duane456 said:
Plant type: Glasshouse biennial
The question of what this means arose higher up in this thread. The info came from a UK site. It's saying that some species of
Calceolaria (I assume, since the majority are perennials - unless the info is just bad, as so much is on the internet, frankly) is a biennial, and the reference to "glasshouse" really relates to the conditions the plant needs to grow in versus the UK climate. A glasshouse (i.e. greenhouse) in the UK seems to usually have the major purpose of keeping off excess wet, and the secondary purpose of any greenhouse, that is, providing more warmth and shelter for tender plants. (Bear in mind that a lot of plants that are grown in "glasshouses" or alpine houses in the UK are actually very hardy, even to the extent of growing here - it's the wet they can't take.)
Sorry for the plant losses, Caroline - very disappointing to put all the effort in and to get so far along. If it's any help at all for next time, I find hardening-off can be done easily and effectively by setting the flats in the shade for a week after the usual last frost date (no need at all to haul things in and out of sun and shade). The wild card, of course, would be predicting the weather, needless to say! We always get the last big snow of the winter just before that time!! I actually set my seedlings (perennials/biennials) out
before the last frost on a plant stand covered with shade cloth (my current advancement over setting the trays in the shade) - which provides both shade for hardening off and protection against mild freezes. My seedlings stayed out through the snow - I lost my nerve one night only, and rolled the stand into the garage the night it was forecast to go to -5C, the night it cleared off just before it starting warming up again. (It didn't get that cold, and it turns out they were outside during the coldest nights, plus during the day through the snowfall.) Sympathies for the disappointment.
A good bet for here is
Calceolaria biflora - I had a couple plants winter over years ago, and currently have some second year plants in bloom and bud. Do you know Rob Staniland from CRAGS? He said he's had some persist for about 5 years. Anyway, I'll try to collect some seed for you, if any is formed.
