Oh yeah, dragon arum last year was a bit of a surprise. :D

I am not that good in growing stuff from seeds though, so I often buy some unknowns from the local nursery specializing in more weird perennials and border plants.

Oooh yes, one of my favorite things to do. However, I STILL have not settled down to draw up some orders for this year -- must do soon! That Ceratotheca looks very interesting and the Geisshorhiza -- OMG! (So, there's the start of the order, right there). For me, the prize of last year's lot was Mirabilis longiflora: floriferous, white, night-blooming, sweet musky tropical scent, and a floral tube nearly 6" long (moth pollinator). Other treasures from seeds for "mystery" plants include: Yucca baccata, Iris sisyrinchium (now classified with Moraea), Pelargonium triste, Thymus mastichinum (what catnip is to cats, the smell of this thyme is to me -- distinct, pungent, intoxicating, with a sort of vanilla note, handsome dwarf shrub, plus the flowers are like fluffy snowballs and attractive both fresh and dry), and Oenothera organensis. All these were from Chiltern, except the Oenothera, which came from Thomson and Morgan, who offered it exactly one year (1993 or 1994) and have never offered it since. I have never found another source -- seed or plant -- and it seems to be entirely out of commerce. That is a shame because it is, in my opinion, the most garden-worthy of all the evening primroses. If anyone does know of a source, do tell. I keep my own going with seeds and cuttings.

Suzy, what color(s) did your Acnistus australis from seed turn out to be? There seems to be a range, from white through pinkish to very blue.

Also, correction on name: Thymus mastichina (but Chiltern doesn't seem to offer it at this time -- darn! Anyway, highly recommended, where or whenever found.)

We have a mom and pop wholesale perennial grower in Los Angeles who are quite special, Mariposa Gardens. She buys esoteric seed to try and if they germinate and grow well for her, she adds them to her availability list. I've had the fortune to grow some neat, odd things because of her experimentation.

Hi Catspa - the acnistus was meant to be blue but quite a few seedlings came out white. The blue is a lovely deep colour. It is not grown much in the UK (I have never seen it anywhere) and info is hard to find. I have one in sun and one in shade. In sun, the leaves are smaller and very chlorotic (have to give an extra nitrogen boost) while the leaves are larger and the flowers continue for longer, in semi-shade.
A lovely shrub though, very graceful. It grows fast and gets woody quickly, but can easily be lost in a hard winter.
Mmm, the mirabilis sounds interesting. Grew Nicotiana suaveolens last year - similar long fragrant tubes and far more elegant than N.sylvestris.

Well, if at least some of this acnistus come deep blue from seed, Suzy, that's worth doing. I see that Annie's Annuals has it on her list (can be a 10 ft. tree!) -- though not in stock online. Annie's Annuals is our local purveyor of the weird and unusual -- a retail outlet not far away and anyway every "good" local nursery has a corner with a selection of her stuff in 4" pots (yet another reason my garden is a motley collection). I often use her online notes to figure out how to grow the oddities I end up with -- hers and my own : ).

Love nicotianas -- favorites on my "vertical-things-to-break-up-the-boring-roundness-of-roses" list. N. suaveolens is a nice airy one. Another favorite is N. alata "Lime Green" -- seeds itself around, livens up otherwise boring pastel schemes, good all-purpose filler (no scent, though). If it gets tatty, chop it off, and it's soon back again. What a plant!