my friend just gave me some since I am a MG-a-phobe .. she told me the prettier they are.. you will never get reseeding and more or less made me grow them this year

I wouldn't think you'd have a problem with reseeding in your zone. And yeah, that's about right! I had some drop dead gorgeous ones that I grew indoors. Hand pollinated every bloom I could reach. Think I got any seeds?

I had a few 'Star of Yelta' MGs turn into a huge jungle, and they dropped what seemed like pounds of seeds.

I never saw a single volunteer seedling, despite being Zone 8.

Of course, that was an annual bed that I turned over when I added compost.
And 80-90% of the seeds that fell in the fall probably rotted.

Waiting, waiting up here too!
Plants ready to go out to harden,but frost on way!
I need to get my plastic "greenhouse" up in a hurry.

If we really get a frost Friday night, I'm going to be one ticked off puppy!

And, Rick, I've only ever had one variety of MG reseed here, fortunately one I love, I. purpurea "Jamie Lynn." I've grown lots of other I. purpureas, but only the Jamie's really like it here enough to try to take over!

I've got most of my planting done, but not all. I still have several trays of coleus to do I also have a few jugs of wintersown stuff that are just sitting there looking stupid. Barely seem to be growing.

I finally finished planting my front bed today. I must have 100 plants in there I mulched that area today too. The stuff I planted in the back yard looks like it's frying, badly in need of mulch. Our 10 day forecast is mid-80s and no rain.

I'm so stuff and sore I can hardly move. I'm living from dose to dose of Advil. I'm taking tomorrow off from gardening. Otherwise, I'm going to be an invalid I'm getting too old for this.

Karen

I can relate, Karen. I can hardly move; my back, my shoulders, my legs, my feet.....Ouchie! Living on Ibuprofen! No way I can schlep all those trays back indoors for one night of frost. Been cudgeling my alleged brain for alternative ways to mitigate any nasty effects.

Could you drape sheets and blankets over them for the night? Or at least over some of them?

Karen

What's truly maddening is that there is about a 4 to 5 degree difference in the forecasts between the National Weather Service and The Weather Channel forecasts.
Sheets might be the best solution; I'm just concerned about breaking some of those fragile annual plants and doing more harm than good. I'm going to monitor tonight's low temperature and see how it compares to the forecast. And go from there. But the MG's are coming inside regardless!

not good to loose something we cared for .. the Salpiglossis look stupid too Karen.. real wimpy.. I moved them over into more sun yesterday.. see what happens

Not one salpiglossis sprout here. It was the only thing (wintersown) that didn't germinate at all. Corydalis lutea had only one sprout. Helenium is still TINY.

The bigonias that I started inside are going to the compost bin again. I swear, I kill begonias every time. They did well until I potted them up. Too lazy to go get ProMix, I bought a little bag of MG potting soil. I swear, never again. That stuff never dries. I even added perlite.

Karen

Oh yeah, that MG stuff is way too heavy and soggy! DH bought some by mistake but I was able to use it by mixing it with the really crummy potting soil mix from the hardware store, which won't hold water at all!

The weather forecast here has improved slightly. Depending on which site I check, the low is anywhere from 32 to 36, probably more like an actual 34. Think I'll try the sheet trick anyway, tho.

what a bummer with the begonias!!!.. I never grew calendula before.. they look like worms popping through the soil

Good luck tonight, woofie.

Things are frying here. 80°. I have to get some mulch down.

Karen

Do you have any leftovedr lengths of garden fence? I tghink chicken wire woujld be too weak, but rabbit fence is stiff enoguh to support some weight, especially with 1-2 props.

Just arch the wire fenceing over the fragile plants, and drape plastic or sheets over that. Quick and dirty, but effective.

Especially if the plastic film traps some extra solar heat in the soil during the afternoon, it can carry them through a cold night.

Well, after seeing the damage that a tiny bit of wind did last night (knocking things over onto other things) and contemplating what has happened every time we've tried to use a tarp around here, the poor little rascals are on their own! Dragged in everything that I KNOW would get lunched by the least little bit of cold, crammed the most sensitive remaining ones up against the wall and pushed everything else up close together. It shouldn't actually get down to freezing, so they may be ok. If I don't show up here in the morning, it will be because I've gone and jumped off the porch........

Oh, wind! Yeah, no sense creating a flying cold frame.

I complain about my weather becuase it's not quite warm enough for any but the earliest tomatoes, but my last frost was early April, and nights are only cool, not cold now.

And it's very rare to get strong wind.

Ha! "Flying cold frame" is exactly what it would be, too. It seems like we get winds from all sides here.

yeah that's not good.. hope all is well there

How did it go, woofie?

It's supposed to be 86° here today. I have to plant and mulch. Ugh! But no point in delaying- what's in the ground already is frying from no mulch and there's no relief except Tuesday with a chance of rain. I hope.

Karen