I am winter sowing a lot more than planned: Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Purple Love Grass (Egrostis spectabilis - not yet - will sow it next month) Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) Native White Baptisia (Baptisia leucantha) Helenium - a few red ones Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) VA Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) - hope this one grows. I really want a whole lot more. Hmm- what else? Can't remember. :-)

I don't know what you mean by "tassel-like"?? Have never tried Clematis or Gerbera and had no luck with Liatris. I was told the Liatris seed I received in trade were likely not fully plump mature seeds. Gaillardia was probably one of the easiest I've done...nothing special; lightly covered with potting mix and tossed out with the rest of the wintersown containers. They do re-seed on their own too. I've done the same with annual Aster Crego (now a re-seeder) and this year I did Aster laevis (Smooth Blue Aster) and germination was 100%. I started those on December 21st and germination started on March 12th. Never had any luck with New England Aster in 2 attempts. Here's a link regarding seed propagation of Gerbera Daisy that may give you some insight. It's not mentioned in the article but understand it can take 6 months from germination to bloom on some varieties. Now, my former greenhouse management classmate however, started his seed the last week of November and didn't get any signs of forming flower buds until the first week in March and the minis started 2 weeks earlier. Vera Here is a link that might be useful: Gerbera...seed propagation

My Purple Domes bloomed the first season. I planted them in a relatively dry spot in my wettish clay garden in lightly amended soil. Mine were originally planted in full sun, but I now have them in somewhat shadier spots and they still bloom well. They grew quickly and vigorously and I was able to split them after the first season and again and again over the years. However, PDs are a favorite of the rabbits in my yard. They eat them down to nubs all the time. If yours are staying short that can be caused by rabbits. They also prefer to eat the new leaves off the already eaten stalks rather than any older stems that they missed. Once the clumps get big the bunny snacking is less noticeable and the trimming by the rabbits does make a sort of nice mounding effect on the eventual bloom, but I always have a ring of the outer stalks that never get a chance to bloom because of the rabbits. I now plant clumps of Purple Dome with all new clumps of phlox, since the rabbits prefer the aster to the phlox and the asters are far more vigorous than the phlox and will grow and spread quickly. It also gives masses of phlox color in mid to late summer followed by a mass of deep purple from the asters in autumn, along with some late rebloom from the phlox (somewhat taller than the PD) behind or surrounded by the asters. A good combo and the PD flower color works well (to okay) with most phlox, if the two overlap somewhat.

Thanks :D Indygardengal, Yes, everything (except lilac) was wintersown including the Blue Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)and they will start blooming in a few weeks thru mid June. They can start mid April if warm enough...not the case this year LOL! After cutting them back about half-way they will repeat bloom a few times. As for the move, we decided to stick around. DH got a better job making better money hauling grain ect. for a local business. Instead of driving 60 miles round trip to get to work and home, he's only going 13 miles down the road. Saving BIG money now LOL! June 7th... July.... August 2nd Mo_girl, Here's catmint (Nepeta mussinii) in rebloom (3rd time)on August 28th with Sweet Alyssum