I don't need plants but something tells me I'll probably be going to diamond.

I'll just bet you go, and will somehow make room for those hot Ruellias!
Sunny

Haven't been out there yet this spring but it's on my list. Maybe tomorrow. Got a black petunia at Westwood Gardens in Rogers, yesterday. Truly black! Called Black Velvet. Love it! It's going to be striking in a pot with an applebloom pink one, euphorbia and pink variegated sweet potato vine.

If you all can stand One More Post on tall Mexican petunias -- when I was digging out the old petunia stubs to put new soil in the big container, there was growth coming up on 2 out of 3 planted last year. So that means they really are perinneals in Zone 7a winter!
Sunny

Except that we didn't have winter this year. They may be perennials in a normal winter. Black and Blue salvia seems to be, but I'm just saying last winter was not a good test.

Well,talk about a Party Pooper! lol I'm betting you, Helen, that if I am patient, the things will restart next Spring -- unless, of course, we have an ice age, which wouldn't surprise me -- nothing much does, about our weather--
Sunny

Sorry to be a party popper; I do tend to be a worry wort. I bought a deciduous Azalea at Lowe's this evening. I wanted to buy one in bloom so I could smell it. The ones with buds a couple weeks ago were gone. This one doesn't look like it is going to bloom this year, but I took a chance anyway. I am trying not to buy too many plants because watering is not fun in July.

Sunny - Were your petunias up against your house? Those two that wintered over will be more established and MIGHT have a chance at getting through next winter too. It doesn't hurt to try.

Someone in another forum in zone 6 reported that their Tropical Milkweed returned. If I'd known we were going to have such a warm winter, I would have left mine in the ground and mulched it and my lantana as well. I tried keeping both of those in my basement and they died.

I don't think it ever got down into the single digits last winter here. That would be closer to zone 8 than 7. Not likely to happen again unless global warming is moving faster than they thought.

Sounds like you'd be happy with Purple Showers even if you have to grow it as an annual every year. I'm going to watch for it.

I planted my Mexian petunia with the native ruellias that I moved into my garden from the field out back. Be interesting to see how they compare and if they will hybridize. Guess I'll have to try and save seeds and see.

Christie, they were in a large planter on the north side and in front of a chain-link fence. However, the south side does receive sun all day.

Keep the pictures coming Sunny. I like that dark purple flower and dark stems.

Beautiful flowers. I have the native ruellia but I mow the ditches each year so I don't know how tall it would get if left alone.. The bloom looks the same only paler.

That makes it even more surprising that they would survive the winter in a planter that has northern exposure. Wow!

Here they take over everything. They spread by runners. Show up everywhere.