What are your favorite Heirlooms?

Last year I ordered some some seeds for a fairly uncommon heirloom know as Adonis or Blood Drops due to the colour of its flowers. Its a beautiful yet small annual that shows us we need to stop and notice the small things in life as much of the time we notice the large flowered flashy hybrids that are all too common today.

I let marigolds reseed and they do so wildly. So does Japanese Purple Purela. I have others in mind that I wish would reseed better. Like Larkspur, bachlor buttons(they do so-so here)and zinnas.

Marigolds reseed for you? Here bachlor buttons, love-in-a-mist, cosmos, alyssum are the typical reseeders. It must have to do with the different climates.

I pull up dozens, maybe hundreds of volunteer marigolds every year and let probably 2 dozen grow. There are thousands of seeds still on the plants now.

Sometimes flowering tobacco reseeds here. Daturas do well too. Too well really.

Cardinal vine reseeds well in central U.S.

Zabrina Althea reseeds wildly too.

Vining milkweed reseeds and is very pretty and fragrant.

Just a few I can think of at this time.

Daturas re-seed here too, not alot just in a nice sort of way. Morning glories too, they come up so thick it could be a lawn. I used to weed them by the handfulls all summer........very pretty but pesty.

Morning glories only climb here. I don't think I could make them become a ground cover. I have Gill Over the Gound mints, and vinca minor for that.

UGH, mint is so terribly invasive here I only put it in pots. I've never heard of the one you have, is it annual or perennial?

I'm sorry, Steve. There should have been a comma after GOG then mints. Mints are invasive here too so most of mine are in the washer/dryer tubs/drums. I do let a black stemmed mint and Lemon Balm kind of go wild. Neither of them spreads much.

Lemon Balm smells SO good! I really should get more of it. We used to have it at the old house and it seeded around nicely. I'm hoping to get some shirley poppies sown soon. They are a great heirloom! So pretty and the petals look like tissue.

I've had lemon balm growing in a container for the past 2 years. I got it from my neighbor who was digging it up. The hornworms have eaten that sucker both years, but it's always come back. I've got an area on the side of my garage that I think I'm going to plant it in. I need something that likes the shade and doesn't require constant attention. I think that will work nicely.

Yes, for me it even grew in dry shade where not much of anything would grow. Its so tough!

Hi all, it's good to be back.

It's getting close to time to get moving on gardening!

The Adonis sure is pretty. I adore heirlooms.

I've got some lemon balm growing here but not sure where it came from because I didn't plant it. But we have some mints trying to make themselves ground cover status LOL. Still not sure how I'm going to deal with it.

I really like the marigolds... last year the seeds were sprouting while they were still on the old flowerhead, it was crazy but I love how easy they are and beneficial for the garden.

I also love the echinacea like the one stephanie has there, they are native to Texas and other states.

I can't remember the name of these... maybe Lobelia something, but they sure are pretty blooms in May.

I like your lobelia!

I can't believe your marigolds were sprouting in the flower head, thats amazing!
Do you have a pic?

No, I didn't take pictures but it was amazing to see the marigolds sprouting like that!

I'll try to save seeds of the Lobelia this year too.

I am growing heirloom Peonies for the first time this year and my first sprout has come up! I love Peonies so this is very exciting. Although I am told that they usually don't flower until the second year But you never know!

WOw, I've never tried Peonies from seed before.....they always kind of intimidated me! Is it a mix you are growing or single colours?

Although peonies can be planted by seed, these were bulbs that I planted last fall. I got them thru a peony mail order, three bulbs of the same red, single bloom. They only send the bulbs out when it is time for planting, so I remember waiting months after ordering!

I was very intimidated too, being my first time but, I was able to use the instructions (after I found them in a pocket on the outside of the box they came in - and after I searched on-line for days trying to learn info on planting LOL) that came with the bulbs!

Only one of the bulbs has sprouted so far.........

Oh yes, bulbs sound much easier! When I thought you grew them from seed I was very surprised to hear they would bloom first year! hahahaha
Did you order the one with the ferny leaves? Any pictures?

Well Steven, here it is! I took a picture of it hahaha! Aren't you impressed?

And....as you might notice that part of some of the leaves are off? WELL that is because hubby got the lawn mower out the other day. Luckily he had set the blades on the highest setting. I pointed out my peony several times, but he doesn't really listen to my gardening tales LOL. I don't think he will forget where it is again though.
I hope. I can always follow him while he's on that riding mower... there's other things he "forgets" to miss.

And today a second one emerged!

One more to go!

They're all the same but not the ferny type.

I just realized that is a pretty large stick on top of the peony trying to come up! I think I should move it?

BTW, ladyleaf, I was looking at your list of "Reseeders" and noticed Abrina Althea on the list; Is that a hollyhock? Do you have a picture of it you could share? Thank you.