Yes. #s 2 & 3 are Mtn Bluet for sure. I think you'll love the MB.

I can't remember what the catananche looked like, but if you know you switched the tags, then yep, the other one's it :D

I don't KNOW that I switched my tags, but someone pointed out to me that what I thought was cupid's dart, isn't. Since these two were planted out the same day, I imagine this is what I did. I planted some in the same area too.

We got the bluet in the store last week. It sold out in 2 days. Beautiful blooms. The buds remind me of nigella. Can't wait to see those blue flowers though. Had no idea they would bloom first year from seed.

I've got some hollyhocks that are starting to stalk too. And Shasta Daisies. I thought they needed two years? Does wintersowing remove that for some plants? Is it possible that my January planted hollyhocks will bloom this year?

I don't think that the method of growing would necessarily have anything to do with whether they bloom first year or not. I think it has everything to do with the variety, HOWEVER, those varieties that DO say they are FYF it may very well depend on method- inside or WS.

HHs: I have Summer Carnival Red, Majorette and Queeny Mix, as well as Fiesta. I know that the descriptions for M, Q, and F said first year flowering if started early enough, but I don't know if they meant indoor (ie: artificially warm temps which would create a longer growing season), or if they meant that for WSing. We'll see. I tend to think that the world of seed sowing as a whole (Joe Sower, I'll call it) still sees indoor propagation as the 'only' way, and that packet directions are always referencing indoor or "after frost" methods.
Same on the shastas- variety would determine if they were FYF, but I can't say that WSing would be their determination of "if sown early enough."

We're mold-cutters around here. I don't think this WSing thing will 'catch on' as far as whether we ever get back-of-packet-space or not :(

The shastas were purchased from Park Seed. I bought them, mixed them all together from their collection, and wintersowed in the same containers. I'm guessing some could bloom the first year.

The hollyhocks were all from trade though I do seem to recall a Carnival series in there somewhere. None of my HHs came back from last year. Too wet I think. I planted my new ones in drier areas of the bed.

Shastas will bloom the first year when w/s. If you wait to spring sow, they won't. The plants do remain pretty small till the second year.

Thanks Nancy. I spring sowed some last year and got only one plant that I divided all summer and winter. I now have at least a dozen nice sized plants with stalks forming. No buds yet, but I'm sure it will happen this year.

My wintersown shastas are pushing up too. Some are. Some aren't. The frilly foliaged ones are doing the best. You can see some around this wintersown nicotiana that's blooming already.

{{gwi:385583}}

cupid at the top - bluet at the bottom.

Thanks mom. I was hoping that would be the case. My blues are in good spots. Can I expect blooms on the Cupid's Dart this year? Or just growth?

hmmm I'm thinking year two. I don't keep track of that stuff though.

Your Cupid's Dart looks big enough to possibly bloom this year. You do have a realllllyy long growing season, so that helps you towards getting first year blooms.

There's also something called Vernalization (I think that's what it's called), where the plant grows in a warm environment, then if planted out into cold spring weather, thinks it is going though winter. When it warms up again, it thinks it's a second year plant. I read about this when I was thinking about growing Cardoon. You have to do this to get flowers (and seeds) in the first year.

Okay, so here's what wiki has to say.

Typical vernalization temperatures are between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius (40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit).

Well shoot, these things were planted out in the second week of January. We had three snowfalls. I think they might just assume this is their second year. It was in the 60s when I planted them.

Watch the bluet. For me it spreads pretty quickly and will pop back when you swear you dug that whole section up to get it out.

Melissa

P.S. Does great in the shade though.

I've got room for it to spread. I hope it takes over the whole corner. It only gets evening sun.