I live in a warm climate so someone else will have to help you with the fall preparations of brugs Tina. I can help you out with the seed question.
Brug seed stay viable for many years. They have a corky outer bark that can be soaked and then either peeled or scarified in order to give the seed a head start. I personally soak and completely peel, to see whether there really is a seed inside-some casings are empty.
Brugs do not set out seedlings/flowers as was their parent.
That means if you get a seed cross of say...'Sam x Daydreams,' (one being dark pink, the other a double pink)
you will not necessarily get a pink seedling. Brugs throw lots of white seedling plants. But if you are just in it to grow an absolutely lovely flowering plant, I would try my luck with the seeds. It's a nice feeling to say (when looking into a 10 ft. tree) 'I grew this from a seed!'

Oh Thank you MsmorningSong!
That was information I did not know. I would love to try from seed as well as root stock.

Would starting root stock from down in the warmer climates and bringing it up here to a colder one be harder on the root stock or would it matter? I don't really know either way honestly but I thought it might give them a better chance if it is from a parent that was from colder climates.

And you are very right, it would be wonderful to start seeds and be able to say, I grew this, regardless of color. :)

~Tina Marie

There are two groups of brugs Tina. Warm group and Cold group.
You may well have success with the cold group, which includes sanguinea, the lovely red flower pictured in the top right corner when entering this forum. I can't grow them down here, but you may be able to. They'll still need protection from frost, and you will have to bring them in come fall and winter, but should put out a delightful flower flush for you with some TLC. You can grow warm group brugs too, just protect them from frost like the sanguineas. It will not make much difference where the rootstock is from. All brugs are subtropical plants, and understorey tree from Ecuador that flourishes beneath the giant canopy trees of the rainforests high enough (cloud forest) to get cool temps and humidity from the clouds.
Trying warm group is going to be more attainable for you.
And they will do great, if you keep them frost free. I just read a thread here where someone else is asking about keeping his indoors come winter. Read through the threads and keep asking questions! :)
Below is a link to a member here who is quite good at growing brugs, many years experience, and will send you a beautiful, well rooted plant that might still flower for you this year. Her prices are reasonable and the plants are lovely. Try her for your start up
And good luick with your brugs, I love mine and will never give them up!

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardens by Kasha

Tina I'll send some brug seeds (open pollinated Emerald Frost) along with the daturas. The previous poster gave you some good info, they don't come true but I've never seen an ugly brug lol. I also soak and peel all but fresh and still moist brug seeds but don't worry about removing every bit of cork. The only brugs I keep going over the winter are very young seedlings that haven't built up enough reserves to sustain them thru dormancy or newly rooted cuttings. They are kept in the heated greenhouse. I don't keep any mature brugs, warm or cold group, growing thru the winter. They attract pests and just don't make great "houseplants". They all go dormant in the winter, either in a cool greenhouse or the garage. BTW the majority of us cut our plants back in the fall before letting them go dormant and send cuttings for postage. They are one of the easiest plants to root in soil or water.

Oh I love the help you two, thank you so very much! I read a post last night and was so worried about upsetting folks for having asked for seeds/cuttings for postage. I feared I had broken rules in doing so. :( I am sorry if I did break the rules, I did not intend to do so!

MsMorningSong; Thank you for the information and help! I appreciate it so much. I started a lasagna bed yesterday, so that I could be prepared to 1) acquire a root stock brug or seed to start. or 2) go buy a brug from the store or online. I am so ready to get things going for one of these or more.
I do appreciate the help so much. :)

Karyn, Thank you so much! You've made my day! I was so bummed out for today. I have to go in and get botox injections in my neck/base of the skull.(for migraines) I am so stoked about these plants, even the datura are so gorgeous, I don't know what is my favorites! LOL I just love them both! I wish I lived in a warmer climate so I didn't have to drag them in, but being I do, I will do what I must, these beauties just drew me in and now you have gifted me with seeds to try my hand? I can't thank you enough! XoXo!
I am going to sit here until my appointment and read up everything I can on them. Haha! Thank you again! Oh I am so happy I could just float off this couch!

~Tina Marie

Tina Marie, I have a couple of nice plants started that I will send you for postage. Send me your address and you can send the postage after you get the plants.
I have offered these plants to a couple of people here but they don't seem to want them. Only one person ask for a plant and I will be sending it to her soon. I have Miss Emily Mackensie and Emerald frost plants if you would like to see what they look like. Like others, I will have cuttings for postage this fall.
Bill

Why thank you Bill! I will send you an email. :)

~Tina Marie

Tina,
The reason I never brought up cuttings is this is really not the time of year people have them. Early spring for rooted,
or fall for unrooted is really when to ask. That's when people are either cutting their brugs or have already overwintered and have rooted ones (spring) That mbill has some is a real stroke of luck. If you ask me in the fall, I'll have unrooted pieces. Brugs are almost invincible, and you'll be able to root them easily with just a little bit of TLC.

I know yesterday was my "blessed" day. I don't know how that happened. After all the yrs of crap, I guess it finally became a good day? LOL I totally didn't know if I could or even would get any cuttings this soon, but I had hoped, so I figured it couldn't hurt to throw the question out there. :D

I've loved these particular plants for a very long time, but being a military wife, it's been far too difficult to even have plants, much less ones I would have to lug pots around. Heh! Now that hubs career is winding down, it's time to wind up the garden so to speak! *g*

I am so very grateful to each of you for all the help and knowledge gifted to me, truly I am. It means so much to me.

~Tina Marie

I'm really glad things are going good for you. You'll really
love getting involved with brugmansia, it is my favorite flowering plant to grow, along with passiflora. Brugs are great in that they can almost have a roof dropped on them, and still come back-as long as the frost does not get the roots, you're pretty good to go.
Please post photos of the garden as it comes along. :)

Thanks MsMorningSong, I am so excited to get into Brugs. I also have some different Datura. Right now I have purple in hand, some blue on the way and I was trying to get ahold of a few others but that particular person was non responsive. LoL Ah well! Eventually! :)

I have an awesome rebel camera to use to take pictures with, so I will be sure to get good pics. I'll share a link of a close up of a spider. It was taken with auto focus, just to give you an idea of how easy this camera is for me to use. Most of the images in the album were taken with the rebel, some of the winter ones were not.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:517254}}

For seed starting, I soak them in strong tea--tannic acid does wonders to tough seed coats.

Thanks SoTX,
Always appreciate the help, I'm so new to brugs! Haha! I've drooled over them for years though. Only just now sticking my toes in though. I've finally gotten brave enough. Just hit 41 and figured I best get busy if I want to enjoy them! :D

~Tina Marie

Bill, just wanted to post here, Thank you very much.
Everyone, Bill is very kind and going to take care of me with a few brugs. :) I will post pictures when I can.
Again, Thank you Bill!

~Tina Marie

Tina Marie, That's so great you are getting started with brugs! Love the spider pic. Looks like he's smiling for the camera! LOL

Theresa

Thanks Theresa,
It took 3 tries, that image was number 2. LoL I saw him on the handrail of the deck and just had to try to catch a pic of him. :) It was so neat! I grin every time I cross that pic.

And I am so thrilled to try brugs, I asked Bill to send me only some, I've tons of pots since I went on vacation for almost 3 weeks and most of my house plants were virtually dead when I got back.(hubs isn't a green thub) LOL Such is the way of things sometimes right? :)

I cannot thank Bill enough though, I sure hope he's seen my appreciation for his brugs.

~Tina Marie

Hi Tina Marie and welcome to midwest bruggin! I'm in SE MN and have some plants currently rooting from basal sprouts which emerged this spring as my bigger ones emerged from dormancy. I can also provide cuttings of others in late Sept or early Oct when I cut back to lug them down into the basement for winter dormancy. you can look at my trade page to get an idea of what I have but I haven't updated it since last year so have likely added a few others.
Anyhow, drop me an email and we'll see if we cant get you fully brugaddicted.
Will

Will,
Lots and lots you do have! Wow! Much as I want more of them, currently I have to keep it small for right now. Bill as you saw in a prior post is sending me some. I'm not financially able to handle as many as I'd like. So I have to start out slow. I have to save up for each shipping I get. LoL

We're a military family, tight budget.*grins sheepishly* So yeah. Not easy for me to get much. But I am making a lasagna bed to get things going before Bill ships and hopefully have it ready for when those ones need a bed. :)

~Tina Marie