I finally have seedlings showing from last season's dropped seeds.

Question is:

In response (I suppose) to our drought, the plants are very small and have only a bloom or two each. Would it help to fill out these plants by pulling these early blooms off, or can I just leave them be? I remember last year that they continued to flower profusely while setting seed, but those plants were much larger.

Any ideas?

Mine aren't doing much this year either, and I started them in the GH, although a bit late. I'm only just now starting to see a bloom or two. Last year they were trying to take over the containers.

Is this the same as butter daisy? Saw one of these plants at a Plant swap last Saturday and the hostess has it growing up a trellis and it was so pretty. I'm hoping she will be able to share some of her seeds.

It is referred to as butter daisy, but the ones I have at least are a low growing, mounding plant, not a climber. Be nice if you had pictures to post so we could see.

Mine's a mounding plant as well, although last year it was really big - like 3 feet tall and almost as wide. This year they're topping out at around 24" here.

Definitely a lovely late summer plant that's oh-so easy to grow.

Seeds are really easy to collect, and there always seems to be more than enough to go around.

I think mine is the "Million Gold" variety, which stays smaller, under 12". Cute little plants and the seeds seem to keep well. There is a taller variety called "Medallion" which grows 2 to 3 ft.

Ooh!! ...

....idea. It would be lovely to grow the shorter in front of the taller to make an even bigger butter yellow splash!

Thanks for that info, Woofie.

Well, now, if you really want to get carried away, there's another variety called "Show Star" that grows in between at 14-24 inches. hee hee, one of each anyone? And then surround it with Snow Crystals alyssum and dwarf marigolds.

...I have seeds for Showstar too. You can't tell how much I like this plant, can you?

Ah....marigolds. Don't get me started! I finally grew some from seed this year. For some reason I've never had much luck with these "easy" seeds!! I think I usually rot them.

That's funny. We're supposedly the same zone, but I have no trouble with marigolds. Matter of fact, I have them showing up in all kinds of places where I didn't plant them.....like in the walkways....can't bring myself to yank them out. Sigh. My garden is NOT well-manicured.

Mine isn't manicured either, and most days I like it like that.

Butter daisies fit into the chaos quite nicely.


We're finally ready to lay stone tiles in front of the outdoor fireplace, but that project has to be on hold till frost - there are self-sown flowers blooming in there! ...blue agastache and yellow melampodium - my favorite color combo!

I have planted Melampodiums each spring and also have some the have reseeded. I like them because the green leaves are very bright and with the yellow blooms show very well in my large beds. Also found that the reseeding is not enough to be considered invasive. Here in East Texas we have had two brutal summers and these little plants did quite well.

to ATP flowerchild123.

flowerchild123 said:I have planted Melampodiums each spring and also have some the have reseeded. I like them because the green leaves are very bright and with the yellow blooms show very well in my large beds. Also found that the reseeding is not enough to be considered invasive. Here in East Texas we have had two brutal summers and these little plants did quite well.

I planted melampodium once. I loved them and planned to buy them again. I don't remember ever having to do it. They self seed regularly. However, I have had to pull a few seedlings out from around my irises or out of my lawn. Lately I have moved the seedlings forwards in the flower bed. There volunteers are more welcome.