morz8, i felt so bad that i wrote them back and told them to send me an invoice for more seeds. they shouldn't have to pay because i'm insane and want to get a jump on things, and really the only thing they did was provide very precise directions that were missing one or 2 bits of info. i've yet to hear back. is the blue on the splish splash blue-blue or a purpley blue? someone traded me a chunk of johnson's blue last year and i am eagerly awaiting it blooms to see the color. the one i have is a pinkish/purple color, a very common one i picked up at out local nursery. i just like variety, so if the streaking goes away, i'll still be happy with a different color than what i already have. jodie, they man i spoke with last night about the seeds told me to just wintersow if i was going to start them now, especially considering the problem we just had with them sprouting early. everyone on this forum told me the same thing, but i had already potted mine up in a warm place and it took me a few days to get back to them. i guess warming them starts to break them out of dormancy and these were fresh enough not to require that. my hellebore set seeds last year for the first time ever and i just let most of them fall, so they are sitting there now under all this snow. i guess it depends on how they've been stored?

They made me create a new account and I never updated my old name (midmented). Winter sowing 2013-2014 went well. The only pepper seed that germinated were brown bell, jalapeno and Burpee Red Roaster bell. The first tomato plants to sprout were pink boar. Brandywine, Roma, Beefsteak, and stuffing tomatoes germinated well. In my opinion, heirloom varieties are better adapted for winter sowing. At least I've had better luck using heirloom or my own saved seed. As far as production, I got more produce than I needed. Winter sowing seems to give me a later crop than everyone else in my area. It seems to be 2 to 3 weeks later than everyone else. I loved the Burpee Red Roaster Bell peppers. They produce really big stuffing peppers but the downside is there are not as many peppers. The brown bells crowded against one another and I had to keep thinning them to get bigger peppers. I got over a thousand jalapeno peppers but I did have 10-12 plants. This year, I'll try to keep my blog updated on what I am doing. I've stopped posting a lot of things due to wanting to spend more time just enjoying life. L I'm always trying something new. 2013-2014, I started growing lima pole beans (really tasty). I only planted 4 plants but got around 1/2 a bushel. Stink bugs came through and took all the blooms so I never got a late crop.

Gorgeous Creme de Cassis blooms! Did they need staking? Drooled every time I saw photos when perusing seeds online. I waste more time perusing seed online when I should be doing some actual work on gardening. I'm trying the smaller Queeny Purple in deck containers for next year since Hollyhocks would be mowed down by critters around here. Hope the Hummingbirds like these as well as the standard variety. Thanks for beautiful pics.

My favorite is spirea Japonica; I have Shiboru (sp?) and it is covered with masses of blooms in shades from almost-white to a soft rosy pink from spring to frost. All it asks is to be watered during droughts and a standard gentle pruning (just to remove crossed branches) in late water. Mine is in near-full sun beside a south-facing brick wall and is now about 15 years old; I had it in a huge pot for a couple years, but unless you like to water daily in the heat, don't bother with a pot. It is now about 40" tall. Lilies are always reliable: Asiatic and Longiforum for [usually] June & July; Oriental and trumpet for July into August; some species bloom most of the season. Mild winters seem to activate early blooms, my asiatics are now showing color. Warning: read labels carefully, some (such as Regale Trumpet) get very tall and require staking. I put a 30" tall plastic-covered wire fence just house-side of the lilies and tie when they are about 2' and again at 3' tall. The lily leaves hide the fence. Lilies can quickly use up your budget, so watch for end-of-season sales; JohnScheepers usually runs one in late November. Hydrangeas, of course for semi-shade. Read the labels, newer varieties now bloom almost all summer. I have Nikki, which is just now starting to bloom; as long as it gets enough water, it will keep on blooming to frost. ~ enough from Nikki's viewpoint is rather more than I usually think of during the August droughts, but it always starts more blooms as soon as it gets a good drink. Some varieties do quite well in full sun, so again, read the labels to be sure you get what you want. Garden phlox are reliable in light shade to full sun; again, water during droughts! It's worth it to get mildew-resistant varieties. I've never had much trouble with mildew, but I've noticed those seem to endure dry conditions just a bit better. You might consider a multi-colored leaf viburnum. Spring blossoms and winter berries, so it's interesting most of the year. (See bluestoneperennials.com; sorry I've forgotten the variety name.) Garden hibiscus, the soft-stemmed shrubby type not the tree. DH grew 5 plants from seed and they are still doing well after a couple decades. However, seed can be a bit tricky, it's easier just to get a plant. (See Burpee.com for Pink Swirl plants) They aren't as water-demanding as hydrangeas, but the more water they get during hot spells, the more flower they produce. In July and August I run a hose from the clothes washer to the hibiscus bed, they seem to thrive on rinse water, lol. Cannas are always reliable; I mulch 12 inches for winter, but in zone 7 you might not have to do that. I hope that gives you some ideas. You might want to check the catalogs for a plant nursery such as BlueStone; they do an excellent job of estimating bloom times and growing requirements. (I am not affiliated with BlueStone other than as a very satisfied customer.)