Annuals are notably not tolerant of jugulone....
I would be growing a perennial garden under that tree if I were you. Things like day lily, astilbe, siberial iris, comeflower and many more would all be tolerant of your conditions.
And the beauty of perennials is they increase in size every year, even thopugh they don't bloom all season.
Linda C

Zinnias are pretty "idiot-proof". Just plant seeds in the ground and they should come up and flower by late summer.

Cosmos are easy in a fairly sunny spot, too, but I'd be worried re: the Walnut tree. It sounds like a tough spot! I think I've heard liriope (lilyturf) is another perennial that doesn't mind close proximity to a black walnut tree, but I;ve heard it's tough to get anything to thrive in those conditions. Isn't it a toxin that the walnut secretes through dropped leaves, to poison any light/water competition? They're like the assassins of trees. I think I remember reading a cool article about that but I can't find it now.
Lexi

I just came across this post and I highly recommend (make that highly with a capital "H"..lol) going to the wintersowing forum. You can grow TONS of annuals outdoors in containers and have all the flowers you want (and try some new ones) for so much less than buying them. Try it, you'll like it... Carrie

Lindac, the weirdest thing is that for everyone I run into who worries about the effect of the junglone from the tree roots, there's someone else who shrugs and says that it's a big bunch of hype. I've even heard that periodic amendments of the beds where you're planting will deal well with the problem for all but the most sensitive plants. I was actually thinking that the bigger stumbling block for me would be the wind and the absence of any full sun in the yard. Go figure. Yeah, I love my perennials, but nothing beats annuals for camoflaguing the bulbs as they wither away after spring is over.

Anyway, if there are any black walnut owners who fancy pretty annuals here, I can personally vouch for the love-in-a-mist and candytuft doing great right at the tree's dripline. If anything, they are bigger and stronger there than elsewhere in the yard. I think the tree is providing them some wind protection that they don't get elsewhere.

Flowersand... yeah, I need to look for some of those single marigolds next year. If I get those to bloom when the neon pink fall crocus I have my eye on show up, I could have the most garish lawn on the block. :p

Spy ri, do you think that cosmos would grow in an area where they got periodic, rather than full sun during the day ? I agree that they are beautiful flowers. I see them all over town in those "canned meadow" combos that a lot of people use.

carrie630, (and everyone) thanks for the tips !!

I hear that if you are good about cleaning fallen stuff....and add well composted "stuff" back into the soil it will help neutralize the toxins produced by the walnut.
I do know that when I was much younger and much less smart...;-) A friend asked me why she couldn't ever seem to grow anything in her garden spot. For several years I counseled her on water and compost...but there was a walnut near and tomatoes just wouldn't grow and died about August.
A neighbor has a culster of weed trees in a section of the back yard! ( yes! I know!...not the best neighbors by a long shot!) and in the past 20 years or so I have watched one squirrel planted walnut grow bigger and one by one other trees die.....and the ditch lilies and the burdock spread. There are 3 dead trees down there right now.
I also know where they are growing in the countrysides....you never see a big walnut in a grove of other trees, but rather in a grove of other walnuts or standing alone in a field.
Linda C

Ms Xeno, I've grown cosmos in a bunch of spots, because i love it so much. It goes great in full sun, but I've had sonata mix in containers on a deck under a vast maple and they did great there. Sonata mix also stays shorter than others- Sensation gets so tall it's vulnerable to wind, but Sonata stays about 24".

Try this Dahlberg Daisy.

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Try vinca. It tolerates some shade, isn't too fussy about dry conditions. Its a rugged grower and makes lots of pretty flowers all summer long. Plus it's cheap and comes in lots of colors. Avoid the large flowered hybrids tho, because they are bred strickly for the flower and loses it's vigor in more challenging situations.

Though there are some allelopathic properties in the litter fall and rain run-off from Black Walnut (and other trees within the same genus), it is the exudate from the roots that is the primary juglone producer. And believe me, tree root systems grow faaaaar outside the drip-line!

It's worth doing a wee bit of research before you invest time and money on planting. There is a TON of information on the internet. I suggest using 'juglone sensitivity' or similar for your search words. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Lookie here..........this information will get you started.