I just sent you an email. I looked at your want list and did not see any there, I do notice you want peonies. You have reached the right person. Send me an email and I can send pictures of which ones I am diving. flowersbytheriver2@comcast.net This post was edited by illinoisdoglover on Fri, Jun 14, 13 at 22:29

They like average moisture with good drainage, mine just had way too much with that drain keeping the soil too wet but I'd planted it there because it was a moist spot and I'd read they like that. They also do well in partial sun. I sowed mine --warm temps in cups with plastic bags on top to keep moist-- in winter in a sunny window but you can sow in spring, they come up in about 10 days or so. Now that you brought it up, I decided sow some more to plant in some spots that get sun for only a few hours and see how they do. mxk3, first year with no blooms is fairly typical for perennials. By the end of the first year you should have a nice sized plants with good root systems though. I imagine keeping them a bit on the dry side in winter further north would be good so make sure it has good drainage. We had thick ice one year and I lost one to rot on the north side of the house.

UPDATE: I put two of these in my garden in May. I like them very much. They have performed as advertised i.e. compact and shorter than "Goldstrum" but still very floriferous. As well I have had no blackspot or any other leaf issues that I often experienced with "Goldsturm". Here is a picture of one of my LG taken this morning. It is now 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet. I am hoping that is doesnt get much bigger.

I really enjoy the tall helianthus and rudbeckia. eg. Henry Eilers, Happy Days, Sunshine Daydream. Lemon Queen etc Today while I was out I made an impulse buy of rudbeckia laciniata "Goldquelle" of which I do not think I have seen in a garden. The specimen I bought was almost 3 feet in height (but given the small pot it was spindly) I would love to hear of your experience with this particular rudbeckia.