They have a reputation as short-lived perennials. Can't really confirm that from my own experience, but maybe they don't like getting too wet in winter.

Its a little early to write anything off, the but no sign of the Tricyrtis and that's not good. It just doesn't seem to want to establish in my garden. And the F. michailovskyi seems to have succumbed to the slugs again. No sign of Cosmos astrosanguineus but that is always a late riser. Same with the Begonias. Some Pelargoniums croaked, while some Million Bells and one Petunia survived.

I thought the unusually cold winter here in Cornwall may have killed of my Iochroma cyanea, but I noticed today it's covered in little green buds, I'm not so sure about the Kniphofia thompsonii though, but I;ll wait a little longer before writting it off.

Shrubs n bulbs, my Tricyrtis has been up a good month now, contrary to advice, it's planted on a hot dry bank in full sun and seems very happy, just waiting for the Roscoes, they always suprise me by appearing just as I've given up hope.

Mine would be Salvia Grahamii which I grew from seed last year. They look like a load of twigs but the stems are still bendy near the bottom so I'm hoping. I know they are borderline but I had one for a few years before it croaked.

Sue

My delphiniums haven't appeared either. I don't mind, actally - they were grown from free seeds that came with a magazine and were a rather dull and mucky pink rather than the glorious blue I was expecting. I'd probably have pulled them up anyway, so perhaps they got the hint.

Hello, DeeDs1 - long time no hear!

I've had a bush of S. grahamii for some years. This spring I cut it right down into the gnarled base as it had got pretty ungainly. And there it has remained. I'll not give up hope just yet, though. Shame, it's a good plant.

I'm off to inspect my tricyrtis now!

No sign of the tricyrtis. Or any of the echinaceas. Surely they should be up by now? No sign of the everlasting sweet peas either.
The gaura is a goner - never known it last a winter yet.

My dicentra alba hasn't come up in either of the two spots where it is planted. It's not the earliest to come back in my garden but I'd have expected it to come up by now. Just today I saw the merest hint of green emerging from the soil in one of the spots - at this stage I can't tell if it's the dicentra and it may just be a weed seedling!

On the subject of everlasting peas, I bought some from a local 'yellow book' event last year and never saw them again. I can't remember if I tried to plant them out but I couldn't find them in the garden again, in the pot or elsewhere. Are they snail-bait generally?

I think that everything's survived the winter here so far, including the fuchsias which got hit by the frost. I have two places where I can grow delphiniums successfully and without slug bait - right next to my house. The plants have been there for at least seven years so not short lived in my book. I have failed with delphs in other parts of the garden and I have put their disappearance down to slug damage.
Lori, I've had everlasting peas in the garden for many years, even growing in the shade and they don't get nibbled by snails.

I'm afraid my dicentras are up and flowering, Lori.

Hi there G.N.
Like you my Dicentra (spectabilis alba) is up and flowering, in spite of being overshadowed by a number of Lunarias (Honesty).

What I always have problems with are the variegated Thymus types, and summer-flowering Pennisetum Grasses which are definitely non-flowering and usually non-living as well with me. Too much clay around here I guess.

Last year the slugs or snails devoured my delphiniums and unfortunately they triumphed again last night. Nothing left. Maybe I will give up on growing them. everything else has grown no problems.
Alison