Two of my favourites Connie. Nice plants! I have winter sown Lorraine Sunshine again this year - 7th year in a row. It's so popular at my plant sale. :O)

With the Lorraine, I sow a container 2 feet by 1.5 feet and 4 inches deep. For the hos, I eyeball the ones I want after they get their second set of leaves then I 'spoon' that one out and plant. If others come with it that are not to my liking, I pull them out. If there's several which are variegated in one clump, I let them grow on in the ground and check to see if I can separate them a bit later when they've grown a bit more. Don't think I've ever lost any I've wanted. Tough little buggers!!

For the Balloon Flower, the 2" cube is fine. These will form little tubers underground. At least mine do. I have the ones which grow only 6 inches tall. Easy to divide later on if you want to.

sneaking in here - is it too late to sow the Lorraine?

Nope! I forgot to winter sow mine last year and sowed them in June. :O)

Thanks Tiffy! Good to know that they are tough. I love tough! :) I separated them yesterday, and a while ago I looked and they all look just fine! So excited about these! I bet they really do well at your plant sale, with the variegated foilage. Do you think they'll bloom this year?

I don't know if it's my imagination, but everything looks so much happier now that they're in the ground. I've been planting out the last two or three days, and I swear it looks like some things have grown a little more since I put them out!

thanks, tiffy! now i just have to find the seeds ....

PV

Do you not want the non-variegated ones at all? If not, you could plant out the HOS and use tiny nail scissors to snip the plain ones off at soil level. Might be easier and less likely to damage the root systems of the ones you want.

I think my seedlings look happier once they are planted out, too!

Lisa

Connie, separating seedlings makes me a nervous wreck, LOL! I was thinking the same thing as Lisa. If I have too many seedlings, sometimes its easier to plant the clump, and then pinch out the extras later.

Nothing's big enough to plant out here yet. Way behind last year : (

Tiffy, that's good to know that the Heliopsis doesn't need cold stratification, 'cause I just remembered to sow mine this week. I'm planning to use it in place of some Coreopsis grandiflora 'Sunburst' that have fizzled out after 3 years. Also trying some Golden Marguerite in a couple of those spots. Hoping for more of a lemon yellow, where the Coreopsis were more of a golden yellow.

Bonnie

PV,

If you can't find your seeds, let me know. I may have some left.

Bonnie,

Way behind last year? We are way ahead and it worries me to the gills. I'm going to be on pins and needles until mid-May. Things are too far ahead right now. But then again, if it stays this way, we could be in for one great summer!!!

But then again, if it stays this way, we could be in for one great summer!!!

Ditto that Tiffy! And we deserve it after last summer! X my fingers that we don't get a terrible freeze when the apples are blooming or something, which would be awful for the farmers.

I am growing the species Heliopsis helianthoides, but would love to have the variegated too. Where did you guys get your seeds?

Thanks, tiff - I found them! Put them out this mrning ....

PV

Tiffy, last year we had ~ 6 weeks of snow cover. This year is was more like 12 weeks. This has been our first really warm weekend, with temps reaching around 70º. It snowed earlier this week though, so I'm not fooled into thinking winter has completely let go yet.

Bonnie

I got my seeds at Summer Hill. They are just listed as "Heliopsis Variegated," I think, not as Loraine Sunshine...I'm just assuming they are one and the same.

I did save the non-variegated seedlings to take to the plant swap in case anyone wants them. :)