I planted this perennial from seed this year and the plants grew to a whopping 34" in height but no blooms. Now that the cold weather will be arriving, I am not sure if I have to cut them back or just let them die out on their own to come back in the spring. This was one of my favorites back in 1998 when I started gardening, but I don't remember how to treat them for the colder months. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks, Mark
Mark, I have been growing them for about 6 years now. As far south as you are winter shouldn't be a problem at all. Mine survived snow in Feb, 2004...they looked sad when the snow melted, but then so was I, but once the sun came out they were just fine. They stay green all year round for me, there are even some tiny seedlings that came up inspite of the freezes I have some 6th or 7th generation seedlings out there now that came thru all our freezes last month just fine. When full grown most of mine have been between 3 feet to 5 feet tall. One of the taller ones was bent down by the snow 4 years ago and since the stem wasn't broken it started sending up stems down it's full length. That summer all those stems were at least 3 feet tall and covered in blooms.
Thanks Toni. I will just let them be then. They are looking pretty sad right now, we had some nights of 35 last week and then 70 during the day.
