I purchased and planted three large, healthy, blooming plants late summer, 2007. The tag said hardy to zone 6, which is my zone. I planted two in one of my perennial beds and the third in another. Both beds are well drained and in full sun. They all looked great until we had a heavy frost. None came back this spring.
I took pictures of the dead stalks to the garden center, hoping for a replacement. Their policy is that if they do not plant it, they do not guarantee it. However, I think that the plant is either not hardy around here, or marginally hardy and did not have sufficient time to establish itself before winter. I do no think that I killed them - as was implied when the owner critiqued the soil in the picture and told me to dig in some peat moss when planting.
Anyone have better luck with agastache tutti frutti? And, what is the policy for your local garden center on replacements?
Thanks, Joyce
Has anyone had luck with agastache tutti frutti in zone 6?
Tutti Frutti is a hybrid of Agastache pallida v. pallida (A. barberi), which comes from the southern mountains of Arizona and should be zone 6 hardy. The other parent is A. mexicana `Toronjil Morado', which is a tender plant from the mountains of central Mexico. I created this cross to develop some agastaches that could tolerate North Carolina's hot humid summers. The hybrid might be hardy in zone 6, but I would not guarantee it.
A word about guaranteed sales and expectations. If customers are happy with the large volume, limited selections of guaranteed sales, so be it. But even there, one should not expect guaranteed results, because no seller has control over the microclimates, skills, and luck of the purchaser. Any vendor offering that claim is under the control of marketers trying to maximize profits for primary stockholders. Once they have your money, they have no interest in follow-ups besides giving dissatisfied customers a band aid. Some customers as well as vendors are very happy with a "done deal", fully closed relationship.
On the other end of the scale, there are both vendors and customers that want and thrive on a more involved relationship.
Many mom & pop nursery persons are in the trade because they want to share their discoveries with the public and meet fellow plant lovers. Implicit in this dynamic partnership is the willingness to experiment, with attendant possible failures. Mom & Dad do not have the ability to pay huge sums to have their plants trialled in a half dozen venues to totally validate their horticultural limit claims. They rely on informed customers who are willing to take some risks and provide them feedback. Well informed exchanges of experimental results are very vital to such vendors and they are willing to provide replacements (partial or fully paid) PROVIDED that they hopefully receive detailed information on the purchaser's trial. Negative feedback is a very important mechanism in building a good knowledge base.
This is why Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery closes his email quotes with.
"I consider every plant hardy until I've killed it myself...at least three times." - Avent
I like Tony's rule! I have a similar "three strikes" rule, once I've killed something 3 times I have to admit that my climate/garden is just not the right place for that plant and I'm not allowed to buy it anymore.
Sounds like I am exchanging notes with the creator of Agastache Tutti Frutti. I am impressed. It is such a lovely plant - well done. :-)
I may just give this one another try!
I bought this plant in August when the perennials were all at half price. It of course did not make it through our Chicago winter which was particularly bad this year. However, this agastache puts on such a great show in late summer and early fall that I will grow it again as an annual.
I have purchased this plant this year from a local nursery and am definitely hoping it will overwinter. I'm in zone 6a. I love this plant, and yes, it makes a good annual, even if it proves not to be hardy. I planted it in July, got it 30% off. I will have to report back in the spring to let you guys know how it did for me. I will try a couple more times if it does not survive. I do the 3 strikes and your out myself. This year I am trying the echinacea 'Razzmataz' for the second time. Did survive last winter, but barely, and died shortly after it got growing again this season.
Karen
If I do buy it this year I am going to try this strategy to overwinter. I am going to cover each plant with a pot at the onset of winter (weighted down with a brick) and leave it there until early April.
I've had Tutti Frutti for 2 years now; its done great!
I bought several small seedlings this spring, and have been amazed at the growth. I am hoping that these become a staple in my garden. They are so pretty and airy looking.
Pelletory, do you do anything special with yours to winterize it?
Seedlings or cuttings? Agastaches are notorious for crossing, and second generation seeds vary widely. Anyone offering Agastache hybrid seed should indicate that the resulting plants should NOT be called after the parent hybrid.
Rich, they were seedlings. They've grown into beautiful plants.
Y'all, I started this thread. A small shoot of one of my original plants survived the winter and is now flowering. I added sand to the soil in the spring, so I hope that will help this winter - we shall see. It has lots of sun and is in a well drained spot. If it survives, I will let you all know.
Joyce
Santa Rosa Gardens has tutti frutti on sale. I'm getting three more. I hope to have them well established before winter.
http://www.santarosagardens.com/Agastache-rugosa-Tutti-Frutti-p/aga-tut.htm
Sorry I didn't see the question but no I do not do anything special to winterize but don't cut any of the stalks in the fall.