Rain is pounding on my house roof as I prepare a list of annuals that will tolerate and even thrive in a hot dry summer. My list includes portulaca, venidium or gazbera, abelmoschus, vinca, neimbergia and begonias.

Over half a century ago my grandmother and I cherished the low growing, almost succulent portulaca in the front edge of the flowerbed. Back then they would reseed in the garden and if we waited until the end of May we had free plants to transplant.

Today's newer hybrids reseed reluctantly but offer larger single or double flowers in whites, yellows, oranges, pinks and reds. Seed varieties are common and there is a large offering of vegetatively propagated plants that exhibit larger flowers.

Venidium has a jagged gray foliage and sports a flower like the gerbera daisy. A single plant will form a large clump and flower heavily. They have staying power past Thanksgiving as they are quite cold tolerant. The height seldom exceeds a foot.

One fault of both portulacas and venidium is that the flowers close as evening approaches.

Abelmoschus is reported to thrive in the potholes in a vacant paved parking lot. I haven't planted this little known member of the hibiscus family there but can attest to its toughness. Flower color is in the red ranges. It has a large oak shaped leaf. With patience you can get this one to reseed easily.

Vinca is a great hot weather plant with impatien like flowers for dry, sunny locations. Colors include white, pink, reds and purple. The plant is slightly smaller than the common impatien. It has good, deep green waxy leaves.

The problem with vinca is that is likes it hot and dry. Most of us have visited and deserted our plant sources before the soil is fit to plant vinca. As of now I still am nervous about how vinca will survive in our gardens until the hot weather arrives. This should be a late May addition.

Neimbergia is a rather short plant with small leaves and radient stems. It has an airy look and comes in blue and white. It, too, is quite cold tolerant and will survive the first frosts of fall.

For shade you can use begonias. There is a multitude of different forms and species of this waxy leaf plant. They can range from quite short to quite tall.

Hidden in the last paragraphs are some hints for anyone looking for plants that will tolerate dry conditions. They include gray leaves, waxy leaves, tiny leaves and succulent leaves. Those are generalizations that are true across the plant kingdom.

Many years ago I heard a crop farmer, who I respected greatly, state that the best years were the ones when rainfall was adequate or a bit short. Watching my ornamental landscape unfold this spring I can't help but think that the same is true in the flower garden.

I should have quit with the last paragraph but will repeat one of my common themes. Your flower plants will be happiest if your garden hose gets lots of vacation time.