One of my two mertonensis did not make last year's sweltering heat but the other one did. Last year I did not deadhead it as I normally do and evidently, it dropped a lot of seeds and I now have several seedlings. This is new for me because I am usually a big mulcher so I don't get a whole lot of seedlings.

I know that those seedlings will not bloom until next year. But the main plant is not blooming at all. Here it is July and it has fresh looking foliage with no blooms. Is that original plant done? In that case, it is really not perennial anyway.

I've had some Digitalis grandiflora for 3 years now and it has come back strong every year so far. Not only that, it made a bunch of seedlings and I transplanted 6-7 to a new spot last fall and all but one came through the winter fine.

I started some common D. purpurea from seed last year and they bloomed okay this year, even though I didn't get them planted until the fall. I am going to pull most of those plants when they're done, just keep a few favorites, and replace with new seedlings started this year (Excelsior hybrids).

But, I have had tremendous success with grandiflora, as Terrene suggests. It's a beautiful soft yellow, not as dramatic as the biennial digitalis, but quite long-lasting, and spreads nicely, and it needs no maintenance except deadheading.

Dee