" 7cm pots were eye-wateringly expensive (at least for this cheapskate) - can I expect much this season?"

I don't know about the UK climate but here, definitely not. The original species were mostly high altitude South Americans. Through breeding at places like U Conn, the (perennials) garden forms were selected for being able to grow in our climate. But they still need a year to establish, and they are a bit fussy during that establishment period. However after a couple years, when the roots probably have sufficient mass, some of them, at least, are vigorous, free-blooming plants.

Thus I was amused to see recently that some are being sold as "temperennials" or "expensive annuals". I'm guessing someone took the cut flower strains and selected them for being able to size up in a year...in a European garden. The excellent (for that kind of thing) local-to-me nursery called Groff's Plant Farm was devoting a huge amount of bench space - maybe 30 feet or so - to this dubious (to me) prospect. I really have trouble believing they will develop well in a few months, in our climate at least, and be worth any price other than free, which they weren't. I think they wanted 3.79 for a tiny tea cup sized pot. AND on top of that these aren't being sold in the perennials section, so they might not even last through a cold winter.

I think the wholesale marketers are always pushing some new 'might be but really isn't perennial' geegaws to the masses...hoping you'll buy the latest thing even though it's destined to die. It's all part of the plan...they select the plants to make sure they _won't_ survive an average winter in your area. Take these new showy Osteospermums. Granted I didn't buy it to be perennial, but it obviously died outright on the night of the first freeze, just like an annual would, while the wild-collected Osteospermum right next to it stays semi-green until it gets really cold. (and survived to past two rough winters you might have heard about) And based on what I've observed, I have a hard time believing that the so-called 'Digiplexis' were surviving in the colder/interior parts of the UK. I even wonder if some of the new ridiculous looking coneflowers are actually surviving YOY in most people's garden. Though they are derived from perfectly hardy species.

In the rare case someone breeds these kind of plants to actually be _hardier_ than their parents, the retail market - the nurseries - decide not to buy them because they'd rather you come back next year to buy more plants. In the early 2000s a professor at NCSU wanted to create perennial Gerberas. The seeds were very expensive but I bought a pack from Park Seeds. It was something like $5 for 12 seeds. They were hard to germinate and keep alive which has always been my experience with antipodal Asteraceae. Two of the plants grew and survived a fairly cold winter for me, but that was the year my parents sold their house so I lost the garden I'd started when I was 12 or so. I could only move a few really precious plants and had to skip those. Well, that seed strain was never seen again.

Oh look, everything old is new again LOL:

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-plants/perennial-and-biennial-plants/gerbera-sweet-collection/t47371TM

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose (minus accents because my keyboard is crapola). I have always resisted gerberas and gone for the easier arctotis, ursinia, osteos et al. Anyway, I tipped the pots out - nice fat roots and obviously ready for potting up. I have planted them in a rich medium (added bat guano) and will bring them on in the greenhouse till frosts are not a danger. And in the meantime, I hastily sowed a few tagetes tenuissima for a fast orange hit.

That isoplexis - not so much hardiness issues but a general feebleness which I have seen in bi-generic hybrids before. Personally, I am loving d.obscura 'Dusky Maid' and some of those Polka Dot hybrids which have proved long flowering (sterile) and very perennial. Weren't you a fan of the almost defunct Spice (Island?) foxglove, David? Bob Brown, of Cotswold Plants has always rated this far above niminy-piminy over-hyped, over-hybridised types.

"Weren't you a fan of the almost defunct Spice (Island?) foxglove, David?
Bob Brown, of Cotswold Plants has always rated this far above
niminy-piminy over-hyped, over-hybridised types."

Yep. Too bad it's almost defunct. I thought it could still be bought in the UK? But again...maybe the wholesalers decided it was "too good" of a plant LOL. It survived about 4 years in my horrendous summers, flowering well each year, so there should be no reason propagators in the UK couldn't have kept the clone going indefinitely. I really wish I'd figured out how to propagate it; as is is sometimes the case, one doesn't know what a good thing one had until it's gone. Best foxglove I ever grew by far, and better looking than the "Digiplexi". The pure southern Europe species probably last a long time in the UK (the perennial ones) but the hot summers here tend to wear them out and they are sorta - triennial. You might get one good year from them but they will never look as good again. Currently trying another one - we will see.

People complain for example about the Neu-Heucheras not being vigorous. The first generation fancy hybrids like 'Pewter Veil' were very easy to grow - I should know they were vigorous in my Virginia garden with its poor red clay soil. But of course Terra Nova et al. will never offer that one again, and it's probably patented so nobody else can.

Good news is 'Pewter Veil' is off patent now - so if a non-affiliated wholesaler could actually find it, they are free to build up stocks and offer it.

Camp, Species Osteos are fairly common perennials there right? Petrol Station, Sainsbury parking lot type plants right? They are still rare as perennials here, I think because they need well draining soil. But the form I have here is actually hardier than various American Prairie type Asteraceae, like Gaillardia. No matter how much drainage I give those, they usually die after a couple winters. The Osteo keeps surprising me...at this point I'm thinking of taking cuttings and just giving a wide swath of my terraced border over to it. Almost a perfect perennial for me.

Do you have the purple jucundum? or the white ecklonis? Osteos (or dimorthopeca..or tripteris sinuata) have always been a favourite of mine...and yep, they can be had for pennies almost, as well as being easy from cuttings or seed. Back in the day, I had an attempt at a 'Californian Meadow'...but it gradually turned into a S.A.version with heliophila, felicia, nemesia, gorteria. gazania etc. The 'crazy daizy' bed. I think a whole terrace of daisies sounds wonderful in your warm southern light. Go for it (pics later).

No, it's one called O. barberiae 'Lavender Mist', selected by the Greek guy formerly at Denver Botanic Garden whose name-spelling I would completely butcher. He was very interesting in selecting hardy forms of ZA plants. Was was really remarkable was it survived being covered in heavy, wet snow for weeks AND temps down around 0F. Which killed nearby Rosemary 'Hill Hardy' and small Yucca rostratas. As you probably know the high elevations of ZA tend not to get consistent snowfall, or any at all; there's one little area to the west where an upstart tiny ski resort ekes out an existence but it isn't remotely like what they can do even in Australia. The climate patterns and mountain locations just don't favor it.

Have had alstros but never been mad about them. And while I'm not a plant snob, the fact that the Ca. and Ecuador cut flower growers deluge us with them for about five months makes them seem less wantable.

"And while I'm not a plant snob, the fact that the Ca. and Ecuador cut
flower growers deluge us with them for about five months makes them seem
less wantable."

Yeah I knew someone who didn't like them for that reason LOL.