BTW, Jay - we're Michiganders :0)

Cool! You can watch the video too lol. Your location isn't showing. I don't know how to log in to gardenweb only Houzz.. and I don't remember which one to log into to fix the problem... I'm so confused!

Jay, log onto Houzz and then in the URL replace the word houzz with gardenweb, leaving everything else the same. I stay logged in.

Thanks Babs! I'm seeing your location and others too. I see Rouges, Garden Ho's, Bruces, Roxanna has a 7. Only mxk3 and mazerolm I can't see locations for. Mazer, I don't know if you have a location. Where are you now? Greenland? Iceland?

Mine is visible and I assume other also) because I made it part of my name when I realized that those who logged in via Houzz couldn’t see my zone.

mxk says 5b SE MI

mazerolm says 3a

Thought you were Yoopers, Mxk3...or is that a bit specific to a region?

Rouge, I think how a plant dies is as important as how it lives - I am not keen on hardy hibiscus (syriacus) and quite a few roses.

Actually I misspoke, I wouldn't be as concerned re the sight of a dying iris flower if it was in bloom for a much greater length of time.

Bruce, snapdragons, Antirrhinum majus, ARE perennials! They are just not very cold tolerant perennials so mostly grown as an annual (in the same way tomatoes - also fully perennial - are). In milder areas of the PNW they will overwinter quite easily. I tend to pull mine after the 2nd or 3rd year as they will begin to develop rust.

I don't really have much to comment about the other plants listed. With the exception of the newer hybrid ech's, they all do well in my climate but that is not much help to the OP :-)

It seems like I'm already signed in, so I don't know how to sign in when already signed in. Campanula, are you referring to the slow miserable deaths that inevitably happen to all roses of sharon? They lose all their main branches,one at a time, until nothing's left! It's a good thing they seed so freely. Let's not get are roses confused here. I don't know what you mean about the true rosas but I'm sure they have a ton of problems as well.

Not really Jay - it is the dismaying sight of large wilted blooms, persisting in stubbornly hanging on - daylilies often guilty of this too (I only have a couple left, both pale yellows with relatively inconspicuous dead blooms). I expect my rose petals to decently fall to the floor - a rose petal strewn path is mostly a delight in not overly wet east anglia...not lurking unpleasantly on the bush like a (shudder) used tissue.

Yep Rouge, the mere week of bloom is a dealbreaker even more than the graceless fading...although my main experience of iris was taking over an allotment with a largish clump of mismatched b.iris next to an even larger patch of scarlet oriental poppies. I like a bit of flash but this was a step too far.

Aaaargh - double hellebores...why? (not really drawn to ANY doubles tbh, though, even roses, dahlia and peonies)

"Thought you were Yoopers, Mxk3...or is that a bit specific to a region?"

Nope, Ken and I aren't Yoopers. To be a Yooper, you've got to be from the Upper Peninsula aka the UP. It's a spectacularly beautiful place.

Although, I don't know where Ken is from originally - just know where he lives now - so maybe he is a Yooper. He doesn't sound like one, though :0p

I honestly cannot imagine gardening in a Z3 and am snivelling pitifully at the moment in my freezing kitchen (english house!)...but I do grow quite a few plants which have 'sibirica' somewhere in the binomial. I would be most inclined to take a fervent interest in raising my own plants in order to circumvent the less than truthful claims from marketeers as well as getting a jump on survival chances - any plants I have grown from seed, which survive the first couple of transplanted seasons, are far more likely to become useful and reliable garden plants (I liked to test plants myself before imposing them on customers).

My god - need to use a full stop/period now and then.

Bruce, snapdragons, Antirrhinum majus, ARE perennials! They are just not
very cold tolerant perennails so mostly grown as an annual (in the same
way tomatoes - also fully perennial - are). In milder areas of the PNW
they will overwinter quite easily

I saw them overwinter a few times in northern Ohio, zone 5, in sheltered spots!

Thank

you Campanula! Yeah, I forgot about those tissuey hangers ons. I haven't grown any more since my last one died out a few years ago. I would have to say that in my area peonies don't oerform much better. The weather is the culprit. Every year just as the flowers start to open, we always get a freak heat wave that causes all the peony flowers to just fall apart. I dug out the 3 that I had. Well I was planning on digging them out anyway because they aren't native. The tropical hibiscus have that same issue with the spent flowers not dropping. I don't feel like I'm overboard when I talk to you. I feel normal.lol I sure hope those lily beetles don't make it too Illinois! I'm planning on growing some of our beautiful native lilies. I don't know what I would do if they decended on my yard. Didn't you go postal on them with some black flag a while back lol? And then you planted a bunch of pollinator plants for restitution to the bees, yes I remember. Sounds like something I would do but hopefully those beetles will stay far away.

I think there are a few of us on this forum, Jay, who really don't know when to stop (when it comes to insane plant lists, so I am going to mention the single hardest aspect of mega sowing. Not every species will germinate this year...and some clems can long it out for 3 years before making a show...plus all those lilies which germinate under the soil and only throw a shoot during year 2. Hanging on to old pots, especially when labels have gone awry, is the most difficult part of growing from seed. All those seemingly empty pots have to be maintained all summer and another winter, in the hope of seeing 2nd year germination (I admit to giving up after that - have never managed to hang on till year 3). Oh, the numbers of pots I have tossed...only to recall those peonies, tulips, lilies I had been nurturing...

Of course, if every seed we sowed actually germinated...we would probably be in deep trouble...so, silver linings. And early winnowing of feebs and fails is always good.

I didn't sow any clems but I winter sowed some lilium michiganense before checking on germination and they needed a warm moist time before being cold stratified. And then there's the ginseng which takes 2 years. Hopefully I got most everything else right. I'm growing sedums from seed for the first time. I don't know what planting them will be like or how big they will be. The native lilies I will try to buy as plants because they do take so long. I'll still try growing out the species I have seeds for. Just a handful of native lilies. Stenanthium, Clintonia umbellata, Camassia, L. michiganense and L. pensylvanica. 30 Asclepiads. My forte. The Calotropis are now under strong lights. I almost fried them with the light too close lol. They are tiny but their first true leaves already showing that red veining that drives me crazy! Thanks for the reality check, I know their will be unforseen problems but I'm still having a blast doing it! It's cool because I'm growing so many species that I forget half of them and then I'll be lounging and all of a sudden think oh wow Aralia racemosa how cool I'm growing that. Yeah and then it's like I fall in love again! I'll try to keep you posted on my progress and I'd love updates from you too!

Some lilies have hypogeal germination (under the soil) so germination is not visible...until we eventually see true leaves above ground, often in the second season of growth. Just today, I spied a tiny deep red shoot of paeonia veitchii, now in its 3td year of growth (overjoyed). I think I will start a thread for new shoots and starts...not necessarily from seed, but just to note the first sparking of the green fuse of life.

@Campanula and Jay: I’m in complete admiration of what you do with seeds!!

@Campanula:

”I honestly cannot imagine gardening in a Z3 and am snivelling pitifully at the moment in my freezing kitchen”

I think you would love gardening in zone 3, as we rarely get days hotter than 30C, we have a nice mix of rain and sun. And you get a 6-month break from weeding...AND bugs!!

I know that’s not how you meant it but my reply makes me smile. Hope it will have the same effect on you!! :)

It’s the not-gardening for 6-7 months that I find difficult, really, really difficult.

When I lived in Ecuador I gardened 12 months of the year but it soon got tiresome - all the same, no seasons and no changing landscape - all the same plants for months and months and months and...

Bruce, I see you live on VIsland.; given its very moderate climate (the most moderate in our great country?), it might be considered the "Ecuador of Canada" (if that makes any sense ;)).

Hey rouge21_gw: Yes and No. Here are some major differences (when I say Ecuador (Ecu) I mean Cuenca where I lived - I'm sure that there are significant variances in other places in the country):

• Hours of sunlight per day: VI - Summer: 16 hrs; Winter: 9 hrs; Ecu - always, always, always 12 per day (the sun comes up at 6 or so and goes down at 6 or so every day of the year).
• Rainfall: VI - Summer: almost none; Winter: it seems to be every day!!; Ecu - some everyday and some sun everyday too.
• Seasons: VI - all four; Ecu: 1 (it's always the same)
• Temperature Variations: VI - Summer L/H: 12 - 24; Winter L/H: 0 - 6; Ecu: Coldest days were say 3 - 15; Warmest days were say 18 - 25.

Some major similarities: Glorious blue skies and clean breathable air!!

Ah, thank you, mazerolm. I find seeds as exciting now as I did back when I sowed my first veggies (broad beans). Back then, I mainly grew easy annuals and veg but since I began to collect and save my own seed (and anyone else's), I kicked it all up a gear because, almost overnight, my germination rates practically doubled. I have to conclude that freshness has a huge effect on viability. Yep, half a year with no gardening would be...testing. As it is, I largely award myself a break in January (knitting season) but even now, seedlings have begun to appear.

You can garden 12 months of the year here as well!! And we also have distinct seasons. I don't do much in my own garden at this time of year other than cleaning up - a lot of wind debris accumulates during the winter months. And this is also the time of year I address repotting and root pruning all my containerized trees, while they are still fully dormant. But I could do more if I were feeling ambitious.

But professional landscaping, including the implementation of any of my designs, frequently takes place at this time of year, rainfall permitting.

btw, just came home from running errands to find crocuses aready blooming in the weak winter sun :-) And my rosemary full of flower buds! Spring is out there folks.......just hang on!

Oh we can only wish GG!

Bitter cold here, snowing and blowing with temps getting down to (-)30-40 with the windchills. Takes your breath away!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Its going to be quite some time before spring makes its way here :(

I was being somewhat facetious Bruce. (But it is hard to imagine that there are some locales in Canad ie on VI, that are a zone 9?!)

rouge21_gw I know you were. Because Cuenca is right on the equator (2 degrees south actually) people don't really appreciate just how different the sun behaves (for every location between the two tropics [Cancer and Capricorn] actually). For example in Canada the sun is always in the south - that is in the winter it is very low on the horizon and in summer it is higher in the sky but you always have to look south to see it. So a house has a southern exposure which gets the sun and a northern exposure which is in shade. This is NOT the case in Cuenca! In the months of September through March the north side of the house gets the sun while in the months of March through September the south side of the house gets the sun! Forget about trying to plan sun versus shade gardens they change back and forth! And just to confuse matters more. The longest days of the year are when the sun is directly overhead (for Cuenca that is about March and September 21) and the shortest days of the year are June and December 21! But in reality the difference between the longest and shortest days of the year in only a few minutes either way from 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Figure that one out!

Mazerolm, what I most like about 'Prairie Splendor' echinaea is its hardiness and early and long blooming qualities. I have grown out large numbers of seedlings to select among them some attractive variants.

Typical 'Prairie Splendor', but having grown more compact due to the dry year it had been, great flower power though!

Darker version, tips of cones are red.

Light pink with petals that lay flat, a favorite!

@frozebudd: they’re beautiful!! Thanks for the recommendation, I will try it if I find it!

Those are extra gorgeous coneflowers Frozebudd.

I reluctantly gave up on all things echinacea several years ago as my specimens invariably were struck with either the burrowing "Sunflower Moth Larvae" or "Yellow Asters" disease. But the amazing pictures of "Prairie Splendor" has convinced me to give it another go.

Rouge, that's too bad about those darn moth larva, I think you had mentioned they also attack heliopsis. Those insects haven't yet made it to my location and asters yellows has only on occasion been a bit of a problem, the last few years none at all thankfully!

aster yellows started showing up here after a neighbor planted a bunch of echinacea from the box store. All mine were from seed and seemed heathy until the neighbor’s arrived. Oh well. I pull them when they look infected and as far as the moths I’m sure the goldfinch enjoy finding a nice snack alongside the seeds ;)

my experiment this week will be the southern magnolia seedlings. They have seen close to this kind of cold before, but you never know!

I bought an E. Magnus last year on clearance and did not let it bloom. Hopefully it will be as lovely this year, as the pics shared here!

I’d like to try H. Cherry truffles and daylily siloam double classic , @mazerolm- where did you find those to order in Canada?

@B Maggic: at GardensPlus! I ordered from them last year as well and was very satisfied.

Thanks Mazerolm! I have a hosta preorder with Dawn for this spring so I guess I can just add those in!
I also looked up biokovo geranium and found that Botanus carries it bare root, I may try it as a ground cover, anything that smells like Vernors has got to be awesome!

@FrozeBudd: I ordered Echinacea Prairie Splendor seeds!

Sedum X 'Blue Elf' is probably the worst performing sedum in my Garden, out of at least a dozen. I've tried it in a couple different spots. I'm not sure there's any left.

@Tortuosa: which sedum(s) performs best for you?

Good, you'll really enjoy the 'Prairie Splendor' ... heck, I might even order up additional seeds for myself, again the more one grows, the higher the chance of obtaining some superior seedlings. Last year, I planted out about thirty 'Green Twister' echinacea and hope for some fun results with that one.

'Prairie Splendor' ... again, for your enjoyment mazerolm !

I think that sedum kamtschaticum is the most useful as a ground cover. It spreads pretty quickly, but not aggressively, into a dense mat that resists weeds. Sedum sexangulare is useful in those little nooks and crannies between rocks where weeds tend to pop up. Its flowers are a very bright day-glow yellow. For sheer beauty. I like Sunsparkler Dazzleberry, which is herbacious in my zone.

what I most like about 'Prairie Splendor' echinaea is its hardiness and early and long blooming qualities.

UPDATE:

FrozeBudd I have kept my eyes open this spring for PS with no luck :(. Its bugging me.

Mazerolm, I grew one of the plants on your list - Iris ‘Pink Parfait’ this year. It has large double blooms, and lots of them, but it is most definitely not pink. I planted it next to spirea ‘Magic Carpet’ thinking the pinks might look together but I wasn’t thrilled with the combination. This was just as it was opening and I didn’t take any later ones. It will get moved to a better place in the fall.

@edenchild: your Pink Parfait looks very different from the pictures I’ve seen online! I planted mine close to a blue spruce, I hope the combo works well!

Mazerolm, it did end up looking like the online photos once the flowers fully opened and the blooms are gorgeous. I was just letting you know about the colour IRL.

Thanks edenchild, that’s good to know!

@mazerolm: I did see ‘prairie splendor’ coneflowers at some nurseries in Ontario this spring. I think they were in the blue heritage perennials containers, maybe you can get those from the supplier?
Also I did pick up the daylily Siloam double classic recently and it already had buds! I’ll take a pic when it blooms for you.

@B Maggic: I was able to buy Prairie Spendor seeds, tried winter sowing but had zero germination. It was my first time growing something from seed, though. I ended up purchasing Powwow Wildberry, Magnus and Bright Star this Spring. I would love to see pics of your Siloam Double Classic! Mine was a tiny plant, I’ll only get blooms next year.

I winter sowed this year too for the 1st time! I got 5 seedlings of pow wow wildberry going, hope they bloom this year!

Please post pics if they do! :)