Mine just started blooming this week. Here's what they look like:

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Bonnie

OH NO! That is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't make me p so much!!!!! Hahaha!!!!

Man, that is soooooooo gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

As far as I remember, I really planted a Rudbeckia irish eyes on that area. What do you think about this? Is this it?

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That's definitely a Rudbeckia. Mine sat there with buds on it for a week or two before they finally opened up, but it's worth the wait.

Bonnie,
Gorgeous!! Are those Achilleas behind it? Can't seem to get the brightly coloured ones established. All my footings didn't make it through the winter. :O(

Neil,
Lucky you if that's what you have. Even if it's not, any Rudbeckia is welcome into the gardens. They are all so pretty and make a statement. :O)

Wow! That color is wonderful, I didn't realize Irish Eyes is perennial. Please post a picture when it's in full bloom.

Tiffy, I tried colors of achillea, and all I got was more yellow. So I bought a plant from T's Flowers & Things, it's a red called Angela. Here she is with my wintersown daisy Snow Lady. I should have seeds to trade/sase after it blooms.

Mary

Here is a link that might be useful:

Yes, it is perennial. I knew I kept the packet. Here it is. I still have like 8-10 seeds left. :D

At the back, it says zone 4-8

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I looked at the back of the packet again, it says flowers are 5" across! :D Is it true Bonnie?

That sounds about right, Neil. Nothing subtle about these babies, LOL!

Oh, phooey! I just noticed my date stamp is way off. I always forget to update it when I change the batteries out.

Yep, Tiffy, that is Achillea 'Walter Funke'. I bought a 3-pack from Bluestone late in the fall a couple of years ago, and they came back and were full sized by the end of the first summer. They like it dry, and don't mind poor soil, which is why they are so happy here. Find them a neglected spot in the blistering sun, and they will reward you for it. Oh, and the deer don't touch them : )

Bonnie,

Do they need deadheading?

Thanks!

The green-eyed ruds are definitely my favorites. I've grown Irish Eyes and Prarie Sun, and their offspring. These are all green-eyed ones.
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They're pretty spactacular planted en masse
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They can get pretty big
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But why wait for them to die in the garden then deadhead? Bring them into the house and enjoy them. The more you cut, the more you get.
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Karen

WOW - what gorgeous displays of Irish Eyes - I really do need to do a mass planting of them - I have one or two plants in seperate gardens and don't have near the impact - I will definitely get more seed and have more next year - just love the eyecandy - thanks for sharing everyone......

Lynne

I loved these pics so much, I went out and bought a pack today!

Does it really take 21 days for them to germinate?

I'm using the cup and baggie to try and grow these so that the moisture will stay in. It's HOT! (I don't know where I'm going put them either...LOL!) Should I cover them with netting to give them some shade? I'm afraid I'll fry them!

Leisa

Was away for 2 days. Came from Springfield to visit Abraham Lincoln. Across the Presidential Museum was an open garden. It was beautiful. I only remember few plant names: coreopsis, black eyed sustans, purple coneflower. Anyways, if you get a chance to visit Springfield, you have to visit the Presidential Museum. You should not miss "Ghost of the Library". It's the first time I have seen that kind of special effects. It was amazing!

Anyways, Karen, that is beeeeaaaaauuuuttttiiiifffuuulllll!!! :D

Do they really flower the first year? I'm worried that maybe, the seeds I got were annuals.

Karen - Absolutely the most beautiful ruds - I'm sold!

Carrie

You should be excited! These flowers are so pretty.

I posted these on an earlier thread, but thought it would be appropriate to post again on this thread. I'm not for sure if these are Irish eyes or Prairie sun, but regardless, I LOVE these! They were worth the year's wait. I will harvest seeds from these and see what happens. I don't know if they will come true, as I've got a couple other ruds, but it's worth a shot.

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I love everyone's photos ... these really are striking flowers.

I think I peed a little too!! Definitely need to get these ones going! Bunches of them!
-B

Posted by v1rtu0s1ty
"Was away for 2 days. Came from Springfield to visit Abraham Lincoln. Across the Presidential Museum was an open garden. It was beautiful. I only remember few plant names: coreopsis, black eyed sustans, purple coneflower. Anyways, if you get a chance to visit Springfield, you have to visit the Presidential Museum. You should not "miss "Ghost of the Library". It's the first time I have seen that kind of special effects. It was amazing!"

We're planning on taking our son and his friend to the Illinois State Fair in Springfild this August. We plan on spending at least one day visiting as much as we can throughout Springfield. Thanks for heads up about the "Ghost of the Library"! Sounds spooky! The boys will love it!!

Forgot to update this thread! My irish eyes are getting better and better everyday. Now, the Russian Sage beside irish eyes is blooming, plus the knautia behind, I'm speechless. LOL. :D I love the color combination.

I am very shocked to the number of flowers it produced.

I can't wait for the other cleome plants to bloom too. The cleomes are in between the 2 clumps of irish eyes and in front of maroon leaf shrub/tree(smokebush).

Here is a pic taken this morning. I LUV IT! Hahaha! I'm drooling!

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I forgot to ask, are they great for cuttings? If so, how do I make them stay longer inside the house since they're cut?

Neil,

Your garden has come up very nice. also post some pictures of garden beds from a distance, i mean non closeups. would love to see how it looks overall now.

Very pretty Neil. Yes, ruds have a pretty long vase life. The fresher the bloom when cut, the longer it keeps in a vase. Adding a few stems of the sage is a pretty good effect too.

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Karen

Here it is. I'll take more picture once I get back from vacation next week. Pictures were taken July 22.

From what I noticed, I'm missing some height on the borders. Hopefully, the junipers will grow quickly.

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first year ws dianthus flowering :)
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Karen,

How long should I make the cut?

Thanks!

Do you mean where to cut them? Look down the stem. At one node you should see swelling where the next blossom will form. Cut just above it so that more flowers will follow.

Ruds can provide beautiful bouquets for the house all summer.

Karen

wow they are beauties! I need to get some of that seed!

v1rtu0s1ty your neighborhood looks like mine. I had to look a couple times at your pics :)

The ruds are so pretty. I ordered prarie sun from TM. I am excited to grow them

Karen

Karen, I will order prairie sun too when I get a chance. It's on my todo list. :D

Thanks clarejoe. I'm going back to my drawing board and plan the garden agaid for next year.

Thanks Karen regarding the location of the cut. :)

You have done a great job with your ws this year. Your neighbor's homes look so bare. Have they started to come for you for advice yet? I'm sure they will.

Yeah, my neigbhors asked me how I was able to achieve that many plants. They saw me working on the garden around early March. They were curious about the garden beds I was making. They saw the milk jugs. I explained to them what it was and also gave them the Wintersown site. I actually watched their reactions when they saw it. They didn't pay much attention to it kinda like "oh, ok". However, when plants started to come out/bloom, they went back to me and asked, "was that from the tiny greenhouse". :)
I'm going to make more beds maybe by fall once my knee gets better. :D

Thanks mnwsgal! :)

your garden has come up so nice. your planning and hardwork has created such a colourful garden.

I remember the pictures you posted last summer. What a difference a year makes! Your right, without spending a fortune on landscaping, you could never have such full gardens that quickly if it wasn't for wintersowing.

When my next door neighbors parents come for a visit, they go on and on about how great my yard looks, and how come their yard doesn't look this good, LOL! I do share my wintersown veggies with them, but they seem to kill most of the flowers and shrubs that they plant, so I'm afraid to give them any.

Great job on your garden!

Bonnie

Thanks daisy and Bonnie for the kind and very encouraging words! I really appreciate it.

I'm here at Mackinaw City, MI specifically at KOA Camping Ground. Glad they have WiFi access. I was walking toward the KOA office and a strong fragrant scent stopped me. I found which flower it was. The sweet scented flowers reminds me of our Dama de Noche flowers back when I was 14.
Anyways, I took 2 flowers which I think has some dead flowers so I can try to ws it. What plant could this be? The height is 3 ft.

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Those are pretty. Your gardens look great Neil. Do you have kids? If so I'll have to send you some bunny tail grass.
Oh and what is the plant in the back border with the chocolate colored five pointed leaves? It's beautiful.

That's a Milkweed plant. I'm afraid the dead flowers won't produce plants though. It will form large seedpods later, which will explode with cottony fuzz with seeds attached.

See link for a photo of what they look like when ripe.

It's related to the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) that is commonly grown in gardens.

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Milkweed seedheads