Over the past couple of years I have let my flowers seed themselves into the edge of a gravel driveway. At first, I saw mostly annuals, such as Californian poppies, calendulas, and johnny-jump-ups, and then the perennials started to appear. This year the foxgloves and gaillardias have flowered - and they are different from the parent plants. I guess the bees have been busy!
Foxglove parent #1 is pale yellow Digitalis grandiflora, which is reliably perennial for me.
I'm fairly certain that foxglove parent #2 was Digitalis parviflora (at least, that's what the label said) which is pictured here. This plant appeared to die after flowering, but I now see some shoots coming up, so it may flower again next year. The shiny, dark green, strappy leaves on the seedlings are a close match with D. parviflora, and the seedlings' flower colour is more tan in real life than the pink shade that the camera picked up. I'm pretty sure that there was no input from the Spanish foxglove (D. thapsi?) with grey leaves and lilac-pink flowers.
Here's another of the hybrid foxgloves.
This message was edited Jun 27, 2010 1:28 PM
The original blanket flower was Gaillardia x 'Burgundy'. It lasted a couple of years and then died out. One of the seedlings has very dark red flowers that I think are close to the colour of the true 'Burgundy' cultivar.
Another seedling is a lighter, cherry red.
And another one is more yellowy-red, but has frilly petals.
What self-sown surprises are popping up in your garden?
June
Very pretty!
My volunteer seedlings are Liatrus (sp?), the Echinacia (sp again?) are too little to flower yet so I will know later. My voluteer anuals that I let grow seem to be very different in some way.
I will check when I get home.
Ann
Pansies everywhere! I love them and the different colours that come each year.
I leave the echinacea to go to seed and though I don't see any different colours the finches love the seed in the winter.
Thanks Ann! I look forward to seeing pics of your seedlings later.
Lovely pansy, Growum!
The mulleins can be promiscuous too. I started with one purple Verbascum phoenicum(?) and let it go to seed. This year some taller, pale red plants flowered. I think they must be hybrids with the yellow mullein, Verbascum thapsis (?) that grows wild around here.
I must remember to park a botanical dictionary by the computer, as I can't remember how to spell half the names!
June
Delphiniums reseed for me ---the blue shades do.
Lots of violas. Blue forget -me nots. Red orach.
Borage reseeds also.
Oops! those are annuals and biennials.
This message was edited Jun 28, 2010 3:58 PM
Which delphiniums reseed for you? My plants disappeared without trace after a couple of years in the garden, and I gave up on growing them, but I do like blue flowers and would like to try delphiniums again.
The ordinary old fashioned blue and purple varieties reseed.
The other colors (pink/lilac) sometimes form seeds ,but I never get seedlings from them.
OK, so I need old-style purple and blue delphiniums, nothing pink or new-fangled. Thanks, CL.
Hi all. June_Ontario try the Pacific Giants delphs. They are prolific self seeders here.
June
Seeds in the mail, enjoy.
Ann
Thanks Ann! Do let me know if there are any seeds you would like me to collect for you.
I'm afraid I deadhead most of my perennials. I've found many of them seed too abundantly if I let them go and many will reflower if I deadhead. Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower) is too prolific as is Rudbeckia hirta and Echinacea. I haven't tried the Digitalis, but I may collect some this year. I've collected certain daylilies, but the Veronica and various Campanulas I usually try to deadhead though one campanula regularly DOES seed itself.
I collect and start seeds from some of my hostas just to see how they turn out though 99% are plain green. I've got some streakers flowering this year that might give interesting seedlings.
Ann (the one in Ottawa)
Yes indeed, there are some perennials that do need to be deadheaded to keep under control - such as Salvia verticillata (after 2 years of warfare I'm still trying to eradicate the original plants, which have roots down to China), globe thistle (although I like to see a few seedlings, as the parent plants are short-lived, and the bees love the flowers), and blue flax (but it doesn't matter if I forget to shear that, as it pulls up easily).
Today I gathered lupin seeds and poppy seeds from my daughter's garden.
I shall direct sow them in my own garden.
Hi CL! What colour flowers are you hoping for? I love red poppies and blue lupins together. Here's a pic of my blue lupin (I think it's called 'The Governor'), which has self-seeded, but the seedlings haven't flowered yet. I have a screaming red Oriental poppy planted nearby, and every year I admire the effect and then forget to take a photograph.
I am not sure of the colours(memory failure!).
The combination of blue lupins and red poppies sounds great.
I think that I can try for that combination as I have a pack of white and blue lupins and I have the red oriental poppy already. Sounds good!
My favorite 'self-seeder' is our irises.....we get some really different colors and shapes.
Thanks for the tip on Irises and seeds. I will need to try that.
I usually cut them off after they bloom. Next year, I will try for seed.
Hi Nevrest! Is it just me, or has your pic not downloaded properly? I see the words "click the image for an enlarged view" in your post, but there's no image to click on.
Some I do some I dont- but interestingly they dont always self seed. Two years ago my 'A' type clematis suddently started to self seed, this year I have delphiniums and Blue oat grass , some things I wish would self seed dont! I have one area where there are poppies that are allowed to self seed and I let them all come up and then just do a judicious thinning.
I dont bother with the Iris and Peonies although I often leave peony seed heads on because I like the look. Takes too long to grow from seed- I dont have the patience!
