What's been your experience growing lobelia?

I found a new to me garden blog called This Grandmother's Garden and I've got to put lobelia on my wish list for 2012. Carolyn grows two types of lobelia..some she had planted in her flowerbed and some in a potted container, along with other annuals.

I don't have much blue in my flowerbeds and this appears to be one that is calling my name. If you grow this flower/plant, do you had luck wintersowing it or buy starter plants locally. I'm in Md/DC area and I know our summers get extremely hot and with high humidity. Would love to hear from gardeners in this area their experience growing lobelia, if they had any problems with it, and if so, what, and how they corrected it

The only other blue flower I have in my flowerbeds are some larkspurs which really are blue/purple color and the wild ageratum that I never planted. I would love to add more blues in 2012..Has anyone had any luck wintersowing lobelia?

I realized that I should clarify my posted message. Carolyn's lobelias are annuals, not perennials. The variety she grew this year were Cambridge Blue and Crystal Palace. She lives in Utah, so they are grown as annuals there. These do not grow tall;only about 5 ft. and can be grown in borders, rock gardens or in potted containers or hanging baskets.
They will certainly be put on my wish list for 2012.. I will attempt to wintersow them.

Did you mean 5". I grow lobelias that self sow themselves and then I purchase new plants for my baskets. Here they grow like crazy until August and then they give up the ship because of the heat. Last year we got down to 18 degrees and they did freeze. Usually our low is in the mid to high 20s and they did not freeze. I put them in areas that will show from the front street. They pop like neon. Good luck. Sharon

I grew lobelia in my pots with my begonias last year. I loved the combination. The lobelia bloomed until frost. I brought my hanging planters into the garage and they continued to bloom even into January. I have brought the pots into the houseand they are putting out new leaves. I plant seeds the last of Feb. under lights. I am going to try to wintersow also. These will be in my pots every year. Between the begonia and the lobelia the baskets appeared electric in the mornings and evenings.
Marie

Here are 3 pictures of baskets:

I have a few that made it through our "winter". And the self sowed are coming up. My poor landscape is really confused. It was 70 degrees today but cold front is moving in and we will go down to low 60s. Still cannot complain. Sharon

Wintersowing is a good idea I think. I grew Crystal Palace from seed a few years back, direct sown in the cotainer I planned for it to stay in and it seemed like the needed a bit of time to get going. The sun exposure where they were changed during the course of the day due to the apt blocking the sun but for a few hours they did have full sun exposure. They flowered almost through frost.

I also found if they seemed to get leggy or worn out, I would dig a small trench on one side of the plant and bury the stems. They would re-root and take off again.

very good to know. I also heard this works for petunias

I am starting three colors of it from seed this year. The package states that it needs to germinate in a cool temperature, 55F, and it needs light to germinate. I hung up a shop light in the cool side of the basement and have the flat on the cold concrete floor.

I freshened the soil on teh pelagoniums that I overwintered in the garage and put seed starting mix on the top, then sprinkled lobelia over the top. I have them in my seed starting room. Haven't given them any special attention and they are coming up nicely.

Lobelia grows best when temps are 55 at night and 75 during the day.

They will grow slowly when the temps are lower.

They will suffer and rot when temps are at 85 or above with high humidity.

Lobile erinus http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/90390/ is from S. Africa, near the coast where the weather stays cool all summer.

Best places to grow lobelia in the USA is the Northern Coast of California to British Columbia - or - at 600-700m on the Big Island of Hawaii.

For Central Florida it is a winter annual, generally. This year it has performed poorly. We have had many days in the mid-80's this 'winter'.

In years past>

It comes in many shades, but, the deep blue is the most popular - everywhere.

Dale, your gardens are beautiful. I had good luck with my lobelia last year. I hope to this year also.

Sadly, they are not my gardens. I have been here since July and it is a fixer. I did manage to get 8 peach trees planted and a few flowers.

Here is my place.>

Dale, what is that hot pink flower that looks like it is might be in a rock garden? Posted on Feb. 26th. second picture from left. Silene Armeria? I'm sure you'll have that rental looking beautiful in no time with all your gardening talents and will be the envy of the neighhborhood! What are the pink flowers in the last post? Looks like they may be from some type of bulb.