i posted this in the perennial place and they suggested here.....
are there any perennials that i can grow by seed this late in the season....when i say seed....i mean something fairly easy as i have only been diggin in the dirt for 2 years....and not really done anything by seed (successfully) yet.......i have a sunroom i can put them in....or if i could put them out in the flower beds....or are there any easy perrenials to grow??
right now i have mostly annuals: lantana, coleus, petunia, impatiens, hydrangea, hosta, lariope, asparagus fern, petunias, petunius(grin)....caldiums, did i say petunias?? glossy abelia, tall blue junipers, ivys....is what i am doing alright with....
any others would be great...
any perennials that i can seed this late in the season??
Last year I started some Coneflowers in June as an experiment and it worked very well.
I broadcast the seed on a very well prepared bed and sprinkled fine soil on top.
They were up in about two weeks, and grew well, of course they didn't bloom last year, but they are starting to bloom now. Most perennials will not bloom the first year from seed, especially if they are started this late in the year, but you would be ahead for next year anyway.
Josephine.
Some rudbeckias are perennial here and they are very easy from seed. The perennial types won't bloom this year but what I consider to be annual-types will bloom this year, from seed, in fall.
As Josephine suggests echinaceas (coneflowers) are also easy to start from seed most anytime. A few varieties like stratification (cold over the winter) but for me those are the more unusual varieties (e.g. Echinacea tenneesseeinsis).
Texas Star Hibiscus is easy most any time of year also.
Debbie
Some rudbeckias are perennial here and they are very easy from seed. The perennial types won't bloom this year but what I consider to be annual-types will bloom this year, from seed, in fall.
As Josephine suggests echinaceas (coneflowers) are also easy to start from seed most anytime. A few varieties like stratification (cold over the winter) but for me those are the more unusual varieties (e.g. Echinacea tenneesseeinsis).
Texas Star Hibiscus is easy most any time of year also.
Debbie
I know that the small growing Thrift-leaf Perky Sue, Four-Nerve Daisy, Slender-stem Bitterweed, Plains Hymenoxys (Hymenoxys scaposa) seed can be planted now. The plants will be small, but will bloom fairly quickly
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53549/index.html
Salvia coccinea reseeds itself throughout the spring, summer, and fall here. Then it freezes down to the ground, and it dies in cold winters. However, I always have them come back in the spring because of its reseeding capacity. Since new plants spring up throughout the growing season, I would assume that it could be seeded out now. Be aware that some people consider this a thug, because it reseeds so. Mine has never reseeded outside the dry shade area I have it in, so it's not a thug for me, although I now have many S. coccineas in that area, and I started with just one.
bullnettle....thanks so much....also i did a double take....one of our friends lives in bastrop...(i am pretty sure)...jimmy smith??? do you know him...50 something guy that is my hubbies best friend...from high school...:)