Very nice @FrozeBudd_z3/4. I didnt realize there is/are shorter versions of VB. (If I can ask, where did you get your Vanity seeds?)

'Vanity' verbena from Park Seed, have placed an order with them every year for 25 years and never having an issue receiving from the US. I think I'll be tucking 'Vanity' in many spots here and there!

Ah...thanks @FrozeBudd_z3/4e. I was looking for it from a Canadian company w/o success :(.

(Do you ever have to pay extra/unexpected duties or taxes upon receipt of your package?)

(Shipping is a bit pricey for seeds from the US? What the heck, I find it expensive paying for shipping when the seeds are from a Canadian company!)

I just ordered a packet of Vanity seed and a packet of white cosmos seed from Select Seeds. The total with shipping came to fifteen dollars US. FrozeBud, thanks for the heads up on stratification, I hadn't realized that was needed with verbena.

Hey @cecily 7A, I am in Canada and so I am betting the cost of shipping could be lots,

Has anyone grown both v.bonariensis Lollipop and Vanity?

Thanks for this thread @cecily 7A. Given that both are Vb I would then imagine that both self seed for the next season..right? (Im not complaining...just wondering.)

Cecily, the catalogue or seed pack may indicate if the seed has been primed ready to germinate, as for my own garden collected V. bonariensis seed, it refused to germinate until given stratification.

Rouge, I took advantage of Parks then $2.99 shipping, other times have hit their free Holiday shipping. But yes, also our dollar has dropped as well, but when you gotta have something, one bites their cheek and goes for it! Yesterday, I fired off a good sized seed order to Veseys also with free shipping saving $17.95 at that! Yes, shipping costs like everything else sure ain't what it use to be!

Bluestone Perennials says that Lollipop is a reseeder: they remind northern growers to let it set seed for the following year. Sadly, when I searched VB Lollipop on GardenWeb the reviews were "meh, it's just a plant". I'm hoping Vanity will have a deeper purple color similar to the species and be more than just a plant. Park Seed says that Vanity self seeds similar to the species. I'd be glad to get the self seeding, that's a plus to fill in gaps in a pollinator garden.

Sadly, when I searched VB Lollipop on GardenWeb the reviews were "meh, it's just a plant".

I wouldnt be too concerned about the "meh" as I am more than ok with it looking just like a (much?) smaller 'regular' Vb.

I'd be glad to get the self seeding,

I'm with you on this @cecily 7A.

(And thanks for starting this thread. I will order some seeds because of it)

Vanity has germinated...

Interestingly, when I first grew bonariensis, I wasn't sure as to best timing and sowed a bit too early that plants were budded upon set out time, these flowered prolifically on somewhat more compact plants. Last year, I sowed later and also had vast numbers of garden volunteers, but the display was lackluster compared to the previous year, so early seeding was back on the agenda! Today, I should get with transplanting 'Vanity', the compact habit of this variety will lend to mingle nicely among the beds and a good substitute for the 'High Tide' ageratum I always grow.

Time to revisit this, 'Vanity' is more vigorous than stated, certainly seems a common theme in my garden, chest height and that's after a sulky slow start and nipping a good 10 inches off the tops for the then anemic look displayed. Finally, now starting to catch my eye and in comparison to 'Finesse' with its light mauvy color, 'Vanity' is slightly darker, a bit more saturated that it carries more impact, individual flower clusters are quite small though.

I saw this planting in a tourist area...not sure which verbena it is. Given that it is already August it seems to short to be 'garden variety' bonariensis ;).

I planted Lollipop last year and they got powdery mildew. Oneoverwintered fine and was beautiful this spring and early summer. It quit blooming so I gave it a pretty severe haircut and it is blooming again now. It's much shorter and branchier than bonariensis.

I just wanted to say I love your garden, Frozebudd. Generous and lush.

HU-618169007, I wish I could take credit upon that one rather amazing garden photo, though the picture is from the internet .... my garden is intensely planted and colorful, but I certainly can take pointers from that photo! :)