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Rocky Mountain Gardening

seed suggestion please for Colorado Springs

18 years ago

I would like to give my sister-in-law some seeds for perenials that would grow beautifully and easily in her yard. I have no idea what to buy. She does have a mini indoor green house. Any suggestions for a fellow Buckeye gardener?

Thanks,

jnamama

Susan

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Comments (10)

plantladyco
18 years ago
This is a hard question to answer.
She won't be able to sow perennial seeds in the ground...they have to be started inside first.
If she started now, the plants might, or might not, be ready to plant in the Fall.
Some I can think of are:
Rudbeckia
Hollyhock (can actually be planted by seed)
Dianthus
Rose Campion
Feverfew
Sorry I'm not more helpful, but growing here is harder than where you are.
Climate is harsher for plants.
I tend to buy my perennial plants and not grow them.
I'm sure there's someone out there more adventuresome than me.
sagebrushred
18 years ago
Susan, does your SIL live out here in the Rocky Mountain States? If she does, here are a couple of websites that have a great selection of seed to choose from.

Western Native Seed

Plants of the Southwest

High Altitude Gardens

Like Plantlady I've bought many of the plants I grow. I'm just starting to grow things from seed. Some plants that have done will are Desert four o'clocks, blackfoot daisy or Melampodium leucanthum, Centranthus ruber, Salvia 'May Night', Penstemon eatonii, Penstemon mensarum, Penstemon pinifolius, Penstemon strictus, Penstemon palmeri, Gailardia aristata, Corydalis aurea, Liatris punctata, Polemonium or Jacobs ladder, Multiflora viguera, Delphinium grandiflorum, Ratibia /mexican hat.... to get you started.
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sagebrushred
18 years ago
Just re-read the heading to this post... She lives in Colorado springs! Need to work on my reading comprehension.
plantladyco
18 years ago
Gaillardia is good, I agree.
I've found penstemon difficult to germinate.
sagebrushred
18 years ago
Some penstemon seem to be more difficult than others. The one's I've listed have grown readily from seed sown in pots in the fall, covered with a layer of grit and left outside over the winter.

The P. palmeri, P. eatonii, and P. pinifolious have reseeded willingly in a south facing bed with gravel mulch. So have a couple other penstemon that I don't know the names of.
plantladyco
18 years ago
You're a bit warmer there than here.
Colorado Springs is officially Zone 5, but parts are definitely 4.
barb422
18 years ago
Some of my best germinators, started indoors were chocolate flower (berlanderia), agastache cana, hollyhocks, rudbeckia 'Indian Summer'. This is only my second year sowing seed and these ones were easy, transplanted well, and bloomed first year.

A couple years ago, when I direct seeded a few things, nothing came up. An annual that seems to be easy is Cosmos. It reseeded itself, so I'll have more this year.

My seeds came mostly from Wildseed Farms and Plants of the Southwest.

I'm converted to growing from seed, cheap and easy way to fill your garden.

Have fun in your search.
sagebrushred
18 years ago
Yep your right Plantlady, it is a bit warmer here.(I always seem to forget that) I'm a good solid zone 5 at my house some years I can push zone 6, but definitly not zone 4.

Another flower that's easy from seed, is the trusty snapdragon. I've got two I'm rather fond of. One is called 'Black Prince' and the other is 'Royal Bride'. There's also Coreopsis, they're easy from seed, but I get irritated with the deadheading.
Dan
18 years ago
I've had good germination rates with poppies, delphinium, aster, hardy mums, columbine, coreopsis, veronica, dianthus, gaillardia and rudbeckia. I live in the northern part of Colo Sprgs at 7000ft probably z5a and close to zone 4. Gardening is more of a challenge here than any of the many places we've lived. But the rewards, while small and relatively infrequent, are very gratifying.
jnamama
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you everyone for your input...you have given me some ideas to try! I appreciate your help.

jnamama

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