On the Verbena Bonariensis, can't you just deadhead or cut some flowers for the vase? I don't understand how it can get so out of control? (I've never grown it before)

LIme

Annual helenium. I bought these seeds from a small local native seed company. They are so CHEERY and non-stop blooms.

Will always want to keep some around.

GGG

Annual helens? Never tried that. GGG do you have a pic? I have the perennial which are beautiful, but they have ugly legs and feet. In the middle of the bed, they are wonderful.

My verbana bonariensis re-seeds, but this year, not much. I hope I have enough seeds to share with the noobs. May have to accept donations on this one to ensure all noobs that want this plant get an opportunity to try it.

Karen, I certainly hope those mellies make my front beds their home. They are fabulous in full sun and drought conditions. This is one for those looking for companions to gaillardia, sea holly and the like.

I picked my youngest (16) up from band caop this morning just about 30 miles north of Cincy. I was dismayed to travel 71 south and see the crispy farms and the short corn. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and think of those whose livlihood depends, in part, on rain.

Bakemom: I agree. My husband and I were talking the other day about what a tough year it must be for farmers around here. I would hate to have my livelihood dependent on rain this year.

And how could I have forgotten my big favorite this year?
Yvonne's salvia.

Karen

I usually sow some blackberry lilies and space them about the yard. Three winter's back I sprouted enough to fill a large section of bed. This is their third summer blooming and of all the plants in my garden this patch of blackberry lilies has gotten more WOW!!!s than anything else. They do multiply each year, so in their third season this patch is now larger than many of my shrubs.

I love blackberry lilies because they are so rewarding, they do great with or without food and they are also a great choice for a xeriscape garden. I look forwards to harvesting their seeds to share later on this year.

This is the first time I've grown torenia - the wishbone flower. It's one of my favorites this year and will definitely grow it again next year.

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kqcrna...

love that rudbeckia! Those green eyes...simply gorgeous! Onto my wishlist, it goes :)

Another one adding that rudbeckia to their lists of things to try.

The others that are going on my permanent list are scarlet flax, standing cypress and tithonia. The first 2 were from a wildflower pack I sowed in the fall, the last I sowed in the spring this year. They definitely made me happy.

Good thread!

Bakemom - What did you find to be the secret to Melampodium?

Fran - What is Chinese Forget Me nots, and how are they different from regular ones? I have a couple of seed packs from trades marked "forget me nots".

Pitam - Do you think Marigold Lemon Gem & Simba would come true from saved seeds? I had Ragged Reggie this year. Um, he got about 3 times bigger than I was expecting, and was planted in the wrong spot. :(

GGG- What is Annual helenium? What color? How tall does it get? Do you know (or can you find out) the Latin name?

Trudi - I rec'd my WS seeds today -- Thanks! Thanks also for the blackberry lily - looks like it comes highly recomended!

VJ - Did you WS the torenia? It sure looks great!

New in Texas - Have you ever grown Texas Star? Hibiscus coccineaum, I think. It looks like it would be really nice and would match those other favorties of yours, I think.

Lime

Lime, it is nice and I have tried but it's still only a few inches tall. I won't give up though! :)

As for what's been added THIS year (to my already large "must have" list):

Tasselflower
Larkspur
Phlox Drummondii

All three of these were new to me, really look nice where they are and are performing very very well.

Linda

Green Ruffles Basil.

Lime, I think my secret to Melampodium is that I spring sowed it. That's the only thing I did differently. Who knows? Many folks have great success winter sowing it, so it's problably just me and my conditions.

Some that wow'd me are the red castor bean and amaranthus,but right there with them are knautia and apricot salvia.I look at them several times a day and just have to say,aaahhh...So beautiful.
moonphase

lime: Sorry, I missed your question. The verbena gone wild is mostly my fault. In early spring I had so many reseeders that I left them for a while and let quite a few friends just come and dig them up to transplant into their yards. I let them take so many that I had to go buy bagged compost to fill up the area because I had already used my homemade stuff. And I used a scuffle hoe to take out a lot of the remaining ones, but I must have unearthed more seeds and more kept coming. For a while I kept pulling seedlings but finally just gave up because of the heat as I did only so many other things this year. Most days I can only tolerate it in early mornings and late evenings, and that time is pretty much limited to watering of late. I also work part time. And in addition to volunteer ones, several had wintered over for me.

Last summer I was very sick all summer, and my poor husband had to do most of the gardening, in addition to working, taking care of me, the house, laundry, groceries, cooking, etc. I was confined to bed for long periods of time, and couldn't do much of anything in between those times. The verbena bonariensis and melampodium both went to seed out there, and that was a problem, too.

A note on the ruds: I WSed 2 green eyed varieties- Prarie Sun and Irish Eyes. While both have very large blossoms, the Irish Eye ones are a little bigger. I like the Prarie Sun best though because of the pronounced difference in shades between the ring around the eye and the outer part of each petal.

Karen

Is it possible to have toooooo many hibiscus? Hibiscus still remain among my most favorite flowers to WS, they're so easy...many will bloom the first year and give you a reward of eye-candy flowers the size of your own face.

Trudi, I have a Texas star hibiscus that I THINK came from your seeds - it's in bloom right now, and a stunner - 3 years old now, and each year it gets better.

But to stay on topic, my favorite new WS seed is Hollyhock Majorette - an annual, shorter hollyhock with big hollyhock flower. The flower is sort of a semi-double - not like the double HH's I've seen, but certainly not a single either - full with sort of feathery edges. I have 2 plants that made it - the first one is blooming baby pink - I hope the second is a different color, for variety.

Does anyone have photos of their favorites? :-)

I wish I had more to add to the thread, but I didn't have a lot of favorites this year. I was disappointed in a number of plants. I forgot though that for the second year, the four oclocks are one of my favorites. This year, I got the splashed colors and they are fragrant too and I would be really enjoying them, but they really open late. I was out in the yard until 7:30pm last night and they were just starting to open. I was out at 6am this morning and they were already closed. So I guess I need to go out with a flashlight to enjoy them...lol.

deborah....you started Heliotrope from seed? Did you winter sow them? You are in a warmer zone than I am, so I am wondering if you get a longer season and therefore time for the Heliotrope to mature before the summer is over. Do you remember when you sowed the seed and how long it took from sowing to first bloom?

Lime....Which named alyssum were your favs? I used a 10cent pkt of alyssum this year and it was awful! I have tried Apricot Shades from Value Seeds and I really liked those. I am looking for others that are vigorous and compact.

I looked up that Tithonia Fiesta del Sol and see that it is only 30" and doesn't need staking. Sounds like just what I need for the Hummingbirds. Where did you get your seed?

playsindirtdirt, and drippy.....
How tall are the Hollyhock Majorette, do they get rust like the large ones, and where do they fit in your gardens?

trudi....I've tried Hibiscus two years in a row, winter sown. I had one plant that was yellow, but it bloomed very late and then didn't come back the next year. I tried a couple of named varieties...Sweet Caroline, Disco Belle, and I have one Hibiscus plant from 2 years ago, that has buds on it right now and I am waiting to see which one it is. I would really like to grow more of them. They are perennial right? Is there any trick to germinating them?

vjhale...that torenia is very pretty! Is it a particular variety and did you buy the seed?

Oops! I forgot! I tried California Poppies this year and I will grow those again. Very easy and pretty.

Lime and Prarie - I winter sowed them from a seed trade, there are 2 colors (so far). The plant has stayed compact so I can use them in pots, and the best part - they grow in shade.

It was first year for me to grow Impatiens balfouri and they quickly establised themselves as forever favorites. It is tall stately 2 foot clump with white/dark pink flowers which is easily wintersown, starts blooming early and keeps going from Early June till now with minimal care.
I also grew some Impatiens Jungle Gold/ sping sown/ and while they start bloming in 6 weeks and continue through the summer only couple of weeks ago they reached about 2 feet and simply maginficent with stunning intense yellow color. I did not expected them to grow so tall and be so showy.
Another one favorite of this summer is cigar plant- cuphea ignea- cute tubes of intense red grow on small ball of foliage. I grew them in some shade and they took it very well, and brought this special coloring splash to dull areas.

HereÂs a couple of my new favorites and what I have really enjoyed this year

gaillardia sundance has done well for me

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painted tongue chocolate is really pretty, but next year I wonÂt put it in a containerÂ..was a bit too tall. IÂll see how they do in the ground.

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I really liked torenia, especially for the shade garden, and torenia blue clown has been my favorite

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This agastache is sooo pretty. ItÂs from seed from Ava. I just recently transplanted it from the pot it outgrow and I hope it survives the transplant midsummerÂ.I know itÂs not the ideal time of year to transplant. Fingers crossed!

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Dianthus spooky from seeds from PatrickÂs studio did not come true to the picture, but it is still really pretty. Very large and unusual blooms. I have this in a pot and have not deadheaded so I could get seeds. IÂm sure it would have bloomed longer if I had deadheaded.

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coreopsis double sunburst is absolutely stunning! This plant was planted as a tiny seedling last fall, overwintered without a problem and has gotten so huge and IÂve religiously deadheaded and it has not stopped blooming since early spring. A winner for sure!

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Verbena Adonis mango is really pretty. In containers, reblooms when deadheaded

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Zinnia red spider is such a cool plant. This picture was taken early in the season, and while I was not super impressed, this plant has gotten really bushy and now looks fabulous

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Delphinium Blue mirror is stunning, and has rebloomed 3 times for me this year!

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I gushed last year about Verbena Imagination

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I still LOVE this one, and have tons of containers with it, but a new favorite is Verbena Snowy River so elegant and trails beautifully!

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I don't have a good picture, but this year I was successful with blue ageratum, and it's an annual I won't be without again. Next year...

Priarie my Heliotrope were not winter sown but sown indoors under lights. I sowed them mid Feb and they began blooming beginning of July. They are one of the few plants standing up to this heat & drought.

Deb - Lovely flowers, I have never grown any verbenas, I think I have to change that. And the painted tongue is another beauty. Also like the dianthus (not so) spooky - is that a perennial?

Drippy, I WS'd Hollyhock Majorette, and it is quite pretty. I love the frilly petals. I've been harvesting seeds off several of my plants, and there are lots of seeds per pod, so I'm going to have a ton of seeds.

Hollyhock Majorette
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My favorites are pretty simple varieties: petunias, zinnias, nasturtiums, snap dragons. They have put on a great show, and I will plant these every year. Also, lavender WS'd fantastically for me this year with lavender munstead. I will try another variety this coming winter.

VJ......yours is the prettiest torenia I have seen. :-)

Deborah ...Guess I am going to have to try buying them at the nursery, since I just don't grow indoors. Plus that is a long growing time from seed sown to bloom. My season is just too short to have to do that. Enjoy yours! Love Heliotrope!

fairydancer...love that verbena adonis mango!

Prairie, The Alyssum I liked best were Oriental Nights and Rosie O'Day, but I also got another one which was white and stayed short and compact, but I don't remember the name. I think any Alyssum that is named would be good if you like the color.

Deb, Green Thumb Dancer, those photos are outstanding and I want one of everything! Does Verbena Imagination come true from seed, do you think? I especially like the "Ava Agastache". I got an blue-ish white Agastache in a swap/trade, but I actually pulled it out while it was in bloom, it was that ugly! I wasn't even sure I wanted to try again with it, though it came highly recommended by a local gardening pal here.

LIme

prairiemoon2, in an earlier post on Hollyhock Majorette, I said I bought the seeds at Wal-Mart. I was mistaken. I bought them at a local garden center.

They're from Livingston Seeds and are labeled perennial. They are said to grow 2-3 feet tall. Mine are about 2 feet tall this year and the blooms are deep rose, burgundy, and white, although the description says, "Provides a full spectrum of pastels." The fourth one hasn't bloomed yet. No rust so far, fingers crossed.

I really like them and have them in a small bed with vinca major; a mini black-eyed Susan about a foot tall; Amaranthus green tails, which is about 16 inches tall, and Northern sea oats, also small because this is their first year.

I hope to collect seeds from Majorette and will set some aside for you if interested.

My HH Majorette is also about 2 ft tall, in a rectangular windowbox style planter. Looks exactly like mogirl's, but mine is pale pink instead of white. They are also rust-free, and I have seen them labeled as perennial as well - mine were from T&M, though, and labeled annual.

Lime, those alyssums are luscious looking! I love that Oriental Nights. I just saw it on the Swallotail seed site. Rosie ODay looks like it would look nice with it too.

playsindirtdirt...I see a lot of sources for seed on a google search and thanks playsinthedirt, not sure I am going to trade seeds this year, but if I do, I will remember your seeds, thanks. :-)

and drippy....I see them on T&M too. They look like minature hollyhocks..lol...just like the large ones only smaller.

That photo that mogirl posted is very cute too. Very different looking.

Valueseeds has the Majorette for sale .49 on their updated site. :-)

Prariemoon, Valueseeds is where I got the seeds for the one pictured. I think $.49 is worth it :)

I had a few hollyhock plants in a pot, and they were probably 2 ft. However, a couple I planted in the ground got 3-4 ft. tall. Several have gone mostly to seed already, and some haven't flowered yet. They are listed as an annual on Valueseeds site as well. (It is my understanding Valueseeds are overstocks from T&M. I could be incorrect in this guess however.) So far, I have seen three colors: white, light pink, and bright pink.

Plays_in_dirt, You didn't offer, but if you could pull some burgundy Majorette seeds for me (from your burgundy flowered one) I would be forever indebted to you -- or I'd make you a real nice trade, your choice. :))

Thanks,
LIme

mo_girl....Thanks for letting me know. It's frustrating because I made an order from Valueseeds earlier and it just came in the mail today. I see a few more things I like that are new there too. This year I didn't even use all my seed. Brother! lol

My four oclocks finally bloomed. Well, they have been blooming for almost a week, but I couldn't get a photo because they are opening so late. I went out at 7:30pm and they were all open but the flash went off. [g]

I am very happy with them...

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This one I got early in the morning..
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prairiemoon2 - love your broken colors, they're my favorite 4 o'clock.

Thanks vj...I love that variety the best so far. I actually tried a few different colors this year. I think one was a red broken colors..and this one looks like that might be it. I tried solid white and custard and cream? which is white and yellow solids. The yellow I have has some red threads through them and no white blossoms showing up, so I don't think it is custard and cream. No sign of a white blossom at all.

I am going to have to start calling them Seven OClocks though. [g]

I had complete failure of labeling this year, so I don't know what is what, but I already have a new marker that has UV protection for next year. :-)

Prariemoon, those 4 o'clocks are gorgeous! Yours look even prettier than the picture I've seen on valueseed's website.

I am considering another valueseeds order, and am trying to decide whether to add the 4 o'clocks broken colors. Just curious if you will grow these again and have they attracted and poisoned japanese beetles? According to some companion plant info, they kill those nasty things.

I am tempted to make another order, but am nervous they will add even more things I "have to have". I have more than enough already, but it's hard not to buy them when they're so inexpensive. I could use a few of the seeds for a fall vegetable garden ... I'll justify it that way ;)

Thanks mo_girl...I think I got lucky this time. These are prettier than those I tried last year. Yes, this is my second year growing four oclocks and I really like them. They are easy and trouble free. Also very easy to collect seed from and try growing the next year, which I will be doing.

These plants were from trades I made last winter. Not sure which one, because I used permanent marker on my winter sown containers and they were faded before anything germinated.

Sorry, I can't share any experience with Japanese Beetles because I rarely see one. I think I had 2 JBs all summer.

I wouldn't mind making more than one order at value seeds, because they are so inexpensive,but the shipping has gone up. Last year it was only $1. pretty sure.

I do think there are lots of places to buy Broken Color 4 OClocks, they are very common. You could always trade seeds this fall/winter too. I did that last year and that was where I got my seeds. I am not sure I will be trading this winter, so I have been buying a lot of the seed I will want and not really collecting my own seed. I already have more than enough seed to do my winter sowing this coming winter as I am not planning on doing as much as the past two years.

I think I will make a list of what I still need for next year, before I make another order.

:-)
pm2

OK, for a first year wintersower... the field is wide open for me!

Celosia (the feather looking one, multi colored)
Cosmos.. I've had them before, but their ease in growing impressed me now
Mexican Sunflowers
Zinnias and Marigolds
Bachelor Buttons
California Poppies
Castor Bean (didn't wintersow, it self seeded from last year, but I will surely save seeds this year)

Just got my order from value seeds.. 19 pkts... that's 19 milk jugs I need to save so far... not including my own seeds that I've harvested..Guess I need to put away the beer and margaritas and start drinking milk......

My favorite WS plants this year are "Joe Pye Weed" which is only 2 feet high but blooming it's head off. "Korean Hyssop" which is a pretty blue purple and has been blooming for months. I also WS "Queen of the Prarie". it's about 2 feet high and has buds on it I can't wait to see.

Petunia 'Laura Bush', definitely. My other petunias have petered out...not Laura Bush. This picture was taken earlier in the season. They have grown three times over and show no sign of stopping:
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Fairy Dancer,
That Painted Tongue is GORGEOUS! The Delphinium and Dianthus are rather stunning too :-)

Linda

Thanks for the compliments.......I really like the chocolate painted tongue...I grew the mixed colored variety a few years back and that was nice too, but the chocolate really makes a dramatic statement.

I got quite a few seeds from Spooky and am anxious to see if it comes true because I really love the flowers. They are so large and showy. It's listed as a perennial, so I'm hoping the mommy will make it through the winter after I plant it in the garden.

The Delphinium Blue Mirror has really knocked my socks off. I'm going to have to learn how to stake it for next year. Seriously, I think it bloomed for the 4th time....each time I think I've seen the last of those beautiful stalks, another one shoots up. Its a really stunning color too.

And yes lime, the verbena imagination comes true. I've been sowing it from harvested seed for 3 years now. I hope the snowy river comes true too. I sow in spring very heavily in a really large container and then take one inch hunks and fill all my containers. I always have a few extras and I throw them in the garden, but the perform much better in containers in my opinion. Swallowtail seeds has Verbena Apricot Romance, Romance Silver, and Lilac Obsession which I'm planning on trying next year.....anyone grown any of these before? I'm hooked on verbenas, absolutely hooked!!

Deb

Wow! What a wonderful thread! I love all these "winners"!!

Mine is burgundy celosia. It gave me some bad moments when it first sprouted and then disappeared and then reappeared and then...It took for absolute EVER to grow up into a plant you could see without squinting. But when it did! Oh my! So beautiful. And it behaves so well - no sprawling or keeling over or bashing its neighbors. LOVE THAT!

Another surprise winner is agastache Apricot Sprite. The pictures I had seen really almost put me off. They look so screamin' orange. But the flowers are so subtle and sweet. Dreamy!

On the subject of torenia...it is also a HUGE favorite of mine but I didn't winter sow it. I put some out years ago at the last place where we lived and it has somehow naturalized (and moved along with us!) so that it comes up in my containers every year. I can just leave pots out and, by and by, there it will be! There are a lot of different colors - a lovely dark blue, a white with dark blue markings, white with wine color markings, pink with darker pink, and today I pulled out some overgrown cosmos and discovered one that is salmon and yellow!! I can't explain it - I just enjoy the daylights out of it. This is the first year I have found them in the ground rather than in containers. That's o.k. They are so welcome wherever they pop up!

Obviously I need to take some new photos tomorrow.

And, oh yes...it wasn't wintersowed but I think I would quit gardening without verbena Homestead Purple. Gotta have it!

Hi, Lime ... I just revisited this post tonight and saw your request for the burgundy Majorette hollyhock. I'd be happy to save seeds for you. Please help me remember. They are still blooming, though sparsely, and I haven't plucked any seed heads because the stems are still green. I'm hoping for a good harvest, though. Will email you.

Well, I've been out taking pictures of these favorites - thanks for this thread, which has brought my attention to them. They have been such trouble-free performers they might have been overlooked!

I hope it's o.k. to add this many photos. I haven't figured out how to do those album links and this thread is already a bit heavy on photographs. Anyway...apologies to anyone with dial-up. I suspect you may have given up on loading this thread already.

This is the Apricot Sprite. It IS difficult to get a photo with the true color of it. It's incredibly soft, not orangey.

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This is an example of how gorgeous the volunteer torenia are.

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That is one of the planters I just leave empty until the torenia pops up.

These are also volunteers -

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These are the two I put in, fearing the volunteers were not coming. They were late because of the late freeze, I suppose.

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Just new dna for the gene pool!

And this is the little volunteer I simply cannot explain! I haven't seen one in this color before. It is so sweet!

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And finally, I forgot to mention this new wintersowed favorite. I had never grown these before because I had no idea how much they add to a border. Now I know and I'll be looking for more colors!

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Is torenia the same as Johnny-jump-up? Really like that plant!

I LIKE that Torenia! Must have LOL!

Well this years new faves are:

Opium Poppy (Peony types and regular single)

Cosmic Orange Cosmo. I'm completely learning to love orange!

Bells of Ireland....next time I won't dump them out too soon! They popped up thru the 4' Marigold that over-crowded them...but I DID see the potential for next year!!

Morning Glory 'Star of Yelta'...bloomed early and still sporadically blooming :D

Heliopsis...just the plain common yellow species. I am SERIOUSLY considering replacing all the Maximillian Sunflower with these...at least the ones in flower beds!

Cactus Zinnia...nice big flowers. Wasn't thrilled when the puny plant (one surviving out of 4 germinated) first bloomed. It was small and not attractive so I cut it back into the foliage and it came back big and beautiful!

Parks Cutting Blend Zinnia....didn't grow as tall as the package described, but definatley will try again.

Minnesota Midget Melon...not very productive, but they sure are juicy and taste great! My goal is to provide a better area for them next year.

Giant Red Indian Mustard...completely new to me for any mustard green. We love it! Got more growing now.

Jericho Lettuce...got more growing now too! Was still very tasty in July heat!

Collard Greens 'Georgia'...more of this growing too! Never had them before, so can't compare with other varieties. All I know is they are yummy yummy :D

African Daisy 'Jaffa Ice'....the orange ones. Wasn't too impressed with the one flowering ones. The orange was have been blooming like no tomorrow since the start, but the white, though pretty, were basically just taking up space and blooming every once in awhile.

I think that's it :D

Vera

Linda,
I WISH Torenia would grow like that for me...and naturalize? I'd be in heaven :-) I do love that flower.

Celosia has become something of a "must have for me", but it is only sort of one because my success came from sowing them indoors this year (and I don't know that I want ANYTHING other than maybe peppers that I have to sow indoors every year).

Linda

Anything that germinated and survived, and didn't get powdery mildew!!!

One that I will definitely do again is Calendula 'Sherbet Fizz'. I also really liked the blooming power of the African daisies, but maybe I'll try some other color than the neon orange ones I had this year.

Several of the things I liked, I won't need to do again unless they don't come back in the spring, since my perennial beds are almost full, like Asclepias tuberosa, Shasta daisies, Verbascum 'Southern Charm', Aquilegia chrysantha, Gaillardia 'Burgandy'.

I love that Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun' that you have Karen! Maybe that can be my favorite next year, LOL.

One thing that has bloomed all summer without looking ratty are my petunias, which I did not winter sow, but will this time around. They were a very pale yellow that blended well with everything.

The other thing I know for sure I want to try are the Profusion Zinnias. Carrie posted some pictures of the 'Apricot' and I knew right then it was going on this years wintersowing list.

Bonnie