I added a couple of golden oreganos last spring and they settled right in. In fact, they looked so good

@cecily 7A you are not the first one I have seen in this forum say good things about ornamental oreganos. I think I recall reading in past years that it is a fave plant of Frozebudd.

FB thank you. and as always, I love all of your cheerful bloomers!

Oh yes - golden oregano is a good one!

@FrozeBudd_z3/4: that Sunseekers, did you order it online, and if so, could you please share your source? I think it’s the prettiest I’ve ever seen!

GardenHo, I was just again looking at your photos, those grasses sure give beautiful texture! I've only just begun to get into more ornamental grasses beyond the calamagrostis types and molinia variegata which is a must have in my books!

Mazerolm, I had seen online photos when searching new perennial varieties and thought to myself good luck ever finding them via Canadian mail order or in person! BUT, during the summer had walked into the large plant lot at my local Home Depot and boom there they were staring us in the face and at the great price of 2 for only $10 bucks! The mango and pink color of the new blooms is stunning and holds for a long time before becoming a solid soft pink, they have rebloom as well. Now, yes, my climate is iffy for most echinacea for that matter, but snow cover is generally reliable and I've been successful with planting the crowns down about two inches deeper. 'Sunseekers Salmon' is on my wish list, photo from the net.

during the summer had walked into the large plant lot at my local Home Depot and boom there they were staring us in the face

I have a HD literally 5 minutes from us and I never/rarely do I see any perennials of any consequence for sale :(.

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 that "Sunny Susy Rose Sensation" looks so good! I have never grown a "Black Eyed Susan Vine"....did you start it from seed indoors or is there time to do a direct sowing in May?

@FrozeBudd_z3/4: how lucky to find that echinacea at Home Depot!

Phoenix Perennials had the Salmon one last year. But I had already bought 4 varieties when I noticed it so I passed. Hopefully they will have it back in stock for 2022!

https://mailorder.phoenixperennials.com/Echinacea-Sunseekers-Salmon-Coneflower-p/9905.htm

@GardenHo_MI_Z5: beautiful pics as always!

That blue stem grass is on my list for 2022. I saw a commercial building beautifully landscaped with mass plantings of blue grass, molinia variegata and specimens conifers & trees. I should have taken a pic! Since then, I’ve been wanting to add more grasses to my garden.

Yes Rouge, the addition of golden oregano was indeed inspired by Frozebudd. Another forum inspired purchase in 2021 was salvia Amistad. I planted a grouping of Amistad at the historic site. The manager has requested Amistad again next year because it attracted hummingbirds and visitors enjoyed watching the pugnacious little birdies. Funny how non-gardeners think hummingbirds are exotic. So the 2021 Amistad is potted and living in my garage this winter. It's currently blooming.

I really enjoyed oregano Drops of Jupiter: it looked great even after it was done blooming!

On various sites it seems that this particular oregano can attain a height of 2 feet? Those that have this particular variety do you see this also?

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 I wanted to let you know that after seeing your pic I placed an order for some seeds for a "Black Eyed Susan" vine...exciting stuff :).

Rouge I bought the plant...good sized, about 2ft tall. It did take quite awhile for it to take off. I gave it no supplemental water (other than initially) and it really took off once the heat cranked up. Placement was on the northside of my house...am sun with a break...then late afternoon sun.

Probably everyone already has this one but alyssum blew me away this year.

I have a decent sized yard and would prefer not to see much dirt but that can be VERY expensive so this year I bought a couple packets and just sprinkled them around.

I didn’t do anything else, just watered when I watered surrounding plants and they went nuts.

Bees loved them, the kids loved them (because it was so easy and had results so quickly) and I was just so impressed.

I have already purchased seven packets in various colors for spring. Can’t wait!

My sprinkle annuals have been marigolds and cleome because it's so easy to save seed. Alyssum would look classier but DH is annoyingly frugal. We've grown the same marigolds for over a decade and that makes him truly happy ;)

Mazerolm, I overlooked that 'Sunseekers' echinacea when placing last years order, probably cause the photo at the time hadn't caught my eye, lol. The place sure does though have all too many interesting plants!

Rouge, 'Drops of Jupiter' is just new to the market, I think it's best to keep these in a leaner and somewhat drier soil if possible, my other ornamental oregano grows a bit overly exuberant when summers rains are abundant.

Rouge - I remember growing Nemesia once and it did do very well for me too. I don’t always buy annuals in the spring. I seem to remember having one that was fragrant. Not sure I am remembering the right plant, but thanks for the reminder to try this one again.

I’ve been growing Cuphea Vermillionaire for about 5 years now. I wanted it because of it’s reputation with hummingbirds and every season it hasn’t disappointed. I’ve seen hummingbirds using it, which is a treat for me, since I don’t put out a feeder to attract them. Sorry to hear you’ve had Japanese Beetle damage. I’m pretty fortunate that I don’t have more than a handful of those every season. I do get the Oriental beetles and they prefer my roses, [g] I never saw them on the Cuphea. This year for the first time, I am trying to winter over my Cuphea. I took cuttings and they rooted very quickly in water. I just potted them up into soil and so far they seem to be pretty sturdy little seedlings.

When I first started coming to GardenWeb, I did some seed trading and got a lot of annual seeds that way. I forget the variety names, but there were a few taller ageratum, that I just loved. Annuals from seed are such a fun and satisfying part of gardening. I wish I could do more of it.

Maz - I was looking at a photo of Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ and wondering if it was an improvement over ‘Autumn Joy’. So you liked it. Did it live up to your expectations?

FBudd - Love the ‘Pink Panther’ foxglove! Do you grow that Agastache ‘Morello’ in a zone 3 garden? I didn’t think they were that hardy. I have trouble with Agastaches because I don’t have good enough drainage for them in most cases. I love them though. That ‘Morello’ is a pretty one and full. That last photo you posted - is that the Echinacea ‘Sunseeker’s Salmon’? It almost looks like a calendula. [g]

@FrozeBudd_z3/4 can I ask where you acquired "Morello"?

(Is this variety sterile or does it seed about like your wonderful "Golden Jubilee"?)

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA: Thunderhead is my first tall sedum so I‘m unable to compare,but I bought it because I wanted a darker bloom color. I don't know if this is typical of tall sedums, but it held its color a LOT longer than the small ones I have (Firecracker and Dazzleberry)

@oursteelers 8B PNW: I grew alyssum for the first time this year and loved it too! I grew a lavender mix and really enjoyed how it looked with my burgundy plants.

Years ago, I put a very thick layer of mulch in 2 garden beds, and my Spring project will be to remove it and replace with alyssum and other ground covers.

I have one area that is full sun and very dry, and will probably try Malcolmia Spring Sparkle (new to me):

https://www.damseeds.com/products/spring-sparkle

Mazerolm, mine was also the lavender mix-just the inexpensive popular one you find on seed racks everywhere in the spring.

I was so impressed with how easy and quickly it popped up, not to mention how the bees loved it and it helped suppress weeds that I bought some specialty ones for this spring.

@oursteelers 8B PNW which alyssum did you buy for 2022?

Prairiemoon ... yes, Mazerolm's photo shows well of 'Thunderhead's' striking foliage and deep wine red bloom. I've removed 'Autumn Joy' in favor of other newer varieties. The below photo does little actual justice to sedum 'Jaws', the toothed foliage is very attractive before it becomes smothered over with large and plentiful bloom, these are late blooming, though the domed plants add dramatics.

PM, I was surprised to have success with agastache ‘Morello’, though years ago had purchased a seed package of mixed aurantiaca that had wintered for a couple of seasons. Success here really means getting those deep insulating snows soon after frost has penetrated the ground. I also always plant more tender things a few inches deeper and mound over with a few shovels of dry soil before the ground freezes, I have my tricks! BUT, what winters under my conditions can perish in milder climates due to winter wet. On rare occasion, I've experienced disappointing losses to winter or very early spring wet.

Rouge, I obtained 'Morello' from Phoenix Perennials, might be other places offering it, you could do it as a container plant to winter in the garage. No, I haven't noticed any seedlings, but collected seeds that have now already been indoor sown. As for 'Golden Jubilee', it seeds out in abandonment that it carpets the ground, yes easy to rid of to leave some sprinkled around the place, it's quite a thug for me, but in a good way, lol.

Thanks FBud. I forgot about 'Jaws' too. I'll have to think about adding one of those. Sedums are such a fool proof plant. Look good just about every day of the year.

Having a consistent snow cover is a real blessing. Climate change has really altered our weather patterns here. We used to get a lot more snow and consistent snow cover and now it's quite iffy. And we get mixed precipitation, which just makes a mess. They are forecasting snow here tomorrow after 1pm, but then it changes over to sleet, then rain, then back to snow. Sunday should be a mess. You used to be able to depend on snow in December, but an actual accumulation on the ground is not the usual any more. It was 60F here on Wednesday and almost that warm yesterday. When I was growing up I never heard of a 60F day in December. A few years ago we had one in January as well. That never happened before either. So enjoy the snow cover. Glad it allows you to keep so many plants going in your garden.

Mazerolm, I got two packetsof Oriental Nights, two of Tiny Tim, two Violet Queen and one Snowcloth

@oursteelers 8B PNW: these alyssum will look great! I would like to try Clear Crystal Purple this year, just to see if the blooms are as striking as shown online.

You guys have reminded me of my excellent experience this past summer with BLUSHING PRINCESS Alyssum. A healthy bloom machine....almost too vigorous as it would 'take over' a container.

I love alyssum too. I found one variety that I liked and then forgot the name of it. [g] Mine reseeded really well for me for a long time and I didn't have to buy seeds, but one spring they didn't come back well and I just bought seeds on sale and used multiple varieties. I know one of them was 'Oriental Nights' which has the purple tones and I liked that. I had a fair amount of reseed this year again. Whichever white I have, bloomed the whole season and was blooming still, late in the Fall. When seeds go on sale, alyssum is on the top of my list and I get multiple packages. I used to love the fragrance of alyssum, but I don't notice it much any more. I wonder if they have hybridized the fragrance out of them?

Agastache 'Morello'

For the past two seasons I have grown Agastache Blue Fortune. I have really enjoyed seeing it as an A1 pollinator attractor. But looking at the pictures of the flowers of Morello, specifically the shape of the flowers (I don't recall now the technical name), appear to be lots different than what I see for my BF. Does that make sense?

Rouge, yes, agastache 'Morello' is of a different species hybrid of shorter habit and long tubular blooms on especially dense flower heads that give it a high color impact.

Thanks @FrozeBudd_z3/4. I do see them offered at PHOENIX but I am hoping I can source 'Morello' closer to home. If you remember let us know if it survives your winter..

Well, I breed zinnias as a hobby (strictly amateur), so some of my home-hybridized zinnias would be my choices. I have several new zinnia forms, and these are just a couple of examples.

I grow zinnias both outdoors and indoors as part of my hobby, and I am in the process of planting some more home-hybrid zinnia seeds indoors today as part of my hobby. It feels good to be gardening indoors in this frigid winter weather.

ZM

GardenHo, very appealing color and texture combinations in your last two photos! Not many heuchera varieties are reliably hardy for me, though am trying some of the 'Northern Exposure' series bred with the very hardy H. richardsonii, so far the two varieties I've obtained are performing well.

Zen_man, yes, plant breeding can be fun and very rewarding, I mostly have worked with roses and raspberries and intend to give strawberries a try.

I added some Clematis. C. h. 'China Purple' and C. 'Durandii' and 'Serenata'. Dracocephalum a. 'Fuji Blue' which I liked enough to get "Fuji White". I also added a few Iris s. - Tipped in Blue, I See Stars, Pink Parfait and Painted Woman. Stachys 'Hummelo' established quickly and bloomed its heart out. I was happy to put in Mukdenia r. 'Karasuba'. I believe it was mazerolm that piqued my interest in this plant a couple of years ago. Almost forgot about Geum triflorum which I know I will enjoy.

FB thank you, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that these ones return for me and for yours to continue doing well.

The new Bluestone catalog is online and agastache Morello is included. Select Seeds is carrying Morello for 2022 as well.

(Thanks @cecily 7A but being a resident of Canada I cant take advantage of American on line nurseries)

GardenHo, I think my heuchera will be fine, they're well situated and now under a deepening layer of insulating snow. The brutal COLD is coming and will sweep across a very broad range of Canada and even into the interior of BC where some interior valleys are expected to bottom out at around -30 C. I certainly hope the cold doesn't go the same route as last year and enter soooo deep into some US states, at least up in the north things are made for it, by no means am saying I enjoy it, but it's life here!

Silly Rouge, you can't use US catalogs but you're going to talk up this new plant and cause a run on the market. Anyone who wants Morello needs to order it quickly ;)

Correction on the heuchera ’green spice’ . Its actually a ’pink fizz’....ooops, the foliage looks very simular...

A newer plant to my garden is lead plant Amorpha canescens, it performs as a herbaceous perennial in my climate, lovely silver foliage and long bloom period.

You wish for a first year flowering Sweet William / dianthus that blooms non stop for months on end, then go for 'Amazon Neon', the series has three colors.

'Delizz' strawberries are always flowering and fruiting, this variety produces few runners that a patch soon isn't choked with them.

Just to jump on the echincaea "Sunseekers Salmon" and southwest Ohio/US. This season it was being sold at HD/Lowes/Meijer.... and a majority of their plants had Aster Yellows. Some had the full green petal/cone/distortion while others were just showing the issue.

Throughout the year I'd see other echinceas and rudbeckia fully infected being sold as well. This was the worst year for AY infected plants being sold. I've seen AY at independent nurseries as well, who typically are more open to pulling the plants from their inventory.

SO point being... if you are shopping for an echinacea or rudeckia..... make sure you do a quick look over their entire stock to see if there is any infected plants.

You wish for a first year flowering Sweet William / dianthus that blooms non stop for months on end

@FrozeBudd_z3/4 are you confident that it will return in the Spring? I ask as I had Dianthus "Heart Attack" and it was 'advertised' as a particularly reliable SW but it "left me" after 2 seasons.

@Nevermore44 - 6a, regretfully I haven't had any echs for several years as I had successive seasons with "Asters Yellow" or mites. I don't know how others keep their coneflowers free of these issues.

I have a decent sized area full of echinaceas and I've had a few plants over the years have Asters yellows. Most likely from me bringing in another echincea with it. so I've been fine with just pulling the infected plant out. My father built and tended a large public garden area for 15 years and had large patches of susceptible plants. There were some infected rudbeckia that he "enjoyed the look of" and refused to remove. With that said, it doesn't seem to spread incredibly fast by any means.

Mite infected plants are being sold just as much as AY plants, so you have to be careful with them too. Besides just removing the infected cones during the season, I've been seemingly successful by just clear cutting my echinacea bed to the ground earlier in the fall when the plants are looking ratty but haven't been knocked back from frosts. I then just remove all the plant debris. The mite infected cones have been reducing year by year.

Nevermore, yes, good point to always be on alert for disease infected nursery stock. I've been at my new location for 15 years, time flies that's for sure! Soon, afterwards I spied and removed several aster yellows infected plants and thankfully not again yet seeing a reoccurrence. As a note, the place was a total new build with no former gardens.

No, sorry, I should have stated of the 'Amazon Neon' Sweet William being an annual, though very worth the effort for anyone who enjoys indoor seed starting! Yes, I also love the biannual type and those awesome Tr-colored blooms, though often I forget to get around to outdoor sowing the seeds in July. Oh, my 'Heart Attack' died after just the first season!

'Amazon Neon' has massive flowerheads!!

Rouge, here's some more echinacea for you ...

Yes Rouge, the addition of golden oregano was indeed inspired by @FrozeBudd_z3/4

So while out this morning I unexpectedly came across what I think is the very short version of the several varieties of GA:

So as per the case I bought more than I could "chew" and I see some of what I bought is labelled Golden CRISP Oregano.

I see looking more carefully the leaves for the "Crisp" are crinkly.

By chance has anyone grown GCrispO as a perennial?

Rouge, my friend had originally purchased the golden oregano from Richters, but I don't know what named selection it might be, though it does have more of an oval leaf. Your GCrispO should be as perennial as the others, all enjoy a soil that drains fast and freely.

My 'Drops of Jupiter' oregano has made though the long winter and so far wonky spring.

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 I wanted to let you know that after seeing your pic I placed an order for some seeds for a "Black Eyed Susan" vine.

Here is one that is the furthest along (from seed):