I just saw the recent activity on this thread. Beautiful pics everyone! I'm dying to know where you, Zuzu & ValleyLynn, got your edleweiss? They've always been a favorite of mine, partly because my Mom & Granny are from Vienna, but I didn't know you got grow/get them here!

I got mine from Edelweiss Perennials. http://www.edelweissperennials...
What growing zone are you in Liz?

I also got mine from Edelweiss Perennials, the best mail-order nursery I've ever run across.

It's at the top of my list with several others.

Have you ever tried Wild Ginger Farm Zuzu? http://www.wildgingerfarm.com/...
They are closed now until next spring. They have amazing hard to find plants.

Hey, thanks for the link, Lynn. They do have some wonderful plants. I've been looking for that Cortusa, and the Gentiana 'Stardust' is fabulous, isn't it?

Yes it is. I have seen that on in person, and it is stunning.
I have this one and it is putting buds out right now. Just noticed it today. Trumpet Gentian (Gentiana dinarica 'Montenegro')

Hi guys!

Love edelweiss perennials, they are at the PNW flower and garden show every year. I have one of the Gentiana that i picked up from them, not stardust though. They were also at sorticuture, a plant art show here in Everett.
At my used book store I found a book on gentians by Mary Bartlett. I just read a few pages, my novels have been taking precedence.

Edelweiss Perennials was the reason I joined DG almost 8 years ago. There are two of my messages on the testimonials page of their website, and the second one says this:

Elena V. - Sebastopol, CA
Another home run! My second order arrived today in superb condition. I joined Dave's Garden last week just so that I could give you a strong recommendation in the Garden Watchdog files. You certainly deserve it.

I have a number of wonderful plants from him. Spring, that show sounds like it was a lot of fun.

I have a new book coming some time next week. Alpines, An essential guide, by Michael Mitchell. Panayoti Kelaidis did the review in the Fall 2012 Rock Garden Quarterly. I can't wait to read it.
http://nargs.org/nargswiki/tik...

Lynn, do you have Baldassare Mineo's "Rock Garden Plants"? It's impossible to leaf through that book for any amount of time without making up a shopping list. I really miss Siskiyou Rare Plants Nursery. It was such a great place for alpines. Their selection now is only a fraction of what it was before 2006. I have a catalog from 2004 or 2005 that lists almost 2,000 plants for sale.

I have not heard of Baldassare Mineo's "Rock Garden Plants".

I just looked it up. Isn't it a young man by the name of Dan that owns it now? I stopped by there in June on my way home from Calif.

I don't know who owns it now. I lost interest in it when I saw that all of the rare plants were no longer being offered. Mt. Tahoma was another great nursery. It still exists and it still has a terrific selection of plants, but he doesn't ship them out anymore.

Here's a photo of some Lewisias I bought from Mt. Tahoma back in 2005. They had just arrived that day. They're the ones in the black pots in front -- 27 different types. Incredible selection! I wish he still did mail-order.

Those are lovely Zuzu. I love Lewisia, but only have about 5 different varieties. I am in the process of moving them into a new bed. I'll have to take a photo when I'm done.
Here is one of my L. cotyledon.

Oh this is fun!

Started a Nov. thread by the way.
The thread "What's Blooming in November..." in Pacific Coast Gardening forum

Oh thank you for telling me about Edelweiss Perennials! Darn, guess I'll have to buy some other plants to justify the shipping charge! ;-)

valleylynn, I'm in zone 9b - don't know why I didn't have that in my profile, but just added it. Wonder if I'll get cold enough....

CA Sue, my abutilons are going crazy, also toubichina.

He has great Gentianas and Alstroemerias, Liz, among other things.

Liz you can email Edelweiss and ask if your zone 9 will work. Do you get any freezing/winter weather?
I get enough cold winter weather that I can grow them, but not sure about warmer climates on this plant. Let us know what you find out. And it might depend on which gentian you get?

You can grow them in any zone, Lynn and Liz. I dump ice cubes on my alpines a couple of times every winter and it fools them into thinking they experienced a heavy frost. I do the same for my peonies, which wouldn't bloom well here otherwise.

Thank you Zuzu, I did not know the trick with the ice cubes.