i collected pieces of most of your list.. from garden friends ... i dont know why you would waste time on seed ... if you found a nice club to join ... most of your list is the stuff peeps would fill your trunk with.. for the asking.. lol ...

of your list.. primrose.. is pretty foo foo ... its not a plant and forget plant.. like the others ...

otherwise.. growing perennials from seed is a slow process.. and i bet .. based on your statement.. you might go crazy.. waiting for them to get to professional size ...

you might want to look into the winter sowing forum..

ken

I am not a patient gardener and have little experience with seed. However, I am considering seed because what I want costs a bundle and not easily found. So I guess I would recommend that you do both. Black Eyed Susan is an annual. I just bought a nice one at Costco for $12 and stop another shopper from buying one. It's a good deal for me but if you don't have a packed garden work on the bones first. Cloning is very easy for me because I have lots of experience. Growing from seed is easy but if you haven't done it trial and error will be your experience. Personally I don't think many people go out and plant a nice garden and it all lives. You go on vacation and the sprinklers broke or the new dog ate it or the new bug that came with the alyssum ate it. Start with a plan and get what you can on the cheap. Fill it in with special plants from seed. I use winter rains to establish perennials. In you zone what is the best time to establish perennials? Primrose is a cool weather annual and I save a place in my garden to plant them each year. Black Eyed Susan is a summer annual I planted from seed last year to get a fancy color. The plants for sale are always orange. Mixing in annuals gives you some change in look each year. Be sure to plan. Do it all.

let me be clear.. you should do it..

but lower your expectation ... it is all about patience ..

buying the plant.. cuts up to 1.5 to 2 years of PERFECT growth in a perfect circumstance .. [aka professional growers]

i have found.. that you can easily double the requisite time.. when you use mother earth.. and rely on her vagaries ...

but that should never stop you from experimenting ...

ken

I plant lots of seed for perennials as well as annuals. The seeds I plant this year are actually for next years perennials. The first year they are really a disappointment,and many gardeners just give up on seeds, at least for perennials. As Peggy points out it is a lot easier and faster to take cuttings, but to do that you must first acquire the plant. I do that also but the plants I grow from seed I can not get in plants, at least not locally. Al

The seeds I plant this year are actually for next years perennials.

==>> thank god Al finally got to what i have been trying to get to ...

there is no instant gratification .. you would be planting now ... for the FUTURE ... and that is the expectation ...

so buy some ready plants for your instant gratification..

and plant some seed for delayed gratification ...

ken

Amen to that, Ken!

I've finally learned to somewhat tame 'instant gratification'. I buy one of each of what I like/want (okay, not EVERYTHING I want!)...and then take cuttings or divide.

Saves money, time, patience, etc.

Hi there, I say go for it! Check out the winter sowing forum. True, perennials are slower, but one of my favorites in the garden is a lavendar monarda planted from seed that flowered profusely in year 2. It was sure worth the wait and it also attracts the very cool clear wing hummingbird moth!