I was hoping to find some seeds, but they don't seem to be available. This was a very nice container plant and looked nice with the strong fall yellows & oranges. It was planted in the same container as the Cappuccino rudbeckia - stunning together. Scented as well. I will definitely try to find this one again. (I did collect some seeds, but not sure where I had put them)
Chocolate Cosmos...If you find it, buy it!
My favorite was my Blue (purple) Wave Petunia. Know right where to get it again this Spring. Ravens in Grand Forks. ^_^
DonM47,
Those are one of my must haves every year. I start them from seed. The Waves are very nice in containers and drape nicely. The Easywaves are a bit more upright and when we get to 12hours or less sunlight does stop the blooms. This year, I'm planning to try the Opera Supreme from seed. There isn't a blue, but the Pink Morn looks good. In the Stokes descriptions it states that has more flower power than the Waves. Tidal Waves are nice in a flower bed and are Huge.
My fav. last year was the Profusion Zinnia. I was really impressed with its blooming, size and durability. Another must have in my garden is the orange Cosmos. Of course I have many favourites...Nicotiana, and OMG, my brain just went totally blank!! I hate when that happens...I'll mention them when they come to me...
Hmmmm... Easywave, hadn't heard of them. Must check that out, thanks, Joanne.
I did grow Profusion Zinnias one year too and was also very impressed with them. Drought tolerant as well. I am also impressed with those Chocolate Cosmos.
My favourite was this double red Portulaca. Don't know what variety, but I bought a flat and tried it in this bone dry spot down by the street and it bloomed away happily all summer. I save lots of seeds and hope to start my own this summer. I hope they come true.
Ann
I'm going to wade in here with two.
Number one: My favorite flower was the Chocolate Salpiglosis with the Kew blue one.
I had them in the same pot and they glowed in the dark. I had saved the seeds from the Chocolate and bought the Kew Blue ones. Now I've saved more for this year. They do benefit from planting lots close to gether as they hold each other up.
Ann
I have a favorite Vegetable too and I used it in my Pots . It is the Japonica decorative Corn.
there was quite a bit of spooling and they had pink stripes in the leaves. I pulled the corn off in the fall and used for decoration at Thanksgiving.
This it the pot I used to hide the downspout.
Ann
Great idea Ann!!
Great info Ann. I have grown the Japonica corn the last few yeas and really like the different foliage colors. Have you seen it available in any of the 2009 catalogs. Can't seem to find it.
Great pictures everyone. I can't wait to get my seed orders in.
My favorite annual this year was wintersown cerinthe that Joannabanna grew and gave me a plant of. It was a gorgeous blue and grew together with a large dianthus plant that helped prop it up so it didn't look all leggy like cerinthe can. Can't believe I don't have a picture of it.
Joanne too Ü
Hmm, I was rethinking my post above - Joanne - you started that cerinthe inside, didn't you? It was Fancyvan who wintersowed hers. Anyway, it's gorgeous stuff...I'm going to start some this year, probably wintersown.
Joanne too.
Yes, it was started Mid-March indoors. Kiwi Blue from Veseys. It is a big seedling, like a bean, so you need room for indoor starting. My heater went out in the Greenhouse once in subzero temps. The Cerinthe didn't seem to have been harmed by the low temp, it was below zero. I had lost quite a few of other plants. I had to transplant the cerinthe into 6" pots within 4 weeks of seeding them. They are quick to germinate.
Here's a week later
Here's a pic of the blooms, seed heads & seeds
Oh me, oh my...I only plant perrenials can't recall annuals...must have some though wouldn't I??? lol brain is turning, must go back and look at garden photo's...
non-edibles: all the little volunteer double portulaca (pinks and reds) volunteer bright red peony-flowered poppies, several different 'florist' sunflowers (deep maroon reds, bronzes, oranges) double click cosmos, zinnias, and my seed-saved honeyworts- cerinthe, kiwi blue love the colour/texture
edibles in the garden from saved seeds every year: red romaine lettuce, deertongue lettuce, yellow pear tomatoes, big rainbow tomatoes
annual-but-I-cut-slips-and-keep-overwinter-to-start-again-in-the-spring - pineapple sage, my favourite herb!
Gee, drivenbonkers, I hate to be OT here, but when you mentioned your yellow pear tomatoes, I had to ask if you know the name of any yellow cherry tomatoes? My neighbor had a slew of them and kept us "topped up" all summer and fall. They were the sweetest cherry tomatoes I have ever eaten, but he doesn't remember the name of them. I don't have room for tomatoes in my garden, but I'd sure grow a big potful of those sweethearts if I knew the name of them. Any ideas?
Joanne
I got the Japonica Striped Maize from www.seedsavers.org two years ago. The package contained 25 seeds and I still have some left so I will be starting some to see if they germinate.
Would you like 1/2?
I love the Cerinthe too and I was pinching it to get it to branch a bunch and it stood up better then too. Folks at work thought it was something from outer space when they looked at them in my cut flowers.
Ann
hey Don! I don't know names of the different tomatoes, and I'm not a big cherry tomato fan to begin with. ;) I do remember seeing seed packets for yellow cherry tomatoes last spring, tho...
the yellow pear seeds are a heritage variety, got them at a 'Seedy Saturday' in Ottawa a couple of years ago. They are, in my opinion, the sweetest tomato, non acidy too. Perfect for eating off the plant warm from the sun.... or halved in a salad..... if you are interested I would send you some?
Ann,
I would love to have 6 seeds of the corn. I like to create a wall of corn at the back of my veggie garden. We could trade. I usually start a lot of stuff from seed. I will d-mail you my list.
DonM,
The Lois Hole's Tomato Favorites books has the Cherry tomato Sungold as the best tasting cherry tomato. West Coast Seeds has them.
Joanne
Thanks Joanne, I'll check out the Sungold type.
drivenbonkers, I would love to try them. Are they a full size tomato? Just thinking of growing in a large pot as opposed to in the ground. Think it would work? I will be home in April sometime...
Don the yellow pears are about 1-2 inches long, golden yellow in colour.
the plant is indeterminate, and last year mine grew over 8feet tall. I tied them to a 2x2 stake, and pruned suckers heavily
they would grow well in a large container if supported by a trellis/stake/fence/railing......
dmail me when you get home, send me your address and I'll pop some seeds in the mail.
Thanks drivenbonkers, I'll do that. ^_^
I totally would say Sungold is the best tasting little tomato in the world!! It is very sweet and the plant grows like crazy. I had tons (not quite) of fruit off of my 2 plants. Caution they can get tall and I support them to as high as they grow and prune out the suckers in the middle.
Don't overwater or they will split on the vine.
Joanne, Yep I have 6 with your name on them. D mail your address and I will send them.
Ann
I grew cerinthe 3 years ago and i still get volunteer plants in the oddest places in the yard and yes i liked it too. but my favourite for the past 2 years has been the gazania. if you have a sunny spot they give you great bang for your buck and keep on blooming through frost to about -10 until there is too little daylight here to trigger blooms
annabelle I just love how you used the corn in your pot! I never thought of using that. It looks great with the height of the plant and the smaller ones around it. I tend to use just the spikes but I like your idea much more!!! Good job!
Thanks DawnLL
They were a pleasant surprize and the corn cobs were very decorative too.
Ann
My favourite always tend to be the petunia's - they always do great for me. This was one of my favourite containers last summer. I think it is because I grew the bacopa from seed and it did so well.
This is an interesting topic and I scribbled furiously as I read. I am off to the seed catalogues to look for the ornamental corn and chocolate cosmos.
As for my own favorite annuals: the many unusual variegated leaf geraniums and black leafed geraniums, Carmencita castor beans, ornamental cabbages in the rose colored hues, anagallis, cardoon, cleome, and nicotiana sylvestris. The Bolero mix salpiglossis is right up there too.
Maybe it is just me, I ended up ripping out most of my cerinthe, I did not like that plant. Obviously I am missing something here. Mine was sprawling everywhere and looking really lame.
Theresa
Lemon Mint, Monarda citriodora
I really hope it reseeds.
Love the color, Billy. And a hummingbird magnet, I understand. Good luck with it reseeding. ^_^
Theresa
Hi My Cerinthe was great. I thought it was a bit leggy so I pinched a lot and then grouped the plants in a bunch at each site. That seemed to do the trick and they had strong stems and looked great as a bunch. I found the same method worked with my salpiglossis.
They also looked super in bunches of flowers for picking. I loved the color.
Ann
Thanks DonM47.
Prairie Sun sunflower. Easy to grow and another I hope reseeds.
Okay Ann will try cerinthe again. I think salpiglossis is great so we must have the same taste. Joanne, I just saw chocolate cosmos in the Breck catalogue, a plant, listed as a perennial! I am sure it is, somewhere. Maybe Holland.
Theresa
Isn't that Breck's catalogue drool-ishious Theresa??? Until you go check Garden Watch Dog... :(
I had a nice little list of stuff to order, but I don't think I will - too many recent negatives.
Joanne
Guys I ordered from Brecks in the Fall and the Alliums that I got were undersized and some were moldy. I couldn't get through to anyone who would talk about it then so I sent an email which was not returned , I will NOT be getting anything through Brecks again. My order was about 120.00 too!
Just be careful and if Brecks has it someone else will too. Last year I found these plants flourishing at the Arch green house in Edmonton.
Ann
I try to order a bit more locally anyway but thanks for the warning. It is however FUN to look at the photos in February. Theresa
this was my favorate annual of 2008,when it started flowering it never stoped.
Its a Dahalia called Patricha i love the color.
Beautiful Diggingdirt! Orange colors are catching my eye this year.
