Older gardeners!!!

Amy, are you suggesting that we at the NE Forum are a crazy pile of individuals? I take that as a compliment!

I've had a bad habit of buying/planting individuals, just to see what they look like in my yard. Now, over the past year, I'm trying to make more groupings out of some of them.

I like big groups, too, but like Sue I also want to see how they perform before I spend too much on something that ends up being a dud.

I like the bigger groups too, but it only makes sense to buy individually to see how something is going to do. At todays prices who can afford to buy the 3 or 5 of something that the garden books recommend, just to lose the plants. Plus there is nothing wrong with 'spotlighting' a single plant in the border.

But like Al, with his collection of dahlias, I can see the buying just one for the best variety. By the way, Al, the coneflowers should start coming down, as they are less this year in the wholesale catalogues. But they are pretty much starting to look all alike to me, too.

Aside from the Echinaceas we grew from seed, long ago, I was sent one and bought two others due to the fact they really are looking too much alike. The Coconut Lime and Razzmatazz are still different enough looking.

Ha! 40 and 44, you're just babies...............LOL

Coconut Lime is definitely different looking. Some new ones in my catalogues are Fatal Attraction, Elton Knight and Crazy Pink do not look that distinctive to me. All That Jazz looks different, as does Pink Double Delight, only because it's a shorter version of Razzmatazz. But why come out with so many that look so similar? Another new one (to me) is Virgin, which is the same old white, but has a green cone.

Way too many. Same with hostas and dl's. Too many look way too much like previous ones. 'Same old white' for Virgin - hmmm.

Yes, Victor, too many that are too similar. Makes it easier to delete when we need more space. White Swan wasn't white to me - sort of like a Madonna (the singer) type of Virgin.

She likes cones - not sure about flowers though.

It took a few seconds to register. Glad you're back to normal, Victor.

I knew when I posted about Virgin coneflower that Victor wouldn't miss that. And what can the breeders possibly do with that one, as a parent.?

Asexual reproduction??

Polly - All the plant producers want their version of an echinacea style that's for sure. All that Jazz isn't surprising since Jmorth has had a plant like that for years. I like Fatal Attraction. I might only get Tiki Torch this year to see if it's a better orange one.

Does Fatal Attraction cross its pistils??

What do you like about Fatal Attraction, Al? What do you see different about it? And where do you usually buy yours from?

Oh boy Victor!

FA has a bit more of a glowing magenta color, but mainly the petals do stay upwards on it.

not my best pic in the world
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=3725098

Tiki Torch is one for the hot orange lovers, assuming it does well. I was very happy with PDD last year, its first. And Twilight is pretty nice.

That is a lovely one, Al.

Al, did you ever update your list of good, bad and ugly coneflowers??

I would like to see that list, also.

I might have I don't know. I was looking through that big thread and saw some of the new ones listed in it. I bopped over to Garden Crossings to see if they have Tiki Torch in yet - they do. Wow - Fragrant Angel is like crazy there now.

$30 for a ten inch pot!! Why??

Dunno - must not have been able to produce many I guess.

Was it high last year?

$14 or $18 I believe.

But in the smaller 5.5 inch size most likely.

Yes

That's a ridiculous price, especially since their parent company Walters Gardens wholesale has a lot of them left.

A new one at Walters Gardens is Green Jewel. I haven't seen a picture of it yet.

Now that's pretty.

http://www.cnb.nl/greenteam/newplants/english/cultivars/np414.htm

How 'bout that, looks like a green Fancy Frills.

How reliable is that photo though? These plants always look great and rich in color in the photos!

Are they playing the color games with plants other than daylilies now, Victor? Such huge disappointments in the daylily area that I no longer buy them. They seem to play with more than just the color, too.

Chocolate Cherry Dreams, per the nursery:

Reality:

does Fatal Attraction keep the bunnies out of your garden, Al?

Quite a difference there,Pirl!

Amy - no, maybe I need to leave a pot out there. Those varmits were eating a lot last year.

Very disappointing, Victor, as you might have guessed.

Al - have you tried blood meal or does using it cause your dog to be joyful digging up the earth?

Pirl, I agree about the daylilies...I often come here to PF or the DL forum to look for a picture.

One site is doing it with dahlias now and roses, too. They showed Ebb Tide as this impossibly dark shade of purple and it's simply been altered. The foliage in back of the photo is often the tip off. That's a very poor selling practice.

Looking at dahlias on Plant Files seems almost as confusing with the same exact flower being pictured as solid, when it's really two tone, etc.

Yes, even PF can be of little help. Different people, different cameras, settings, filters, white balance, etc. And there are often errors - the wrong plant is entered. I found and reported a number of these.