Sunflowers

We don't commonly have rain gutters in Miami.  Mostly we just let the rain fall.  We can take it and nothing can kill a crab grass lawn anyway. Tropical plants like water or they wouldn't live here.  Many houses have barrel tile on the roof.  It does not lend itself to a gutter.  Many of the older houses (old is used loosely since there isn't much here that is old really) have flat roofs since we don't have to worry about the weight of a snow fall.
But I have a flower bed that the rain slides off the mostly flat roof and directly in the bed. This was okay for the bushes that were originally planted there. It has often provided a great collection spot for a rain barrel. But the bushes were a haven to one of the many species of insects we have gotten to know too well. They had a fungus of some sort, common in our humid climate and they just looked ugly.
As I tear them out I'm experimenting with what edible plants will be able to with stand the down pour that will slide off the roof on them. First try, sunflowers (purchased from ECHOnet.org.) So far they are loving it! They germinated within 3 days (I'm not kidding.) They're about a foot high and they've been taking the rain as often as God wants to send it.  I'm excited because this bed is directly below a large window. Sunflowers will be nice to see.

Check out ECHO. Located in Ft. Myers, ECHO is on a mission to eliminate hunger, in all types of climates, through a seed bank, education, experimenting, conferences and general exchange of knowledge.  If you can make it there, take their 'world farm' tour and see the exhibition gardens. You'll be impressed and inspired. You can support them through donations, purchases from the seed/book/supply store and nursery.