If you go to www.bluestoneperennials.com and type blue flowers in the search bar---a whole bunch of blue flowers that they have will come up----2 pages full. They have a penstemon called Electric Blue that I have been drooling over for sometime for your electric blue. It is not on the blue flowers pages though---don't know why. Anyways----might give you a few more ideas. I ordered some of their anchusa for this spring. Beautiful blue!!! Best Wishes! aunt_lou

I'm not that experienced at WS'ing yet...this is only my second year, but last year I did sow my morning glory seeds in newspaper pots & paper towel tubes, in March. Even with a seed sowed that late, by the time they were ready to be planted out, the newspaper pots/tubes had become pretty soggy and had started to disintegrate quite a bit. I actually found it easier to just plant out the hole "hunk-o-seedlings" from the milk jugs that I didn't use newspaper/tube pots in. You may want to just use the newspaper pots/tubes on your peas and cilantro, and just sow the others directly in the milk jugs. Or if you have enough seeds/jugs/potting soil, you could try some with newspaper pots/tubes and some without and see which method works better for you. If you do decide to go with the newspaper pots/tubes, be sure when you plant out that the pot or tube doesn't stick up above the soil line, otherwise the paper will wick moisture away from the seedlings. Last year I sowed my Monarda fistulosa seeds in March...that particular native seed doesn't need to be cold stratified, so you may want to wait & Spring Sow that one. Hibiscus moscheutos seeds do need some cold strat...last year I sowed mine in December. They both grew into nice healthy plants. Don't know about the other seeds on your list. Good luck & have fun WS'ing!

itzy, both annual dianthus and annual snaps are so- so perennials here- coming back for me as many as 4 years running. You lose about 1/3 to half the plants each year. A lot of so called cool weather annuals are like that, but some peter out in the summer. The annual mealy cup sage does the same (victoria, blue bedder)- comes back 3 or 4 yrs. Dottie, i've had the red callibrochia come back, but 1 winter for me. Never was brave enough to try any but hardy begonias and i don't grow the regular geraniums to try. Bachelor buttons love the winter- it's the summer they don't normally survive. In fact, i seed them in the fall along with nigella, larkspur and poppies. I've seen john's miracle bed and it was amazing what he could nurse through. Couple things i've had survive that weren't supposed to be hardy are stevia and lemon verbena. I've heard of others who have had both survive, too.

I have grown them for the past 8 years or so. They are one of my absolute favs! Deadheading will prevent them from going to seed, which doesnt sound like something you really want to do in order to collect seed. When I grow them, I want them to go to seed ASAP so I can IMMEDIATELY sow more of them for the next crop. You can get 3 crops a year here in zone 7 NC. My first ones bloomed in early May. I already have new seedlings coming up for another crop of these beauties in July, because I sowed more a couple of weeks into May. Really, you can sow them continuously all Summer to experiment. I cant get enough of their innocent beauty. They make terrific cut flowers or as everlastings (dried) if you cut them soon after bloom. I stick them in my hair when I make a French braid. Just cut a 2 inch stem and insert into the folds of the braid in the back of your head. The ladies in the pew behind me in church last Sunday really enjoyed it! Email me to discuss if you'd care to. I love this flower.