A few thoughts for 08-1, what tropicals do you bother with?

In zone 5-6, where they have to be lifted and stored.

To me, the winner is, hands down, the Gloriosa Rothschildiana climbing lily.
This one came from some common mail order catalog, can't remember which.
The small tubers were easy and prolific and gave us no end of joy as they went
through their changes over a 2-week or more period.

I had some Calla 'Flame' from Lowes, which were gorgeous when I got them
but subsequent blooms were oddly dark and sagging, maybe it was too cold
for a while in June?

I tried a "Bat flower" tuber, it never came up. Not sure how I failed it.

I love Cannas, Dahlias and Musa Basjoo (banana), which are a bit hardier
but still need to come inside.

Botched (forgot to plant) some Chocolate Cosmos, will try again
and would love to try some passion flowers.

I love variegated shades of orange, lemon yellow, purple (in the same plant)
leaves and/or flowers.

What have you found to be worth the fuss?

Mine would have to be my Cannas , Passion Flowers and Glads.

Noknok if you ever want to tradesome of your Gloriosa Lily seeds for some Passion flower seed let me know, I have a couple of different kinds and a few seeds left.

Robynz, oh yes, I forgot glads.

I didn't save any seeds from the G.R this year, not sure how/when to harvest them.
What Passion flower(s?) do you grow, hardy ones or tropical?
ARE there reliably hardy ones for z 6?

Also forgot Brugmansia 'Sanguinea', another beauty.

Zone 6 hardy is Maypop passiflora incarnata.. It can reseed itself. My others aren't hardy and I didn't get enough time with them, A freeze hit before I could get them in and I only got a few fruits off. I have Edulis Alata, Mollissima and I'm trying Quadrangularis this year. A generous DGer sent me a little bit of seed. They are such beautiful plants. I love the flowers, so different. You will have to try and get some seed this year, You might have to self pollinate it, but it should be easy with a q-tip.

We can't forget the brugs. I'm also wanting to try tropical Hibiscus this year. I have the hardy and I really love those blooms on them So I thought why not the tropical ones.

I certainly agree with your assessment of gloriosas...

Worthy of consideration - Copperleaf

I also like Leonotis Leonurus.

Those are both gorgeous. I wish I had pics to show. I'm just learning how to use the digital. So far none of the pics are good enough to put on here. I'll keep trying though.

That climbing gloriosa is absolutely beautiful!! Where do I get one?

Tina

About the maypop and the gloriosa -- will they damage their support? THat is, if I grow them on a wood fence, will they pull it down?

If the fence is sturdy, it wion't hurt it a bit. If not try to put a couple of boards under it for support. I grew heavy vines on very old fencing last year and it did fine with no support and I know the wood was starting to rot in places.

My concern is that I have a brand new fence, and I want it to last a long time, so I don't want to put up any vines that will take a firm hold . . .

Most of your annual vines would be ok then, just don't do anything like a Virginia Creeper or Ivy, ones that have suckers to grip with.

OOOhh! Great pics!

Nobody told me I had to dig my Gloriosas!?? And I'm on here everyday! )-: How could you let me mess up like that with such a beautiful flower?!!

Did you know there is a Canna Co-op going on right now? You can call the Horn Canna Farm and order your cannas and give them your DG code. They will send them out at planting time. I think their prices are very inexpensive for the giant rhizomes compared to what you see in the general catalogs...

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/802050/

At those prices you can let the rhizomes go to canna heaven at the end of the season and start again next spring (if you're in a cold zone).

I had a trumpet vine (still getting rid of it, actually); that was the kiss of death.

We have those all over the place. We let them go out in the fields, just not in the yards.

Tobasco,
Don't be surprised if your Gloriosa's don't come back this Spring. I am in the same zone as you are and I left my tubers in the ground. They are in a South facing bed up close to the foundation of my home. I have noticed that the new global warming hardiness zone map on Arborday.org is tending to prove correct for my area. According to my zipcode I am now considered zone 6-7. http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup.cfm
Just type in your zipcode to see if you live within an area whose hardiness zone has changed due to global warming.

Here are my Gloriosa's blooming in their second year after being left in the ground.

Nana3

Nana3,

I just put in my zipcode and ended up getting zones 6 - 8. I don't know how they could say that I straddle three different zones. I know that I am supposed to be a 6A or B now, yet I have buds growing on my roses already! I'm thinking that I am probably a 7 since it seems too warm for a 6. It is interesting to see how these are classified.

I thought that since I was on an elevated plot, I would have a cooler zone, but the early budding makes me believe differently.

Pennefeather,
I understood that it has to do with something called a microclimate. I don't know much at all about global warming or such...I do know that our winters are much milder than they use to be. If I plant something that isn't for my zone, I just do it thinking it may not come back. I do try and plant in a sheltered area and I do mulch well.

I have heard my hubby say that warm air rises....maybe that has something to do with it.

Nana3

Well, that's encouraging about the gloriosas.

I think we are in a warm micro climate here due to the closeness of the Ohio River. Also we're on a bit of a south facing slope...so hope springs eternal on the gloriosas! Thanks.

My favorite tropical is Gladiolus callianthus Peacock Lily. It blooms and sends up more blooms. It smells wonderful! I found you have to plant it thickly though because it blooms one or two at a time on the stems. I just dig it up for the winter. I even planted it in March and it still came up.

I love those too. They smell heavenly. Only I forgot to dig them up this past fall, so now I am going to have to get some more. I think I paid $2.00 for then last year at the Dollar Store. I won't get that lucky this year probably.

I kept seeing them at walmart finally broke down and bought some. They are champs.

I can hardly wait for them to get stuff in again. I will be very happy when they do.

Should be soon! I did learn not to buy the packaged daylily they are teeny tiny!