ok .. i did it .... sorta ... first .... to simplify wildly .... annuals bloom according to the intensity of the sun .... i doubt you can be successful is starting them later ... and hoping to delay bloom since sept/oct sun in MI is not going to be sufficient to trigger bloom.. and i am talking outdoors ... you are not going to FORCE a plant that is suppose to bloom in the high sun of JUNE.. to bloom in the relative darkness of OCT ... i can not address greenhouses ... next ... i had a rose collection.. over 100 plants ... their last bloom of the season in MI is often the largest flower of the year ... deepest colored.. and scented ... something about the effects of the refrigerator MI is in october ... and it worked for me ... i took two 5 gal buckets of budded roses to the florist to be inserted into the flowers i bought from them ... but i dont see you buying many roses and growing them successfully.. it defeats the money savings .... but, as i say .. the fail safe was the florist ... IMHO.. there is NO WAY you can insure that you will have flowers on the specific date ... short of a professional ... and on top of all that ... as noted.. in the few weeks before the big day .. you will surely have WAY TOOO MANNNYYY things to worry about besides mother nature ... like we can control that ... so .. my best advice ... pay for your flowers .... and set the deal with florist that anything you or future mom-in-law bring in.. they will add into the design ... and do shop around.. as i recall from 1995 ... prices for our concept varied between 300 and 1000 dollars ... and we went with the 300 plus all i could add ... and it turned out wonderful ... flowers were very important to this gardener ... but i gotta admit .... it is nearly one of the most ridiculous wastes of money in a wedding .... PLEASE focus on the important things.. like your bouquet.. and the maids .... and dont worry all that much about any other flowers ... the guests really dont care.. if you have a fully functional bar across the room ... lol ... so.. bottom line.. its money well spent for a fail safe.. and let mom in law worry about adding some late blooming perennials ... which most likely wont bloom from seed this year ... asters and mums would be perfect ... good luck with the wedding ken

My garden (or parts of it) is slowly recovering after a brutal summer. With cooler temperatures many of the roses are putting out new shoots, and the new tea roses I've put into the ground are putting out new shoots and leaves very quickly. Several roses I was worried about have been moved to more suitable areas and they've thanked me by putting out new growth. SdlM had languished a bit this summer, which is unusual and due to the record-hot weather and drought, but it's now thriving, with lots of new buds and some opening blooms. My two Le Vesuve bushes have really responded to cooler temps and are blooming nicely. If we can get some rain within the next few days it would be immensely helpful, but so far the rain gods haven't been listening. Ingrid

Sowing grass seed at this late date....doesn't stand a chance in your know where to come to anything approaching germination. Its too cold. One can throw figures out about what soil temperature they have and therefore, try to suggest it is warm enough for grass to come along. It cant....it wont....save your labor, your money and your sanity. Save the seed for next spring AFTER the soil has firmly warmed up. The post was made November 13....in zones 4, and 5, early September, in zone 6, mid September is the logical time to plant grass seed and expect it to germinate. Remember, its not just the soil temperature WHEN you plant it....it takes time and by the late tiem of germination, the soil has lost temperature and continues to lose its heat. If such grass seed were to germinate in November, it will be a lost cause by December....and not worth the bother of looking for in March and April. Let's use a little common sense....the purpose of your question suggests you already know the answer. We all like to look at an early spring.....or delay winter as long as we can.....but grass seed only knows a limited time window to germinate....and November...it is way past.

Christie, your salvia is thicker than mine. It comes up late and blooms in fall with very little care. I am going to try to get my few plants of pink started in another spot. I think red show up better, but pink and the wild ageratum that also blooms now might be something to try. My birch tree bent to the ground twice in ice storms. It isn't over the house and I am glad because I feel it has been weakened. Glenda, I am surpised yours didn't sprout up from the roots then you would have a clump. Bunny, I think you need plants quick in the spring for mental health after winter. Then you can just scratch up the soil and plant annuals here and there during the summer. My cosmos seeds were in a drawer; I was looking for something, saw them, and took them to my vegetable weed patch and scratched them in. I didn't take care of them, but it rained enough for them to grow. My red zinnias blooming now were a similar story. They really do grow fast. Marigolds are another to scratch in if you have a sunny spot.