That is weird Kyle. Rhizomatous (which rexes are of this type) are fairly easy. Are you overwatering them? Several of mine took a turn south due to the week I was at the convention in New Orleans. Most are still viable and some are putting out new leaves. These are the smallest pots and on top shelves. I've noticed over the years that plants I put on top shelves (begonias) often do worse than the ones on middle and lower shelves. I can only think that it must be warmer (heat rises) and causes issues. The other thing is not seeing as well since I could just be watering blind unless I take the tray down (I do that in one room - 9 trays in all that is a bit more work than I like). These photos are from March 12 as I have only taken a few photos of cuttings after that. I even got Escargot through winter this year! YAY! My 3 red rexes have never looked this good until I cut back on watering this winter. This big pot was started in September from 3 inch pots. 3 rexes, 1 U647, and Bashful Bandit in the middle. Sophie plants that I started over the previous winter and gave away several. Mary Bucholtz in the back, manicata in front plus several others. A Walmart or Lowe's rex a tray of small potted rhizos and rexes Teen Angel Miniperba (small cane), rabbit's foot fern, watermelon Peperomia, and goegoensis.

Too wet I would say. The mix they sit on, not in, should be barely damp. When the little eyes show, then youcan pot them a little deeper. But remember, they will not tolerate being watered when they haven't really started growth.Experience is a good teacher,.

Hi Rachel, all made sense to me! Wouldn't delphiniums be lovely. Yes absolutely its the sheer range of perennials and flowering shrubs, bulbs available to gardeners in temperate regions that's so astounding, that make gardening easy, interesting and creative. They have short growing seasons though, but spring summer and autumn are all absolutely wow seasons. I'm in Hong Kong, gardening up in the dense forested hills over looking the South China sea. Zone wise I think it's just beyond Miami towards the Keys. On occasion I get a few things from Florida, like palms and orchids that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I suppose other people find it maddening they can't grow all our lovely things too. For me I realise "gardening" has taken a back seat unfortunately as I've found collecting plants just to test them against our climate has taken up so much of my life. So less gardening and more plantsmen. Opening frontiers. I just found it so frustrating that I couldn't design with the same almost inexhaustible palette as before. Agapanathus for example, any kind or species won't grow here, just too much rain rain rain in summer, they rot even if planted on little mounds and are from summer rainfall regions. Evergreen, perennials none will do, last one or two seasons at the most then gone. It took me a good number of years just to collect all the various species in contention and test them.........the way things proceed. Before when I had an idea, creative flow I just did it. Magic wand, a winding bed of blue agapanthus into the distance. No more. It does make you search for alternatives though. I love Hostas, didn't even try them I just know they won't do but discovered Proiphys amboinensis which is even nicer........ It's exciting to discover things that do very well of course. This year I've been concentrating on Aglaonemas, Tibouchinas especially T granulousa, Azaleas, Salvias like S guarantica Black and Blue etc, Gingers, Largerstroemia........a whole range of lovely summer flowering Asters in fantastic colours that seem to love being wet humid and steamy and come back and back, found these in Bangkok. A few aloes even do well. Hardly any succulents do, but those that grow in seasonal (summer) damp places in the wild in Africa are thriving for me, A. ecklonis, A. cooperi......one from Uganda not even sure what it's called. They also flower so well, twenty stems to a clump If we didn't push the boat our gardens would end up looking like the municiple plantings all around us which become very repetitive. Winter is a fun time because we can indulge our fantasies.......all temperate perennials are treated as annuals for me they just don't get through our summer. Some are more worthy than others and yes Canterbury bells do very well as annuals if you can get the right plants at the right time........we need retailers to think out the box too, right. Retailers here are selling Hollyhocks in full flower and bud right now. It does make me laugh and cry same time. They would be fine in winter but all the trouble and expense of importing them to die an instant death is just completely ga-ga. Already after two days the flowers are drooping in the humidity, they won't last four days even in the shop. They look so lovely and exotic too which those huge frilly flowers and saturated colours. I must say when I first moved here I was burnt a good number of times. I assumed retailers new more than I did. In some cases it's just as well they don't as then I am able to secure the odd gem that makes a fantastic winter annual. Could be a sign of madness but I still keep getting burnt. For me also a language thing. Yesterday I snapped up a Spiraea 'gold fountain'. I wasn't thinking but the intense Spring chartreuse colour and flickering fern like leaves ..........who could resist. Even if by some miracle it survives this summer our winters are not cold enough to initiate flowering. That snow white fountain of May will never be, sigh. One for the compost bin. {Whisper} Jasmine officinale 'Fiona Sunrise' is a real surprise! It hasn't flowered (think the night temps are too high) but it grows brilliantly sending up gorgeously ferny chartreuse tendrils every year, far more interesting and delicate than the rampant potato vine! I told my Mum about it and she shrieked "burn it"! Where she is it's a real nuisance taking over everything in sight, for me its a charming little hanging addition to pots and planters. Im in awe that it survives our summers, looking so fresh and lovely, like Spring everyday. Good luck.

@hcbm there are SunPatiens, maybe you are thinking of those. Periwinkle is the ground cover form of vinca, and yes it has the periwinkle blue flower. I have never seen the periwinkle color flower on regular vinca. This has been quite confusing! LOL I went to the nursery again yesterday. Today I have a couple more pots to plant and three hanging baskets, one of which is a cone shape. I think I am doing it with mixed plants. One basket will be white bacopa and the other will be white dipladenia with varigated vinca vine. I still have a huge pot that I have not bought anything for. Yesterday I was reading a garden article in a magazine and one of the featured gardens had a climbing rose in a large pot/basket. I am thinking of doing that or possibly a mock orange bush. Either of these would be transferred (planted in the ground) as it gets larger. April 15 is our "last frost day", according to the almanac, although it's a bit of a gamble. We will have "dogwood winter" later this week, although no freezing temps. So, we are thinking of planting our veggie plants this weekend, depending on the weather.