Choosing Favorite Hardy Perennials from Sunshine Farms

The site we are discussing is Sunshine Farm and Gardens located at http://www.sunfarm.com

I hope placing this thread here will help some of our members (including me) that are wanting to know culture and care of the perennials at Sunshine Farms. Each zone is so different. We have such a great variety of zones just from our members. We could most likely gleam enough information from gardeners in each zone concerning the plants that we have or would like to purchase from Sunshine.

This is not a coop forum...but we are asking members of Daves Garden that would like to purchase further perennials from SunShine to come on over and lets discuss what you like...get some ideas from others on the care of each plant and the zones that they grow the best in.

We are currently in the process of delivering our last coop plants from Sunshine Farm and Gardens....and there was so much more others wanted. So this is just an information forum on Hardy Perennials grown at Sunshine farm... The URL is http://www.sunfarm.com

It is getting cold in many states now so that has to be taken in consideration too. Shipping would depend on how your weather is...from West Virginia to Summerville, SC (well, we might get cold in January) and then being shipped from Summerville, SC to your home everywhere in the United States.

After we talk and learn from each other, and our first coop is officially closed, then we will have dave open up another forum for us in the Coop section.

Here is another URL about Barry:
http://www.sunfarm.com/biobg.phtml

We have to keep learning and learning!

I wanted to post the plants that we just purchased to see if others here can share their experiences and their zones with us.


Pereennial Cut Flower, Alstroemeria Pisttacina
Hardy Sedge, Carex 'The Beatles'
Native Sedge, Carex Appalachica
Native Shrub, Xanthorhiza Simplicissima
Native Perennial,Lobelia Cardinalis Alba and Viola Pedata

Hardy Perennials
Cyclamen Hederifolium
Cyclamen Coum
Polemonium Yezoense
Allium Triquetrum
Phlomis sp.
Disporopsis Pernyi
Hexastylis Splendens
Saxifraga Fortunei
Knipholia Thompsonii Snowdenii
Primula 'Freckles'
Allium Pulchellum (3)

Three More That I was concerned about making it but
they are bulbs and look fantastic now.

Native perennial, Actea pachypoda
Hardy Perennial, Hemerocallis thunbergii
Native Perennial, Diphylleia cymosa

Thanks, Stephanie

Could it be that our plants are so unusual that no one is growing them????? Legit

I dont know what you are asking
Alstroemeria Pisttacina hardy to at least zone 7
Lobelia Cardinalis Alba hardy to at least zone 7
Cyclamen Hederifolium hardy to at least zone 7
Cyclamen Coum hardy to at least zone 7
Saxifraga Fortunei hardy to at least zone 7
Knipholia Thompsonii Snowdenii hardy to at least zone 7
Primula 'Freckles' hardy to at least zone 7

I haven't had a chance to really spend some time on this - too busy with fall clean-up. I do think a lot of these plants are unusual; that is why I am interested in them.

I have grown the hardy cyclamens and I love them. I started most of mine from seed years ago but recently purchased some on a couple DG co-ops.

And of course, hellebores are fantastic. I have been growing them for about 12 years. They are virtually carefree except for cutting back tattered foliage at the end of winter. In my zone 5b they stay green all winter long. In mild winters they start blooming in February and in hard winters they bloom in March. They are prolific re-seeders. Mine get full sun in winter and after the trees leaf out they are in shade.

To be continued...

I looked over their website. If you do a spring coop, I hope you will think about the following plants that are listed at sunshine farms. I would love to have some of each.Ajuga "pats selection", alstroemeriapsitta cira, angelica polymorpha, aquilegia "blackie",codonopsislancedatti, cyrtanthuselatus, euphorbia jessie, euphorbia mysinites, peltiphyllum peitatum, phlomis sp,phuopsis stylosa, primula barnhaven mixed, s chizostylis coccinea. Thanks much.

I would like to add to your list & the ones mentioned above:
Acanthus molis, "New Zealand Gold"
Arisaema candidissimum, ciliatum & ringens
Carex elata, "Bowles Golden"
Cimicifuga ramosa, "Brunette" (have you priced these at a nursery lately $$$)
Euphorbia, "Chameleon"
Helleborus, "Thanksgiving"
Rhodeas
Spiranthes cernua "Chadds Ford"
Tolomea menzesii, "Tafts Gold"
Trillium undulatum
Tricyrtis "Snow Fountain"
Hopefully, I didn't duplicate anything.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2003 9:48 PM

Thanks Mark in Ireland. These are new plants for us and we were looking for others that have grown them and can help us learn the proper care. We appreciate your time in letting us know the zones.

I have always thought Ireland was a magical place...would love to be able to visit one of these days.

Stephanie

NoH2O,
So glad you posted your experiences with these plants. They look so sturdy. My sister asked me when we received our plants from Sunshine Farm and Gardens if I had sprayed the leaves with anything...and I told her no. They were so green and beautiful.

Stephanie

rylaff
We will definitely be doing a Spring Co-op, and I appreciate your time in letting us know what plants that you would like. Barry at Sunshine Farm and Gardens will let us have at least 5 of any one plant and we can order wholesale with at least 100 plants and according to DavesGarden rules, we sell to you for what we pay which is $1.50 per plant.

Most have told me March would be the best time.

Thanks again, Stephanie

Shirley1md,
We are trying to gather information on what plants we will want to order and we appreciate your time in responding to our requests. I think many love all of these plants..and they are definitely not plants that we could purchase at Home Depot or Wallmart. Our local Garden Centers does not carry them either. This will be an exciting coop.

Most are requesting March 2004 for this to happen.

Stephanie

This message was edited Nov 9, 2003 10:37 PM

I've been looking over the list of perenials. These catch my eye. It's gonna take me a while to research them all ... sounds like a winter project ...

Cyrtanthus elatus
Dicentra eximia
Hemerocallis thunbergii
Meehania cordata

Anyway, I'm interested in the co-op, March sounds good to me.

Cheri'

Stephanie-I'd be interested in a Spring COOP. Still going through Barry's extensive listing, but here's what I have so far on my list to consider:

Chelone lyonii, Campanula glomerata 'Joan Elliott', Aster 'Purple Dome', and Aster tataricus, Asclepias tuberosa, Claytonia sibirica. Brenda

ireland has many fantastic gardens both private and public

Sundy, I noticed you picked Dicentra eximia, for anyone else who may be thinking about that one, I grow it in my zone 4b garden, with whopping success. It reseeds itself, but not overwhelming at all, very delicate foliage, and blooms on and off all summer into fall. Part shade is best.

I have a huge list from Barry's list, and I need to take the time to go through every one else's list so not to duplicate, and then it will take me forever, because the spellings are not too easy!!!!

But......The last one on my list was Xanthorhize semplicissima, and that could be spelled wrong, and this morning I got a Glick PicK email featuring it, and now I want it more than ever!!! Anyone who is intersted should sign up for the Glick Picks, I've probably gotten them for two years, always educational, entertaining, and fuels my need to have more plants!!!!! Legit

I would love to have 5 different colors of the double and anemone type helleborus. I just love those flowers. I've never been involved in a co-op before. This is exciting.

I just subscribed to the Glick Pick email feature. I will keep a running tab of what I want to order. What a great resource to learn about Barry's plants! March sounds great to place our order! Thanks Legit for the heads up about the Glick Pick!

Epazota, did you realize that you can go back and review past Glick Picks too?? Great stuff to do when you're burning the midnight oil with a cup of hot cocoa and the winds are blowing outside and everyone else is asleep!! Legit

Hi pins2006 and everyone,

Welcome to the wonderful coop world of DavesGarden. We hosted a very small coop that is still ending and found that many would love these plants. Most coop hosts just choose what they want to offer...but since I live in Zone 8 in Summerville, SC...(I have an online store, so my name and address is everywhere on the internet) and in the south these plants are unheard of, we wanted help from everyone so that we can compile a great list for our members.

Coops are offered by the host, the hosts then takes information, taking in the monies for these plants, ordering and then delivering to the members. Members pay in advance for their products and anticipated shipping.

I have been told that I type and talk in shorthand so if you do not understand anything I post, please let me know. I am not offended. Being a grandma, I have heard that a lot and know that is just how I am. Some call me hyperactive too...now I just hope that at the age of 57 I can keep that tag :-)

We may be looking at March for this Coop to START since the weather is getting very cold in most of the United States. We even went down to 46 here this past few nights. I want to offer what our members would really love...and all the recommendations and culture information here are becoming a fantastic resource for me and for others.

I am looking at putting many of the plants in our Shade Garden that we are developing on our (on day- retail farm).
Right now we sell Farmers Market and also eBay, Yahoo and a little at our website. Our farm is just used for planting and producting mommy plants and growing more water plants.

I am making a list and will be watching and reading the posts and saving to my WordPad list so that we can have
offers that our members love. I am excited about introducing these plants at our Farmers Market too...We start in March and run through October each year.

Stephanie



This message was edited Nov 11, 2003 9:57 AM

Thanks for the comments on reseeding too. My sister, Carolyn, will be on here as soon as her membership check is processed at DavesGarden. She helped with the coop and tried hard to get me more organized too.

She loves to start plants from seed and cuttings. Her two and one half car garage is over-full of plants. My dad had made it a work room too, with many cabinets and counter top and with its on tiny bathroom, a sink, stove, one frig and several freezers when they were alive.
She has put a heat/air unit in there too. Now we need to add more shop lights with chains.

Then we need for her sons to start on that hoop house for her. They are all builders, mostly inside trim but both can do anything when it comes to building. Sometimes sons are busy with their own lives.

Do any of you have greenhouses, hoop houses or cellars that you can place your plants when they are young?? We have one hoop and I use one of the bedrooms for my grow lights. I need to get a few more of the growing light systems set up. I saw a system, I think on the Brug forum, here at DavesGarden where someone had an entire room or at least two walls covered with them with about 4 levels...all made with PVC pipe.

Off I go to process plant orders and then take up one of our 84 yr old neighbors offer for me to have all her beautiful pine straw that is falling down like rain now. Chelsey (grandaughter) and Bobby (husband) and I will spend part of today raking and loading into the truck and then
drive up to our Aquatic Farm and Perennials and place over our newspaper we use for mulching and row cover. Bobby says he is going to beg out of the riding up to our land. It is only 25 miles from here and I love driving through the countryside. He says he knows that I cannot remember it is time to come back home. We have about two acres planted now.

Stephanie

This message was edited Nov 12, 2003 11:04 PM

Mark..the internet has offered so many ways to view and/or visit Irelands Gardens. I had lived in the Phillipines for almost 4 years of my life when my children were all small..in fact, my last son was born there. But, we never
did travel your way. If you have any favorites, feel free to post here so the rest of us can find them.

Your comments are always welcome.
Stephanie

Legit,
Good idea, I'll have to remember to research the past Glick Picks when I have the time to surf the net and listen to the wind howl.

the two I go to most are Rowallane and Mount Stewart

I will definitely be in on the spring coop I was so sorry that because of my zone 5 I couldn't do the other one.
There is so much to look at it will take some time to decide. I too subscribed to the glick picks so it should provide some additional selections.
My list is far too long, have to get it cut down a little bit.

What are these "Glick Picks?"

LimeyLisa Kay

Lisa, here is a link off the Barry's Site. Check them out when you have lots of time to browse!! Legit
http://www.sunfarm.com/picks/

oh this co-op sounds exciting. i want to go and look at all the pretty plants right now, but i have to think christmas crafts and wrapping and throw in a weeks vacation into that mix and i'm a busy lady. but the new year will come and find me at sunshine gardens web page. but first i'll sign up for that glick pics, that sounds like a great way to spend just a bit of time each day enjoying these plants.
debi z

I am definitely interested in a co-op also. I am like the rest and will be doing a lot of research between now and spring.
How do I find Glick Picks? Is there a website for them?

This message was edited Nov 17, 2003 8:39 AM

Hello everyone ,I am Stephanies sister.And boy do I see a coop going on. Sounds like more fun fun.I helped with the last one and did I learn alot.My sister is so great at things like this ,I guess being in the water flowers for so long she has the know how.

Stephanie, I have a real problem. I want some of all of Barry's plants. It is so hard to decide on just some of them and try to keep a budget under control. *sigh*

I find that I am having the same problem, last year when they did a co-op with Green Mountain Transplants, I had the same problem, so I ordered a whole flat for myself!! I am contemplating doing the same this year.......what was that you said about budget???? Legit

me too

me three...
and I ordered 2 trays from Green Mountian...

Budget is a 4 letter word to me,along with organization,patience........

I keep going through the list and keep finding more and more......

I also ordered my own tray from GMT and im planning on ordering from them this spring again! GREAT plants! They were BIG and healthy,this time i will get the names out of the box b4 i burn it!
I know they sell daylilies too! OH MY OH MY!
Highly recomment GMT to everyone!!! just save some for me!;)

I have been buying from GMT by myself for several years (that was before I joined Dave's in May). Who runs the GMT co-op and how do I sign up? I love their plants.

Poppysue did it last year,don't know if she'll tackle it again.....

Once I added up how many I wanted I had to order them myself.....

But we are hijacking this thread

Gotta get them picked for this co-op

Thanks, CC.

Cimicifuga ramosa, "Brunette" is at the top of my list!

We are learning from all the info posted here...we are just waiting and saving the lists for Spring...so not to worry.
Stepanie

Does Barry offer for sale all the hellebores that are pictured in the galleries? If not, do we know which ones will be available in the spring for the co-op?Wow! does he have some beauties???!!!