on the gardening shelves here in Ohio. Not sure about this year.
How about geraniums and alyssum? I love to do pink geraniums and then stagger white and purple alyssum. Geraniums are pretty hardy too - a little forgiving if you occasionally forget to water and here in Ohio I can count on them lasting into October.
If full sun, and you want color all season long, annuals are what you need. Just go to a garden center and look at the variety, look on the tag for full sun. The New Guinea impatiens are very bright and colorful, do well in sun. You don’t want the standard shade loving impatiens regardless. Moss roses are drought tolerant, and colorful. If you want taller, snapdragons mixed with alyssum would work.
There are new annual hybrids that on the market these days, that come in slightly larger pots. The wave petunias are one of these varieties. Know that they do need regular watering and some fertilizer periodically to look their best.
The old Wallernia impatiens, great for shade had problems and disappeared from stores. There are sun impatiens available now in Florida (moved to FL almost 4 years ago).
So many summer annuals available for your climate- check out your local gardening centers/nurseries et al. Zinnias, marigolds, petunias, salvia, snapdragons… I miss the summers up north- crazy FL has different seasons for some flowers. Consider removing those bushes now and adding perennials. You can do so much!
I just redid most of my back garden, using plants that attract butterflies. Instead of inpatients, i planted Pentas and different kinds of begonias. There are small bushes, like sweet almond, spike milk weed, …
Speaking of small bushes, I am into beauty berries at the moment. 6x1 is not a big plot, I am guessing 8-15 small plants at most. I agree with the suggestion to go to a garden center and pick out from what you see.
I love beauty berries. Unfortunately the two I planted last fall look like they didn’t make it through the winter. 
I’ve had good luck cutting hedges down to 18" or so. I wish we could do it with the one that separated us from our neighbors. But then I’d have to really look at their yard. Not to mention it is not my hedge, the property line runs right down the middle of it somewhere.
^Don’t give up on them yet. They are slow coming out in spring.
Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. I had never heard of a number of them like mandevilla, penta and beauty berries. Thanks to the internet I can see what they look like! I will make a list and head off the a garden center this weekend.
The house is a light gray sided, so I want to add punches of color. I really like yellow flowers but I don’t think that would do much for the siding. Might go with purples, reds, variegated whites, etc.
Depending on the shade of gray, lighter green leaves could do well, lavenders, russians sages… I have lavendars next to flgstone walkway. It looks good. Mixing it with yellow or pink could be lovely.
Coleus. It loves full sun and the leaves come in all kinds of colors.
I haven’t pulled them up yet. There’s no sign of any of my delphiniums either. But I think they come up later too, since I don’t think the front yard ones are out either. The weather has taken a turn for the chilly and damp, so I haven’t taken a close look in the last week.