I got a surprise gift certificate to Bluestone Perennials and I'm sort of like a kid in a candy store! I will not order till next spring but I'm studying the catalog now. I would like to ask opinions. Which Echinacea do you like best - "FlameThrower", "Marmalade", "Secret Desire", or "Tiki Torch"?
Now, which of the following Coreopsis varieties do you like? "Desert Coral", "Sienna Sunset", "Redshift" or "Rt. 66".
And finally, which would get your vote, Geranium "Rozanne" or "Johson's Blue"?
There are so many things I want! Help me spend my new found money. I'm so excited.
Robin
How should I spend my gift certificate?
The only one of the cultivars above that I have is Sienna Sunset. It's pretty. I have it planted with Coreopsis Red Satin, and the colors combine well together. It bloomed profusely; with such small, numerous buds it wasn't possible to individually deadhead. Instead, I just cut the whole plant back a few inches after the blooms were spent. It bloomed profusely once again, then I let it go for the season. It's a bit floppy but aside from that it's been fine.
I also have Coreopsis Solanna Golden Ball, which is a beautiful, bright, profuse bloomer that stays compact.
For Echinacea I have Secret Affair and Raspberry Truffle. Both are very pretty. Secret Affair is fragrant.
Bluestone is so much fun-you can spend the whole winter looking at the catalog!
Rozanne blooms for months, sprawls and climbs into and onto neighbors. For me it takes up much more room than the label says. Johnson's Blue blooms for weeks, stays as a big clump, flops after blooming. Both are totally hardy and trouble free, and neither one seems invasive, just cut back once or twice a year. They are similar colors, so I like Rozanne best.
I garden on clay. None of the new Echinaceas do well for me, but of course I haven't tried very many. The only Coreopsis I have that is perennial is 'Jethro Tull'. The red ones I tried (can't recall the names) behaved like annuals for me.
Thank you catmint and mimlakes, That is just the type of info I need! I, too, garden in clay and have not had good luck with echinacea. I was hoping one of the new cultivars would be better. On the other hand I may try the coreopsis. And I have certainly been leaning towards "Rozanne". I very much appreciate your feedback!
Just a thought. Last year they had a half price sale in January for their merchandise this year. In April I received perhaps the best plants I have ever received from them - just excellent.
So, if you can hold out, you might want to watch for the January sale. You will get double the plants, and if last year is any indicator, you will love what you see when you open the packages.
Wow, thank you! I will wait for sure now!
I ordered three Campanula Bellringers (do check these out - they are still blooming!) two digitalis Husker Red and a panicum Heavy Metal. Forest Farm quality plants. I couldn't believe it.
If they do this again you won't be sorry. I intend to order every year. The plants arrived in April, and jumped out of the ground. I plan to do it every year. These aren't end of the year sale plants - obviously. They are the cream off the top, or at least they were this year.
This message was edited Oct 31, 2013 2:52 PM
Sorry to be late to the post, just found it!
I am almost a neighbor, rteets, and used to have a Westie, Tiffany. I lost her after 17 years and now have a rescued pug, Winston.
I have grown johnson's blue geranium fro three years. It forms my favorite garden combination with the rose, Carefree Celebration. I moved this summer and planted them together in my new front garden!
I have had great luck with echinacea, Magnus. It is a standard pink/purple coneflower, but it comes back every year. I have plenty of seeds if you are interested. I have read that some of the new cultivars are less hardy than the old fashioned kinds. I have tried a few from seed, but they didn't survive long enough to bloom.