I've grown them off and on for twenty years. It's not the soil or water that guarantees their longevity. It's our climate that can and will eventually do them in. :(

'Foxy' foxglove when started from seed early indoors will bloom reliably the first year. I about died when I saw gallon containers at Home Depot, gorgeous and in full bloom for $24.99 a plant! I similarly saw gallon containers of full bloom cleome' at Cub Foods for $14.99. They come up like weeds if left to self seed. Unfortunately, foxglove does not do the same.

I love this guy's website - renegadegardener.com. He talks about how the plant growers market their product and what a scam it is sometimes. Lots of humor and good advice on gardening in our climate.

Thanks. So if I sow seeds for foxglove I'd get blooming plants? When do you sow? And when would first blooms then occur? If I can pester you again?

The seed pkg should give those details. I have more luck with penstemon/beardstongue in my soil.

Hi Peege,

The 'Foxy' variety of foxglove needs to be started indoors under lights in February. They bloomed for me in July if I recall correctly. A lot work and patience, but they are such beauties they make it worthwhile.

This thread makes me sad :( I scored on a pair of foxglove, 2 for 9$ of just starting to bloom 1gal at Menards because they looked like garbage from the kids not watering them at the store. Brought em home, with lots of watering they spruced right up, the tag however said full sun which is causing me to water a bit more than I please but I sure do hope they come back from what this topic has me fearing :(

Admit1,

I hope your foxgloves are an exception to the rule. Truth be told, they are just not reliably hardy here in MN. Picture an English cottage-style garden with gorgeous foxgloves. Then consider their much milder climate.

On a positive note, delphiniums are also a big component in the cottage garden. They play a similar role with big spikes of gorgeous color. Some are even in the pinkish/purple realm if that is the color you are looking to add. This winter was very kind to delphiniums and they are putting on a beautiful display as I type. They've been reliably hardy as this is their sixth year of bloom.

Cut the spikes back after they bloom and you'll get a second flush of flowers. They'll not be as big, but still very pretty.

The only true perennial foxglove in my garden is digitalis ambigua grandiflora, the so-called "yellow foxglove." Digitalis mertonensis is supposed to be perennial also, but I've had only mixed luck getting it to come back for a second year.

Most foxgloves are biennials, so you need to do what you can to ensure their winter survival. if they come through, they'll bloom in their second year. Many a year I've seen them green and alive in early spring only to succumb to crown rot (this despite overwintering them in a special cold frame with excellent drainage). This year I've been lucky, about 10 are blooming now, and they're really beautiful. I grew them from seed in winter 2011; they spent last summer growing, and are now in bloom.

I've grown "Foxy' in the past and like it, but it's definitely not a perennial, at least not in my garden. It blooms the first year from seed and that's it.

In my experience, foxglove prefers a partially sunny location, not sun the whole day. They've done well for me in dappled shade even

Foxglove is one of my all-time favorite flowers and I've had a heck of a time with them, but I try year after year. My experience is pretty close to that of Windytown and while I do grow delphinium I'm too much of a foxglove fan to give up yet :-)

Good luck with yours.

Gary

Here are some pics, if I upload them correctly:

http://db.tt/ICtwWHHE
http://db.tt/ICtwWHHE
http://db.tt/ICtwWHHE

OK, that didn't work. I'll try one more time.

Gary,

Thank you for posting your lovely pics of the foxgloves! You are right. There's nothing that can compare. I live in a house now where we don't have the right shade component. Your pics are wonderful!

how many hours of light should I be looking for on my Foxgloves they are of the "Foxy" variety. I feel like I am needing to water them way too much.

Mine received about four hours of afternoon sun. With the weather we're having right now, I'm watering everything daily. Looks like we'll get a break tonight over much of the state.

Agree with Windytown. Morning or afternoon sun, or dappled. If you're having to water excessively, then try a thick layer of mulch or, better, a nice cushion of compost topped with a good mulch. That should do the trick. When I've grown 'Foxy' I didn't get blooms until fairly late in the summer.

Gary

The purple-spotted ones in my pics are 'Pam's Choice.' I just ran across this site that has very useful information and thought I'd pass it along to GW readers.

http://www.gardenguides.com/70326-winterize-foxglove-pams-choice.html

Other foxglove tips pages will appear as well.

Gary

Gary,

That's good information. Thanks for passing it along.