I got some Nemesia paintbox in a trade last year and they winter sowed beautifully.....I fell hard for them, so this year I've traded and purchased for Berries and Creme Sachet, snow princess, Mello Red & White, and Masquerade. I'd love to hear some other varieties that people have tried. I have fallen in love with this little plant!

~Deb

I LOVE THESE GUYS TO. MY FAVORITE IS KLM, HES BLUE , AND I LOVE BLUE , I USED TO LOVE CARNIVAL , BUT THEIR HARD TO GET, BUT THEY BLOOM THE BEST.

I'm glad I'm not alone. Thanks for the responses. I've also tried Nebula from T&M. The flowers were huge and just beautiful, but they didn't seem to take the summer heat real well. Tapestry from T&M is another good one. Good colors, but smaller flowers.

I can't believe this is November and my 'Compact Innocence' and Mello Red & White are still blooming like crazy. I'm in MN. They should be long dead by now.

Kevin

I've only ever grown 'tapestry' (I bought a 4" seedling and it ended up being the intensely velvet dark red bloom-- no complaints here!) and I've grown 'masquerade' from Park's seed and have been extrememly pleased with both. On my member page is a link to my photo album which has a pic of the red 'tapestry'...I don't have any photos of the 'masquerade' (didn't have a digital camera yet) but it's really exotic looking, though I must say it didn't smell like coconut like the catalog said, but oh well!
Amanda 'romando'

Last year (2006) I grew Nemesia Fruticans, there were two choices, white with a tinge of blue, or white with a tinge of pink. The pink tinged plant had twice the scent of the blue so that's the one I went with and loved. Kept it watered every day in a small 10" pot in full sun, no wilting. Full of blooms. Several times I cut off all the long bloom stems and within a week it was full of fragrant flowers again.

This year I couldn't find it, but ended up with 'Opal Innocence' white blooms with a hint of pink, and fragrant. My DH says it smells like 'stinkweed' to him, but I love it. Three little plants in same 10" basket, and when I am near and there's a slight breeze, I get the wafting effect. Wonderful.

In 2005 I had 'Peach Sunsatia', and that was the strongest smelling, and the deepest color nemesia I've ever had. Anyone know if there are any other darker colors that are fragrant?

Thanks.

~k~

I've always wondered if Nemesias would grow and bloom through our mild winters. Anybody know? Also, where do you get all these wonderful sounding seeds?

If you pick the right variety, I'm sure they would. A lot of the hybrids just don't like the summer heat and will croak very quickly once it arrives. By far the best one I've grown is an unknown white variety that came via an exchange in a mixed bag of Nemesia seeds. As long as I keep it deadheaded that little plant blooms way past our first hard freeze. In a milder climate, I bet it would almost be perennial. It also has the most delicious fragrance.

Thompson & Morgan seems to have a good selection of hybrids and species.

Hi aachenelf;

Just how cold does it get for you to consider that your area's experienced a hard freeze? We should be getting some below 0C temps here in the next couple of weeks and I plan to move my one pot of nemesia to a sheltered spot for the evening and set out for the day again. It would be nice to know it's not so vital for a mild freeze (-1 or -2 c here). Moving pots in and out can get tiring also.

As for the type of nemesia I have, it must not be a hybrid since we had a full month of +30 - 35 C temps here, and I made sure to keep the little 10" pot watered, it was in full sun on my concrete steps and never showed any signs of wilt or harm from the heat, whereas some of my other plants would look a bit droopy (with moist/wet soil) until the shade hit them at night and then they'd revive.

Have you ever been able to harvest seeds from them and have them come back true?

Thanks for your time,

~ k ~

We haven't had anything even close to freezing yet. The last few days it's been close to 90 F with lows only in the 70's F.

I didn't grow any Nemesia this year, but the little white one I'm talking about did self seed a bit, so I have a few plants blooming now. It must be some sort of species since it does seem to come true. In past years it has shown no frost damage when temps have dropped into the mid 20's F.

I do believe I will try some this winter. The last two or three years it has never fallen below twenty degrees. Thanks for the encouragement, aachenelf!