[QUOTE=Beaucarnea]
If full sun: geraniums and/or marigolds. If shade: begonias and/or impatiens. The urns will still need water, but these are fairly sturdy annuals that will bloom for you all summer.
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Thanks. (Begonias are one of the few plants I recognize and like- I love the red stems.)
[QUOTE=Beaucarnea]
If shade: begonias and/or impatiens. The urns will still need water, but these are fairly sturdy annuals that will bloom for you all summer.
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I’ve also had much success with coleus in part shade/shade.
Sattua,
Where are you located? Perhaps I missed it, but, in more southern locales, you can plant perennials in fall, in fact, they are better planted then. If that’s your region, you can make a plan for an extensive fall planting, not just bulbs. Forgive me for not elaborating here, but, I’m a horticulturist by trade, and it’s spring, and I’m a bit worn around the edges right around now answering continual questions. Specific questions I can do, but, all these smart Dopers give great info here anyway.
And Do get Twickster’s magazine. It’s a wealth of information, well thought out and produced.
Sampiro, for the urns: if in full sun: Red Fountain Grass, subtended by trailing verbena, Powis castle artemesia, and, a colorful coleus. Shade: Japanese painted fern, a purple heuchera, begonia, and creeping raspberry trailing down. Feel free to contact me for more specifics; I owe ya for yer good tales.
[QUOTE=elelle]
And Do get Twickster’s magazine. It’s a wealth of information, well thought out and produced.
[/QUOTE]
blush Thanks! From you, especially (a woman who is equally knowledgable in gardening and magazines), this is humbling praise.
It’ll be central Illinois. Twicks, elelle, nudgenudge: about the pink daffodils? Because I could totally put that order in RIGHT NOW.
One other thing. Rodents like to eat the tulip bulbs, but they don’t touch the daffodils.
What’s the harm in planting a few, and seeing how they turn out?
[QUOTE=Sattua]
It’ll be central Illinois. Twicks, elelle, nudgenudge: about the pink daffodils? Because I could totally put that order in RIGHT NOW.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t know nothin’ 'bout no pink daffodils – but I’ve never heard anything about them being any different than regular ones in terms of maintaining color, etc.
Personally, I don’t care for them – if you’re agin yellow and orange, you could always go for a white daff like Mount Hood.
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]
What’s the harm in planting a few, and seeing how they turn out?
[/QUOTE]
Disappointment? Heartbreak? Disillusionment?
Oh yeah, I’m getting into gardening. I’d better develop a thick skin for all that 
Hoo, Sattua, you gave a question about the pink daffodils that got to me, even after a busy weekend of answering plant questions at work. I’d never heard of pink daffs being a problem, but who am I to say vs Mom’s experience.
I searched around. went to the American Daffodil Society page, and there were no murmurs there about difficult pink ones, so, if it were really a problem, the Daffodil geeks would have a whole seperate page on it, expounding on that fact.
But, there was a trace of disappointment with pinks on The Gardenweb Forums. That is an excellent site for gardening info, with myriad specialty forums, and an easygoing atmosphere.
Another good gardening resource that is close to your climatic zone is the Missouri Botanical Garden’s website. I pulled up that page on “Pink Charm” daffodil because of the name, doesn’t look too pink to me, though. Regardless, MoBot rates plants, and gives excellent cultivation info. It’s one of the five Hort sites I use most for research at a glance.
If you REALLY want to get the straightdope on pink daffs and their possible foibles, contact Brent and Becky’s Bulbs in VA. Their family has grown Daffs for generations (you’ll see they live on Daffodil Lane), and, they’ve written a book on them.I’ve read their catalog extensively, and don’t remember a sidebar on any problem with pink ones. But, you can get the nitty gritty there, I’d suppose, with a query.
OK, I’m more daffy with that knowledge after searching around… 
All Daffodils fade to a lighter shade as they age also. A week old one is way different from a two day old one.
Just a note here that in a mostly perennial garden, you’re missing out if you avoid plants with outstanding foliage for the sake of flowers.
Even the best=planned perennial beds/borders will have gaps between flowering periods (especially in the many cases where people plant mostly spring and early-summer-flowering plants). Good foliage provides color and interest for the entire growing season.
Here’s one foliage perennials listing.
Close enough spelling wise Jackimannii.