Looking to trade for some of these wants. I really like multiple trades, and if you have even one of these below, I'm sure I can find other things on your list I'd trade for. Ageratum - perennial zone 6, any color other than the typical perennial purple-blue (have that one already) Astilbe, peach Baptisia tinctoria Billy Button - Craspedia globosa Bear's Breaches (acanthus spinosis, mollis, any kind) Blackberry Lily - Yellow flowered (or any color other than mostly orange, have that already) Campanula cochlearifolia (very short Bellflower) Coreopsis, varigated CUSHAW, GREEN or YELLOW/GOLD (Cucurbita mixta) - heirloom squash Desmodium gyrans - Telegraph Plant Dianthus arenarius Dutchman's Breeches*** Gerber Daisies, any color Echinacea -- New varieties only: Harvest Moon, Sunset, Paradoxa Yellow, Green Envy, etc Iris - browns/rust, tans, blacks, greys Jack-in-the-pulpit Lavender cotton, santolina -- especially the grey/silver kinds Liriope, varigated (varigated lilyturf) Lobelia, perennial upright type, Salmon color (have red, blue, white) Morning glories - special colors, named or unnamed *'Chachamaru' *'Gray Lady' *'Hamaginga' *'Joyce Cobb' *'Rebecca' * any Yellows Mother of Thyme Nasturtiums, any Onion, bunching Poppies - perennials in particular; love the peonies Primrose Mexican (any color) Primrose, Pale evening (Oenothera pallida) Primrose, Pink evening (Oenothera speciosa) Primrose, Tufted evening (Oenothera caespitosa) Rodgerisa pinnata Superba St. Johns Wort, Apalachicola/Appalachian type (Hypericum chapmanii) Salvia, 'Sapphire Blue' (or similar) Salvia, Yvonnes -- lots, really want! Santolina, Lavender Cotton -- especially the grey/silver kinds Sunflowers - odd colors and shapes (reds, pinks, light yellow, white, near black, green, rusty, oranges; any varigated; dwarfs, fuzzy/double headed) Especially: *Claret *Moulin Rouge *Sunspot *Earthwalker *Green Ice *Chianti *Moonshadow *Cappuccino *Strawberry Blonde *Peach Passion *Chocolate Tiarella - any kind Toad Lily - especially: Tricyrtis latifolia & 'Moonlight' Yarrow, Paprika Yellow-eyed grass Take a look at my haves and let's make a trade!

I have never managed to grow it from seed. I suspect our season is not long enough to ripen seed properly. I am experienced with Acanthus mollis and Acanthus spinosus. A. mollis seems to be more spreading than A. spinosus here, though it may just be a matter of time. If A. mollis was too rambunctious, I would remove it. But if A. spinosus eats the garden where I placed it, I will let it be. I love this plant. It did take three years before it began to show properly. The flowers and flower bracts are effective here into frost. But I would grow it for the foliage alone if it never flowered.

i have seen some beautiful examples of this plant at the Park of Roses here in Columbus, and a nice showing in a neighbor's shade garden. I have ordered seeds from Swallowtail. Any experience and thoughts on this project?

I don't have an Acanthus, though I have been wanting one since I saw it planted in a bed at the Science Center in Seattle a few years ago, lol. Fantastic looking plant. If it were me, I would probably pay most attention to the foliage of the companion plants. Personally, I would pair the Acanthus with a plant that has strappy/grassy foliage as an opposite texture and/or a plant that has delicate or ferny foliage to act as a softening contrast to the bold, jagged foliage of the Acanthus. A small Miscanthus ('Little Zebra' would add some nice looking gold variegation too!) for beside it and then perhaps a perennial geranium (like G. sanguineum 'Vision Violet', which has nice looking delicate foliage) in front. But that is just what I might do ;-) CMK