What will you grow again (including overwintering)

Hi @Verdun, yes I like gazanias, but I have found they don't stay open enough here - also the colours, though good (especially with green contrast near the centres) are not as 'pure' as zinnias eg no pure red.

 

Oooooo! A challenge CarolineL
When next sunny and I remember I will post a picture of a "pure" orange. I think I do have a pure red too at the top of the garden; will have a look
True, they need sun to stay open but on a sunny winter's day they will give some colour

 

Hi @FatContoller

First off, I can't believe you've never grown a busy lizzie before , I remember when they were really popular and absolutely everywhere back in the. 80"s and 90's. They're perennials and will thrive on a sunny windowsill over Winter and if kept warm enough ( warm, not hot ) will flower all through.

Geraniums ( Pelargoniums )..... Cuttings of these are best taken in the next month or so. They're easier to keep as small plants as ( like busy lizzies ) they keep growing and flowering all Winter.

Begonias..... There are so many different types ( Tuberous, Rhizomatous, Fibrous, Herbaceous ), we would really need to see a photo of the flowers/leaves before saying the best way to treat them.

Fuchsias...... No idea, never grown them ( hahaha )

Ok then,...... You're best off taking cuttings off them in around another months time. I'll put up a post a bit later on with the various ways of keeping them over Winter, either " in the green " , growing , or dormant .

The one plant I've grown this year that is totally new to me and I've absolutely fallen in love with is called Emilia " Irish Poet " . It's a little stunner that throws up whispy stems and is covered in little golden ball like flowers. It's a bit of a filler like Verbena Bonariensis.

 

I have been thrilled with my little Busy busy Bizzie Lizzie, although like FC i was also a Impatiens virgin she was gifted to me very, very late last summer, by which time it was too cold wet and windy to put her outdoors so as you say KFF, i kept her on a cool kitchen windowsill - and she has flowered on and off all thru the Autumn/Winter bless her and as you can see she's still flowering her socks off and I have also managed to get some cuttings rooted in water too

 

Begonia Crackling Fire is, well, a cracker!
I have it in pink, yellow, white and orange .....3 of same colour in a container. So,4 pots of continuous and abundant flowers. Not a fan of begonias but Crackling Fire is different. The corms will be used again next year when they will be bigger and should be even better.
Begonia bonfire boliviensis too is superb.....similar to Crackling Fire but more upright and with red flowers.

 

• I hang all my hanging baskets up over a large tray(s) of compost in the Greenhouse as they are going to seed and Bacopa is one of the plants that self-seeds in the trays underneath them every year for me FC - along with Lobelia, Mimulus and Night Scented and Virginia Stock ... I then, as the weather improves just prick them out and pop them back into the fresh Hanging baskets ready for the Summer - its proved fruitful and saved me time and pennies each year - the Greenhouse is unheated but i do use Fleece and Polystyrene sheets under the trays. It's me nowt ventured- nowt gained gardening policy .. weather permitting

 

I will definitely grow stocks again, the scent when I went outdoors a couple of hours ago was devine.
Morning glory has been successful this year too, I just have to remember to admire them in the ...morning! The flowers are all curled up by the afternoon.

 

Sunpatiens Magenta.....flowering since late spring. Substantially larger and more floriferous than the usual impatiens. Here in white too.

 

Never overwintered Nepata . But when you buy the plants in spring , they can be easily split to double your plants.
Bacopa can flower through to late November . I have grown from seed , but now prefer the larger flowered plug plants . Would be difficult to over winter without a heated greenhouse.
Impatiens - Busy Lizzies , these were virtually wiped out annually 6 years ago with a mildew. They are just coming back on the scene ( mildew free ?). Used to be a huge variety - easy to grow from seed.

For overwintering , I save my lovely trailing begonia corms - you can't beat these for a shady corner basket.
Cannas , would never be without these . I grow a vast variety of two C. Tropicanna and C. Bengal Tiger.
I also save my favourite Cactus Dahlia , need to improve on my winter labelling , then I don't get completely mixed up ! I planted all the stunners round the corner of the shed this year, so they are difficult to see.

My regular annuals are Sweet peas , Laurentia star flowers , Zinnia Whirlygig ( must try some new zinnias in 2018 )