I kept my Corydalis's alive for several years but was gone for the whole month of June when my 2 grandsons were being born and my DH managed to kill them all with drought. I planted 3 different Caryopteris one fall and none survived the winter.

The fancier hostas haven't done that well for me but the one with small leaves that grew here when I bought the house and was in a huge neglected yellowed circle in full sun has been divided into many clumps in shade and blooms well every year.

Peaches do poorly for me since I refuse to spray anything, and though they claim to be peach leaf curl resistant they all get it and dwindle over several years and die.:-( And there's nothing like a homegrown peach.

Chocolate Chip has been one Ajuga that didn't do well for me. The ordinary bronze-leaved one goes crazy.

I bought over 100 mini roses when Justice roses went out of business, and most have dwindled or died in the ground. But there are a few that really thrive and get bigger and bloom continually. I try taking cuttings from them in the fall and planting them out to replace the poor performers so eventually I may have a decent mini rose garden.

I don't know if you want to include house plants, but scented geraniums, azaleas, African violets, and anything that can't deal with a lot of drought dies for me. I can keep most Hoyas, Stapelia, Christmas cactus, a few orchids (though most don't bloom), succulents, Cape Primroses, and Ledebouria, social onion, alive.

Daphne odorata - love the stuff. Can't grow it. I think the problem is that I actually "follow the directions" on this one. I should probably plant it in heavy clay in full sun where the east wind will whip it around and let it completely dry out in the summer. Then it would probably do great!

Hope you are sitting down for this one. Zucchini. The male and female blossoms refuse to bloom at the same time. I could save the male blossoms and pollinate myself but since everyone wants to give the stuff away there is no incentive. Besides, I'd rather not get into plant porn...

Leucojum vernum, very hard to find around here, finally got 3 bulbs. They must of really liked where I planted them because they were multipling nicely. The next spring, all gone. I think they died from sticky finger disease.

A......

Azaleas- they seem to hate me. I hate their relatives, rhododendrons, so maybe they sense that! I also had a hard time keeping gardenia shrubs alive. I always bought the type that was hardy here, Kleim's hardy gardenia, and it always died. However, last summer, I put one in a pot and it is still going strong, even with our horrid winter! I've also done poorly with daphne odoras, and I've given up on them due to the expense and their tendency to be temperamental. I bought a Carol Mackie daphne last fall for a container and it promptly dropped all its leaves. However, I do see new leaves emerging and I've kept the receipt to return it in case it doesn't come back.

buyorsell888,

I have a few Epimediums, Hosta's Sum and Substance, also Francis Williams and sieboldiana. They are growing in very poor soil, in fact it used to be part of our gravel driveway. Before I planted the Hostas I added a little peat moss. These plants are all doing extremely well, had to divide them in the fall as they were getting too big for the space. Had to use a pick axe. Maybe it's a wet feet problem. Our driveway is slightly sloped so they do have good drainage. Snails are a problem the last couple of years though.

A......

Buyorsell, what's your soil like? Ajugas are usually very rampant and will tolerate almost anything, but even they will croak in poorly-draining soil. Lithodora also likes good drainage. Actually, all the plants you named wouldn't do well in poorly-draining soil. Did you keep them watered in dry weather?
Hemnancy, Caryopteris really needs good drainage, as well. Winter rains can rot them. And it's great that you're avoiding harmful pesticides. Good air circulation is crucial in preventing fungal diseases, and removing infected leaves from on and around plants may help some. Otherwise, everything recommends fungicides.

What good does returning a plant to the nursery do? If it's dead, what are they supposed to do for it? A plant's failure is most often related to the growing conditions in its new home, not the nursery it came from. Daphnes are known to be fussy, but that's not the nursery's fault. They certainly shouldn't be expected to refund a plant that died under someone else's care. JMHO.

I have trouble with some vegetables, especially greens like lettuce. They always bolt. Last spring, I sowed Romaine lettuce seed as early as possible, kept them moist, and mulched lightly with hay. It didn't bolt as much, but it never reached its healthy size. I always get tiny little leaves. It's very frustrating!
I've tried carrots, but something underground always eats them. :(

This is the first year I have been successful with astilbe, but then I also tried white instead of pink for the first time. Could that have been the difference? I can't seem to grow calla lillies - but again I was trying for a color instead of white.

Daphnes always die on me also. I have killed over half a dozen. The one I bought last year is looking very sick and I think it is going to die also. It's frustrating to walk around the neighborhood and see huge old daphnes growing without much care at all. I don't know why they don't like my yard. The blue flowering corydalis are very short lived in my yard also. I also have had no luck with astilbes. I think my yard is too dry for them.

My yard is full of roots from the neighbors mature doug firs and arborviteas. My shady areas are all dry and rooty. I dont think poor drainage is the problem, perhaps just too dang dry. I do have soaker hoses in the worst section though....

Ive killed various ajugas all over the yard. I do use slug bait. I do water in summer.

Ive had no trouble with Daphne odora.

Forgot to say that we have amended the clay soil with yards and yards of compost and sand and gravel. We have lived here almost fifteen years and have amended every year.

This is a good topic! I can't seem to grow decent Lavender of all plants! I think my soil is too rich even though it drains well! Maybe not enough sun! Also can't seem to grow Daphnes either! I am sure there are many others I have long forgotten about!

Lewisia tweedyi.

Daphne odora is a consistant failure for me, too. And I do well with other daphnes; currently have 10 kinds thriving, including some alpine types that are supposed to be impossible in the open garden. I think D. odora comes out of dormancy too early for our cold (and often frosty) springs.

Ian, Lewisia tweedyi on the west side of the Cascades is sure a challenge. But sharp drainage, pea gravel mulch and a little shade has made them work for me; they even self seed. Others are thriving tucked into walls. But I have to religiously remove old foliage in the fall so it doesn't rot at the crown; any damaged foliage is cut away.

I've got three Lewisas, they are next to the curb facing south. I made a psuedo rock garden along the front of the yard there. I ignore them and they seem to do fine.

Eventually every one of the blue Corydalis I plant bites the dust, O.K. for a couple of years then gone. Corydalis Lutea of course, runs amuck, It's a cheery little thing so I just pull it out where I don't want it.
I think silver creek is right on Daphne odora, couldn't grow that one either until I gave it some overhead protection for the winter. Keeping the rain off seems to be doing the trick. Daphne odora marginata is doing just fine now.

A......

The various culitivars of daphne odora do well for me, as does 'Carol Mackie', but 'Brigg's Moonlight'? Cannot keep that one alive. The older heuchera cultivars thrive, but most of the newer ones just dwindle and fade away. Corydalis--I don't understand why that one should be so fragile, but I rarely have more than two leaves on mine and don't expect it to come back this spring.
Muddysocks, I had zucchini crop failure 3 years running. Finally overcame the curse last year. I think I was setting the plants out too early, and when they get chilled it throws their hormones off. Anyway, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it. I found a parthenocarpic variety to plant this year. It's just so humiliating to have to beg for people's leftover zucchini.

What a great question! So encouraging to know I'm not the only one! I can't grow callas, either, or lily of the valley.
My first hosta (given to me by a friend) has done beautifully, but all others (bought from a nursery) have either disappeared, or sent up just the minimum number of leaves to keep it alive, but never to thrive.

I've had terrible luck here in Tacoma with veggies. Don't sprout, don't grow, aren't prolific, taste terrible! On the other hand, the squirrels keep me supplied with corn and walnut tree seedlings.

I lost my rock daphne after a couple of years, but my odorata I planted without looking up any directions, and it is still there after more than 10 years. Also planted where it is very sheltered. But then, my name IS

Daphne in Tacoma

My Daphne odora is planted on the north (garage) side of my house right next to the stone house wall, and the driveway, so there is a 3 tier railroad tie retaining wall holding the soil and the drainage is very sharp. I probably water it about 2-3 times all summer but it is very shady and sheltered so doesn't seem to dry out much. I have kept alive D. x caucasius Summer Ice, now 3' tall and wide, and D. Lawrence Crocker, maybe 9" tall, and D. tangutica, 18" tall. I killed D. collina, D. Briggs Moonlight, D. bholua, and D. cneorum Ruby Glow. I tried to give them sharp drainage but something obviously was not right.

I feel for you fighting the tree roots, buyorsell888. My yard is dominated by very large Red Cedars, so there are roots all over here too. Hostas don't like that much but my winning combinations in dry shade are groundcover Symphytum (comfrey), Vincas, Geranium macrorrhyzum, and Anemone nemarosa. Pulmonarias do very well for me in shady places under small trees, and Epimediums.

I've lost quite a few supposedly hardy Fuchsias, especially spring of 2006 when we had a late cold snap, but the small flowered ones usually last, like David.

Re Lewisia tweedyi... thanks for the tip about removing foliage. I won't give up... I'll get a couple more and plant them under some big rocks in the cactus garden.

Don't remove all the foliage, Ian, just any that looks like it may be dead and might rot over the winter. Putting an extra flat stone to deflect winter rain away from the crown also helps for those we have planted in the rock wall. But our best survivors are the L.tweedyi that are planted among rocks with a pea gravel mulch around the crowns.

Any method that keeps it from getting too wet will work. Good pot subject.

I rip Lily of the Valley out every year as it smothers my more choice perennials but can't get rid of it. It is in dry shade under a Cornus kousa and next to a boxwood hedge. I've even painted leaves with Round Up as I can't spray among the ferns, huecheras, hellebores and everything else and still it lives. I don't mind a small patch as I do love the scent but this one has spread almost ten feet....

My Daphne odora marginata is planted near the front door, under an upright Japanese Maple. House faces south. It survived a renovation of the front stoop and walkway, was stepped on and had chunks of broken concrete on it but thrived. I don't do anything special to it at all. I can't believe it lived through the construction. It was recently planted when that happened. It is about 30" wide and 24" tall now and about to bloom.

Thanks again. I have plenty of pea gravel and rocks, so will do that. When I have killed them before, they were in pots with pumice/grit. I seem to be able to grow just about any other Lewisia I have tried this way, except tweedyi. Could just be my luck.

Have you tried Claytonia megarhiza var. nivalis? That's another one I'd like to try but have been afraid of killing it. Spectacular plant.

{{gwi:371923}}

I've tried claytonia once; same wall as the Lewisia tweedyii, but lost it after a couple of years. And to be honest, I do lose tweedyiis also, but usually after many years and they have reseeded so we are never without at least a few. Definitely not as easy as other Lewisias; those pop up everywhere. Lewisia tweedyi is easy to propagate from cuttings as well as seed, so if you have a particularly good colored one, take a cutting to overwinter. An especially good pink form-

Necks must be dry, if rubbish (including that made by the plant itself) accumulates or anything else results in dampness around the crown failure may result.

One recent year a couple friends and I went over to Tumwater Canyon and saw Tweedy's lewisis flowering here and there just uphill from the highway. One of us disappeared down a ravine and came back after awhile talking of some large ones hanging out of the cliff. When I saw the photos later they looked like fuchsia baskets, much bigger than any I had ever seen and covered with flowers.

Yes, they are very impressive in the wild; tho they have a very small range, within that range they are abundant and can become quite large. We have seen some with hundreds of flowers in bloom per plant; one hillside had hundreds of plants all in bloom, mostly in the typical apricot, but others in pinks, whites, and even lemon yellow. Washington's most beautiful wildflower, IMO.

The principal motivation for the Tumwater Canyon preserve, although other rare plants grow there as well.

Another place to check out this spring. I'm thinking of a run out that way sometime this year to check out Lake Chelan manzanitas and Entiat Valley Ceanothus prostratus if I can find them.... and maybe Colockum Range Pediocactus if I have time. Maybe I can work Lewisia tweedyi in.

Tumwater Canyon is okay for Lewisia tweedyi (preserve is actually for another rare plant); there are much more impressive displays in both the Icicle Canyon, the Entiat Range, and near Lake Chelan.

Yeah, that's right: it wasn't for the lewisia. I had that in the back of my mind but then decided it was for the lewisia. I've seen the lewisia in other locations but the neat thing about the one spot was the size of the ones hanging out of the cliff.

Poppies! Well, I shouldn't say they always fail for me - they always fail for me *here*, even though I see them thriving right down the street. :-P Also any California poppy that isn't the original yellow-orange. And radishes. Can't grow a radish to save my soul. I just get big, tough roots.