What are your spring flower plans?

[jc12551]

My list is not complete:

Tie Dye Petunia
Summer Romance Impatiens
Star of Yelta Morning Glories
Cardinal Climber
Thunbergia Alata
Rhodochiton Purple bells
African Hybrid impatiens
A 'wildflower' mix
Maybe some geraniums and sunflowers too

 

[Rosalind]

Oh my goodness, I was just trying to come up with some. I require flowers to either be long-lasting or have dual functions (edible, privacy screening, medicinal). So far:

Sunflowers for seeds
Lavender
More roses of some sort, I got a gift certificate to spend.
Scarlet runner beans, hyacinth beans
Nasturtiums--wonderful chopped in a chive and cream-cheese sandwich on oatmeal bread, with a thin slice of tomato.
Calendulas
Moonflowers, I like those a lot
Poppies

And then I got stuck. I would like to do some flowers for dried arrangements too. DH likes the unusual colored flowers, like black ones, but most of those are bulbs that should have been planted in fall. I am trying to do a traditional British/Colonial potager with my garden this year, which includes flowers in the edging, I'm looking for something that will fit the bill.

Since spring takes a long time to get to New England, I usually cut some forsythia branches and start forcing them in February. That way it's less depressing by early March. Does that count as spring?

 

[jc12551]

I think that counts as spring! I really miss having forsythia. Nobody where I live now have any or have heard of it. How sad. I need something for deep shade. I saw some flowers called monkey flowers. They said shade, but I had never seen them before. I have been considering sunflowers. I have massive flocks of birds around here and I don't think I would end up with any seed! But it might be worth it to just feed the birds.

 

[patandchickens]

I'm trying to work that out now, too. Part of it depends on how I feel in the next few weeks (as a predictor of the next season or two), as a couple weeks ago I put my back out in a much more massive and lasting way than ever before, and am a bit concerned about where this may be going... :/

But anyhow, that aside, right now I am not expecting to start all that much:

annuals:
"Crystal Palace" lobelia (the lobelia I was raised on )
salpiglossis, probably the Royale mix if I can get it
"Italian White" sunflowers (actually will be my 3 yr old's)

perennials:
"Apricot Sprite" agastache (already have and love, need more)
mixed-colors yarrow to replace grass along back wall of house.

I am trying to minimize workload as I have a 3 yr old and a not-quite-8-month old to chase around after, and will have baby chicks, and REALLY NEED a major new-garden-bed-creation initiative by means of smothering out grass, which requires a lot more lugging around of cardboard, fabric scraps and large amounts of composted hay than it seems like it oughta. Plus the usual things like reconstructing parts of the horse fencing.

This is probably the year I will get some shrub roses, and more Clematis tangutica to cover more house wall and chainlink fence since my existing plant likes me so much and I never seem to get around to propagating from it; also various potted perennials that I'm to lazy to start or don't come from seed;

plus for sure I'll buy some more shrubs (mostly ninebark, mockorange, lilac, viburnum, seven-sons tree, etc) and wee lil' baby trees (amur chokecherry, larch, etc) to continue my windbreak-construction program, a.k.a. the "physical fitness thru hole-digging" plan

Geez, it makes me tired (and makes my back hurt) just thinking about it


Pat, jealous of those with forsythia, as two attempts at our house have struck out due to windchill winterkill of the buds, sigh.

 

[Southern Gardener]

Pat, I know the pain of back trouble, surgery made a world of difference for me, thank goodness!

I have seeds from a fellow BYCer that was kind enough to share:

Cleome, Coreopsis, Purple Hyacinth Vine, Poppys. I also have zinnias and sunflowers I'm going to plant.