phacelia campaniflora, cosmos sulphureum, ricinus (castor oil plant), nemophilia, omphalodes linifolia, linum grandiflora, centaurea annua, ammi visnaga, thelesperma burridgeanum, layia, specularia, gillia capitatum, calendula officialis, scabious arvensis, agrostemma gracilis,mentzelia, californian poppies, ursinia, arctotis, nemesia, godetia bottae, lathyrus odoratus, zinnia peruviana, aster (callistephus), have fun, annuals are just so brilliant, cheap, easy and versatile.

first thing you need to do.. is start learning the latin names.. so we can actually talk about the plants you actually have ... for example ... here in MI.. i used to dig my very large dahlia.. and store the roots .. like sweat potatoes.. in compost on the basement floor ... the are NOT annuals ... they are perennials .. in the jungles/rain forests they most likely come from ... when you start with the latin.. then you can find out if you actually have an annual ... which is NOT worth messing with PERIOD ... or you are actually dealing with a perennial.. that we in the great white north.. usually use as a annual ... now.. flowering is usually triggered by the inclination or declination of the sun.. along with many other variables .... that is why some do not bloom until fall ... i took me many readings of your post.. to understand what you were asking.. and i do NOT believe that you can change the genetic predisposition of a plant.. and force it into longer life .. by not allowing it to flower ... you will not convert a true annual.. to a perennial.. by not allowing it to sexually mature ... at some point or another.. as the sun declines in fall.. the plant will start to fail ... if it is a true annual ... you will not overcome that ... so.. to fully discuss this topic.. we need to know exactly what plants we are talking about.. since there seem to be both perennial and annual versions of the plants you list ... now ... impatiens.. root in days in water .... take a piece or two.. root them.. and then pot them and put them on a window sill.. and they will look good for about 2 months.. at which point.. you root a couple more pieces.. and once potted .. throw out the old.. and do this all winter.. until frost is gone.. do NOT try to get the first ones to live.. they will look horrible ... but you are not going to throw them in the root cellar ... it simply will not work with these plants ... so your option is propagation ... [i know you can throwgeranium in the root cellar .. but i think of those as woody plants.. which allow for some drying and survival.. impatiens.. on the other hand are 99% water.. and they will rot in the dark IHMO] ... finally.. there is not going to be one hard and fast rule for them all ..... again .. back to the latin.. and looking into propagation methods and storage methods of various plants ... any clearer??? ken

Look for the swollen places on the stems, usually where two stems come together. I probably should have used the word "node". Cut right underneath it. The cut will ooze white sap. Don't worry about it. If you can find stems that have more than one node at a distance short enough to get them both under the soil, choose those, but be sure to leave at least one set of leaves above the soil level. The roots will grow out of the nodes. I do grow Diamond Frost in the ground. One plant makes a really big clump, a good two feet across and about a foot high. I use it for filler among my Blushing Bride hydrangeas. To overwinter, I just dug up the smallest plant I had, getting as much of the root ball as I could. Then I potted it up into good potting mix and the smallest pot that would accomodate the roots. I grew it and the cuttings under flourescent lights in my basement. Diamond Frost was the best looking plant down there at the end of winter last year. For a plant that likes heat so much, I was amazed. This year I will just take cuttings about a month before frost so that I have smaller plants downstairs. That way, if they don't take, I have another chance before the mother plants die from frost. It's easy to eat up that space under lights in no time, thus the smaller containers. I put the cuttings into four inch pots.

Hi there- No worries Joan, I have sent it again ;*)- I am sending through your GW page- I do hope that is the right address?!? Have you checked your spam filter? Will it allow you to receive mail through GW? If you do not receive it this time I suggest you send an email to me through my GW page and I will reply back to you. Your email should accept a reply back from itself.... Sorry this info is not getting to you! I have received another envelope from Shadyside today! I have been a bit busy with seeds this morning... Probably will be an all day thing... I guess the chores will have to wait a bit (longer)!! We have a little something for everyone already- you guys are doing a great job with finding treasures for each other! Later- Julie