I was actually just doing a walk around with my new landscape designer, and I was showing him the various burnt up annuals that I planted, and he mentioned that annuals are really a challenge here in general. Could do fine, but he said that some years this area experience occasional frosts throughout the summer, so that sensitive plantings will look awful all summer long - get burned, recover, get burned. He's pushing for all native plantings which makes sense. They can take a this "on and off" growing season without any problems.