Did you plant them deep enough??? Verses the instructions??? When you see them starting to come up put a bloom booster plant food on them. I use Miracle Grow Bloom Booster. In fall give them a time released plant food. Bulbs are pretty resilient. Unless you have grubs or did not plant them deep enough to survive the cold. Cover them with mulch in the fall to give them a "blanket", of sorts against the cold. What is your soil like??? Even though bulbs will grow in the worst soil with virtually NO CARE..To get the best results you need to feed them. Have you dug up the bulbs and looked at them?? Are the bulbs in tact, or gone, or rotten??? Are there any bugs in the soil??? A time released insect killer is a good idea also. I think you should plant perennials instead of annuals..Day lily or Hosta depending on the sun exposure. Day lily is better because they root near the surface..Do day lilies survive winter up there??? If you must have lots of flowers, all summer Black Eyed Susan can work also.

Do you have a photo of the house from the front showing the whole property that you can post? Also one looking down from a second story window would help give an idea of the amount of room. We need some idea of the size space, where windows are compared to the spaces, etc. Are you only looking for shrubs or would you also be interested in large perennials, vines or small trees if appropriate? Are you willing to prune, or do you want plants that will control their own size? You said that it faces SW. Is it in blazing sun all day or are there times that due to other buildings or trees that you have shade in some or all of the area? Thanks.

Interesting.... I have azaleas in full western sun and they do great. Maybe yours need an adjustment time and perhaps a bit more water. I've found that I can mulch azaleas with grass clippings to encourage good leaf growth. As for possible plantings, you could go with some hydrangeas. The Tardiva hydrangea has white blooms in August. The classic blue hydrangea would also be lovely. They have some size to them so you would have to make the flower bed a bit wider. A little less mainstream would be a nice lorapetalum with dark burgundy leaves. I have two, one with hot pink blooms and one with red blooms. I like dark leaved plants. More traditional would be the knockout roses. You could go with the pink to complement the brick. Good luck with your plantings.

Southwest..I would think yellow would affect your color choice. By yellow, I mean the the impact of the sunlight. Try B.M. Gull Wing Gray or any gray on that strip. It has a blue undertone which will cool things down and stay true. Chantilly Lace is a good white as a coordinate. As for your two considerations. I am going to say no to them, as each has a bronzy undertone which will change drastically once on the exterior.