O, me too, but mostly going for the annual quick fix scenario...so more sweet peas, cosmos, red flax, phlox drummondii etc.

This is a kinda half-arsed attempt to feel in control because AT THE VERY LEAST, all these little seedlings will be off my hands in weeks rather than the 2+ years for everything else. 6 months into this years (well, last year, I suppose) seedlings, I am already frazzled at the numerous pots of titchy seedlings which will require another 16months care (minimum)...although I will probably shunt a heap of them off 'in the wild' as soon as summer is winding down. Out of sight, out of mind.

Oh yeah, also doing platycodon and will delve into the seed boxes to try and make some inroads.

It's a mad compulsion - probably a bit mentally disturbed but definitely better than drink and drugs.

I usually hold most perennials for fall planting (when temps moderate, rainfall MAY resume, and overgrowth is dying back). So yes, I'll be hostage till fall watering things. Kinda hate it..but I'm usually home anyway...but then I either move things into total shade or do nothing that takes longer than a day, or...they die...you know this pain :)

I'm actually getting to the stage that I'm just trying wild things (like filipendula rubra) because 'Why not, it *might* work?' The garden is mostly taking care of itself (since I wildscape and use mostly natives). Though last years five to six month drought made me water even my natives to not look dead and dessicated.

My wet clay is not liked by typical annuals unless I plant them after the usually endless rains stop. Most native annuals do fine in it..and I'm growing more of them. This year, bidens aristosa, Gentianella quinquefolia, circium muticum, and (if I can get it to germinate...it's about to go back in fridge for another 60 days) Impatiens pallida.

Fun fun....

I especially wish you luck (and if successful, please post advice) when it comes to Phlox paniculata seed sowing. I have three pots out in the coldframe that have been stratifying over the winter and so far, no signs of germination. I'd be happy to get a few of the "plain" pink-flowered wild type, which used to self-sow nicely for me in a previous garden, providing fragrance and good cut flowers.

Oh, I grew some phlox paniculata 3 years ago (flowers last year). (memory) I think they didn't germinate till the weather warmed. It's due to the native success (they occur here natively) that I am growing some more...hope to get different colors. I am slug challenged with seedlings (another reason to start these late) and only reared two, one white and one deep pink (not purply pink). I've seen the native purples in the meadow around creeks (we have about 4 or 5 commonly encountered phlox species in the state, but about half are woodland types and most of the rest meadow/riverine).

Apart from a coupla things I think I killed by overwatering (echinacea, anisodontea, heptaptera), most stuff germinated...apart from little bluestem - schizachrum scoparium (sp?). So far, not a peep (the muhlenbergia and panicum are up). Also, somewhat irked that only 2 stylophorums are up and the ruellia humilis are looking distinctly peaky. Success with callirhoe involucrata - would love to get seeds of c.bushi. Most pleased with semiaquilegia ecalcarata abd acis autumnalis. Oh yeah, all the talinum,cistanthe are up along with a really good trove of lewisias.

Yep - keeping stuff alive over summer is a total pain...but must be endured.

Ah phlox (paniculata)- I can't grow them to maturity but I have best luck doing root cuttings. So annoying - they grow away until mid June then just shrivel and die.I can just about keep a very tall, wildling pink one which grows underneath a huge tree paeony but anything else is toast.

Hmm, how badly do you want C bushii ? (I do have a plant that has reseeded) :) Not trying to extort you, just that postage has probably gone up (it has domestically).

I suspect it's either a lack of heat or your total dryness? (phlox paniculata, the environment being hot and wet/humid here)

Other than switch grass, my native grasses have not felt enough heat to grow yet (little bluestem and prairie dropseed)

I was hoping the little bluestem might still be a little cold. I don't usually lose heart until mid May. So envious you can grow filipendula rubra. I love everything about it...in fact, I adore all those rampageous perennials and have spent many,many hours, weeks, months, years and £££ growing them on, only to fall at the final hurdle. I tried hard to grow water-wise plants this year but somehow found myself still sowing primulas and buttercups...

Although I am not really any sort of native purist, I have been letting the gardens be more self-directed (or, in other words, getting to love my weeds). If I do pull them up, I leave them on the surface as a sort of mulch, and often, I just try to stop them seeding, rather than getting frantic about eradicating everything. So many plants, so little of everything else( time, space, energy, inspiration, £££).

I do want c.bushii - let's try to work out how to do this without you being out of pocket.

Okey dokey, well at least it has emerged ;) I think seed ripen in July and August as I recall.

O ha ha - long time between now and August (smirks)...but hey, if you get a viable surviving plant and we still remember this convo (frankly doubtful cos limited attention span), then let's talk seed swapping and such.

Obvs, I am just extrapolating from my usual experiences - I am sure your plant will live to seed about gloriously...

Being as the original plant has been there for oh...7 or 8 years at least, I'm confident it will bloom this year too.