I found Christmas Senna, Winter Cassia
Senna bicapsularis while traveling around Wimington, NC last year. Of course I had to buy two and try them! They are one of the few pretty flowering shrubs blooming for Thanksgiving/Christmas!

I planted one outside my bedroom window in a large flowerbed, and one outside of my kitchen door. The one in the flowerbed has 'taken off' but the one in the narrow planting strip next to the driveway may be suffering. Wish me luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Senna

Foxgloves have evergreen foliage. Although I haven't grown it (yet), I love the look of Arum italicum 'Marmoratum'. This is from the Plant Delights catalog:

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Within the next two weeks I will be sowing Delphinium and Pansy/Viola's. Once the temps stay in the 70's I will be sowing lettuce and arugula (though I grow them to eat you could easily use them for decoration also). This years big experiment is Meconopsis - Blue Poppies. I've cold treated the seed in the refrigerator. Gonna sow them and shelter them all winter and hopefully get blooms next spring.

Though not a sowing experiment this year will be my first with Mara des Bois' hybrid strawberries. I will attempt to keep them producing all winter long in my barely heated hoop house.

How will you sew the pansy seeds and viola seeds? Can they be direct sown?

Everytime I have direct sown them in the past the seedlings never really took off and bloomed. So this year I am doing it in small pots and sheltering them during really cold weather. Other gardeners I have known got good results by direct sowing. They would keep some seed to sow again during a warm spell in the middle of winter, that way they would have blooms from late fall til early summer.

Two questions,quirkpod. First, have you already sown these seeds? (i.e. do I still have time to sow...). Second, were the California Poppies invasive or did they reseed each year. I love them, but once had them in California and couldn't tame them--once you had them, you had them every spring forever. Thanks!

Yes, the time is NOW to sow as the rains have finally come and temps are in the 60's and 70's overnight. For one, Nigella needs that and I see they are germinating in situ. Pansies/Violas are OK in situ also, but personally I agree with John and start them in a flat to make absolutely sure they stay watered. Then I move them into the garden, and into the cold frame for Winter enjoyment. I dont find the CA Poppies invasive at all, but naturally they would be in CA. In fact, they are not germinating as much as I would like. I may have to sow some in the flat. Yotedog, welcome new member :-D and please consider updating your page to include an email link. At present, we cannot contact you to discuss. We'd also like to read a bit about your garden etc. How bout a paragraph on your page when time allows? Thanks to all who've replied here. We need the ideas.

Thought I'd try posting the Arum italicum 'Marmaratum' again:
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Another idea is Rumex sanguineus, which can also be wintersowed:
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