How do you like your Bowle's golden sedge? I looked for one all summer last year after seeing some pictures in a book, but couldn't find any. I finally found someone at our farmer's market selling them recently, and I bought 3 of them.

I am a sucker for gold-leaved plants, and Bowle's is the nicest gold "grass" I have seen. I may grow one of them in one of our ponds, and plant the others around the pond edges. How tall did yours get? Is it invasive?

dawgie,

'Bowles' has been totally hardy here for me, and has had no die off in the center, unlike many grasses and sedges. I've grown it for 3-4 years now and its beautiful all season long. It gets about 18 inches tall, I'd guess, and I have it in a mostly shaded, evenly moist spot. It withstands drying out, occasionally. The best 2 Carex I've grown are 'Ice Dance' and 'Bowles.' I would put 'Evergold' up there had it proved hardier...

I suspect that why some grasses (and other plants) are given different zonal ratings is for two reasons: not every winter sends temps to a zoneÂs lower limit; and many gardens offer micro-climates that are warmer than the greater surrounding area.

I would certainly like to try C. ÂEvergold in my z5a garden, but since my last winterÂs low was -18°F, I doubt that I will. Do you know the lowest temps of past winters in your garden?

BruMeta, I think you are right about temps. Additionally, I think that, in areas as cold as zone 5, variations in conditions can kill of plants that are marginally hardy. I'm thinking specifically about: *long dry spells in winters without snow cover * warm spells with heavy rain, followed by a hard freeze, *wide temperature variations, causing heaving of soil.

At any rate, this past winter in Chicago was rather mild, w/o more than a day or 2 of sub-zero temps. I think if the colder temps of the 70's and early 80's reappear around here, I will lose many plants that I now take for granted.

I sympathize. I lost two of my favorite Deschampsias this winter (and they are rated hardy to zone 4!). So, we plant anew...