Hello, If you have a hardy annual foxglove I would consider protection from winter elements in your zone. However there are many species that are biennials even perennials to zone 4, and actually prefer a winter rest before bloom. I find the strongest blooms from these species are from a late summer, fall start. Then allowed a winter dormancy, and blooming the following summer. To really know exactly what to do the species, cultivar, or description would be helpful. Just remember that foxgloves do not always respond well from transplanting. We sow ours in plug trays and then transplant up into bigger pots. This results in less down time, from standard flat sowings. Cool days and warm soil encourages stronger root production from a foxglove. Happy Holidays, David Burton

Hey Primgal, I was in that class with you! It was a great class! Definately got me motivated to start on this new adventure! I am planning on WSing my foxglove seeds. I wasn't quite sure if we should do it now, because they are biennals, or if we were supposed to plant them closer to when we do our annuals. I think I will just do mine now and keep my fingers crossed! That is kind of the fun of this WSing, it seems! The excitment of seeing what comes up this spring! Good luck to you! I would love to hear what you end up WSing and what worked for you since you are in my area! Z4

Cross pollination won't affect the fruit on these trees at all, if that's a concern. It will only affect the next generation, if you were to plant the seeds. And since all three varieties are highly nucellar, few to none of the seedlings grown from their seeds would be hybrids either. On the rare occasion that you did get a seed with a sexually produced embryo, the hybrid would likely be intermediate between the two parents. You're most likely to get such a seedling from the lemon, less likely from the grapefruit, and it's exceedingly unlikely from the lime, which virtually never makes a hybrid seedling.

I too wintersow digitalis with great success- although- I too have mostly given up on Foxglove- as most will never survive through the winter in my yard as well. The perennial varieties will fare better than the biennial types- although they are very short lived as well- My wintersowing this year was not typical- several things did not do well for me- which is not usual. I had germination early of several things in those hot days in March- and then 10 days of below freezing weather knocked the life right out of them. The only things that really did well were those that I started late- or those that typically germinate later in the spring like aquilegia/columbines. I have heard from a few gardeners this year, that start several perennial plants from fresh seed as soon as it ripens. Typically, seeds that seem to require cold stratification. It makes me wonder if freshly harvested/gathered seed nullifies the need of cold/warm strat- I am experimenting with a few seeds this year- but I am not having much success with them outdoors just yet- I will move the containers indoors to the cooler basement soon- to see if that will help. Then- I will plant out as they are ready- to see if they make it through the winter as such youngsters. You could experiment too- but knowing that foxgloves like to germinate in cooler weather and need light to germinate- I would start them under lights in the basement- and if you really wanted to insure success- plant them in moist peat- and put the pot into a ziplock bag- and stick them in the fridge for a few weeks- then put under lights in the basement- and plant out as soon as possible into a well prepared area- and water and nurture till the ground freezes. Hopefully they will grow enough roots to make it through the winter for you- Do not fertilize the babies- as you want roots to grow- not foliage. Good luck to you! Julie