Hi Didz! Welcome back, and congratulations on completing your construction project!

I am wondering how big your garden beds are, and if there are any shrubs in place? This is only my second year to WS, so I am sure there will be plenty of folks with better advice, but you got me to thinking about what are the "staples" of the garden. Of course that depends on your zone, and how much sun/shade, and moisture you are dealing with. I am in a high desert climate on the edge between zone 4 and 5, and in my location, I count on the continuous blooms of Coreopsis, Gaillardia, and Achillea (Yarrow) in my garden. I WS Shasta Daisies last year, though they didn't bloom, I think they will become a "staple" too. The other thing I have several of is sedums, both tall ones and ground cover types. Heucheras would be a staple, if I could get them to survive, LOL. Mums are a must for me in the fall, but you could get that fall color with Rudbeckias, or Helenium. This list is by no means complete, but these are the "must haves" that come to mind. I'll be interested to see what others rely on to anchor their gardens.

Best wishes on your garage warming party, and your new garden.

Bonnie

Nice to here from you again Didz! Sounds like you're going to have fun with such a carte blanche.

One of my favourites has to be Buddleia (Butterfly Bush). It grows to a fair size and can even bloom in it's first season (50% of mine do) and in the second season it gets to a full size with lots of blooms. Not a perennial that wants to wait to show off.

Columbines for those dappled shade places. The foliage stays nice all season and some flowers are awesome!

Any member of the Lynchnis family. Strong, colourful, and long blooming plants.

Rudbeckias/Black-Eyed Susans. No garden should be without their bright faces and constant blooms.

Foxgloves/Digitalis. I find the foliage as nice as the flowers sometimes. These are stately in the semi-shade garden.

There's so many more, but I find these are the ones which will tease you in the first year and give you gratification in the second year.

If you need something, check-out my exchange list - you're in Ontario? Send me an e-mail if anything tickles your fancy!

Nicole.

Unfortunately the flowers previously listed most likely won't give you flowers by this June.

for flowers this summer: (these have been successful for me)
red poppies
snapdragons
lobelia
jacobs ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum)
baby's breath
virginia stock
flowering tobacco

I've fallen in love with zinnias and plan to spring sow as many varieties as I can find. Mine started blooming this year in late May and kept up the show through November, especially the California Giants. We're in very different zones, so your milage may vary, as they say.

You're likely a bit warmer than I am in Ontario, but depending on how close you are to the lakes, your spring may be later than mine. We get a true prairie spring here, and our lilacs, crabs and magnolias bloom weeks earlier than my families' who are all in close proximity (20 mi or less) from Lake Michigan. Our lilacs are out the first-second week of May, if that gives you any reference. That said, all of these wintersowed beauties bloom for me by the end of June - your mileage may vary:

- any and all annual poppies - shirley, breadseed, somniferum, corn, but perhaps not California - those are often a little bit later for me
- bachelors' buttons
- annual gypsophila
- calendula - bloom early and crazy
- tidy tips
- nasturtiums

If you would prefer to limit wintersowing to the backbone of your gardens and fill in early summer with purchased annuals, then I would suggest the following as good "bones" plants that are readily wintersowed in my experience.

Shrubs/small trees:
magnolias
bayberry
sambucus
clematis (often will take warm-cold-warm or may take two winters)
all dogwoods
redbud
shrub roses

Perennials:
candylily - tall, elegant foliage with neat flowers and seedpods
siberian iris - always looks great whether it's in bloom or not
Joe Pye Weed- 5-7' tall and a huge monarch butterfly magnet in my yard
Ornamental grasses - many varieties ws great, and it's so much cheaper than buying pots
Echinacea - you already mentioned this, but this is a fantastic addition to any garden and the goldfinches absolutely adore the seedheads
Rudbeckia - I like goldsturm and 'Indian Summer', which all though it doesn't stick around long is something more than an annual in my garden
Agastache - I haven't met one I don't like and it's wonderful for honeybees
Rose campion - bright magenta flowers, gray-green fuzzy foliage, i love these

Clarkia is a no-fail winter sower that blooms early and looks beautiful in HOS clumps.

Martha