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Sep 11, 2015 2:44 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Frank Richards
Clinton, Michigan (Zone 5b)

Hydrangeas Peonies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Master Level
I really did not enjoy this "tip of the week" from Jennifer Smith, Horticulture Magazine.

http://www.hortmag.com/plant-f...

It is unbelievable that such a "tip" would be published by a major magazine. Annuals are annual! There was no mention of tender perennials that are sometimes treated like annuals. I wonder how many readers will actually try to over winter an actual annual:)
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Sep 11, 2015 3:23 PM CST
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
That's just wrong. The magazine should clarify that the author is overwintering perennials that are not hardy to her zone. Sheesh.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Sep 12, 2015 8:03 AM CST
Name: Caroline Scott
Calgary (Zone 4a)
Bulbs Winter Sowing Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Peonies Lilies Charter ATP Member
Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Yes, she is giving a wrong gardeners tip!
The article should say that the plants are tender perennials,
which are grown as annuals in northern climates.
This year I am over wintering coleus and pelargoniums.
One year I did over winter a basket of petunias.
I might try over wintering centradenia?
It is with the coleus which died off in the hail storm.
The centradenia never did flower outside.
The problem becomes room under the windows!

And sometimes some of the tender perennials can be encouraged to over winter where they are out in the garden if they are mulched. Snapdragons sometimes will, and this year there are Eklonis daisies which I might try mulching? They are more tender so?
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Sep 12, 2015 8:35 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Coleus and pelargoniums also spend the winter indoors here but, as we've all said, they are tender perennials, not annuals.

I use picnic benches, covered with really inexpensive tablecloths, for the porch and the master bedroom to provide lots of sunlight (and cheer) over the winter.
Thumb of 2015-09-12/pirl/680c22
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Sep 12, 2015 9:03 AM CST
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Photo Contest Winner: 2017
I overwinter, under fluorescent lights in the basement Coleus, Golden Dew Drop 'Sapphire Showers', an Elephant Ear (last year), geraniums, Spur Flower (Plectranthus Mona Lavender), tender cacti, Queen's Tears, and a few others.
Thumb of 2015-09-12/jmorth/6ac200
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Sep 12, 2015 9:12 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Good job! Carrying them in and out can't be much fun but at least you're not buying them every year.

I think Frank's point was that the tip was misleading in that it would encourage people to bring in annuals to try and save over winter and they can be fussier than tender perennials by far. If the article had been written more clearly, and "tender perennials" used, it would be less annoying.
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Sep 14, 2015 7:27 AM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I like the part about "turn the thermostat up a few degrees" to keep the plants comfy... LOL, I guess $300/month for heat in the coldest part of the winter here isn't already enough! Any plants that spend the winter indoors here better like to be cool.
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
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Sep 14, 2015 8:50 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Ours are kept on the indoor (unheated) porch. It does have five windows and a glass door so temperatures rise to about 90 (or more) then fall to below 60 at night. Nothing has died from it!

Fine for an author to spout raise the temperature but highly unrealistic.
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Sep 14, 2015 2:44 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
Well... Shrug! I posted a comment for that article and hmmm? It's not showing up. Here it is 3 days later and still not comment showing.
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Sep 14, 2015 2:49 PM CST
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I tried to post a comment as well, and nothing ever showed up.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Sep 14, 2015 3:15 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
Curiouser and couriouser. Whistling
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Sep 15, 2015 5:44 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Frank Richards
Clinton, Michigan (Zone 5b)

Hydrangeas Peonies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Master Level
@greene @bonehead

I too have recently posted comments on the Horticulture Magazine site and they never show up!

I originally thought that my comments were not posted because they were somewhat critical.

However, I checked several of the "Plants we love" posts and noted that they all had ZERO comments.

I concluded that the comments section of the site had been disabled.
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Sep 15, 2015 10:51 AM CST
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Wonder why they even bother to encourage comments then? My comment was not particularly critical, just noted that the article should clarify that the plants being discussed are all tender perennials rather than true annuals. Short and to the point. Weird.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Sep 15, 2015 1:04 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
Perhaps sending a 'snail mail' letter to the editor of the magazine would get more attention? Shrug!
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Sep 28, 2015 5:53 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
I've read that most websites know the basic rules to encourage people to come back. One trick is "investing". If they can get you invest any effort of your own - even a minute or two - even just posting a comment - you are much more likely to come back to that website.

The language they use for talking about those techniques often includes the language of addiction: hooked, compulsive, "habit-forming", etc.

http://www.technologyreview.co...

Present company excepted, of course!

My theory is that SOME places post such nonsense that they must be counting on us to get indignant, and then COME BACK to see what other arrant nonsense they have dished up since the last time.

People just CAN'T be THAT dumb!
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Oct 1, 2015 12:14 AM CST
Name: David Laderoute
Zone 5B/6 - NW MO (Zone 5b)
Ignoring Zones altogether
Seed Starter Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Level 1
One of the problems with many gardening and horticultural articles are that they are written by professional writers - not horticulturalists. When I read something that is stupid like this, I check the persons Bio and it usually says they began their writing career, blah, blah, blah after receiving their degree in Ancient Roman History or whatever. Not Botany, not Hoticulture, etc.

There are a bunch of sites telling you how to grow seeds. They all have the same boiler plate info - much of which is wrong.

These guys are among the worst with crummy advice.

homeguides.sfgate.com

Horticulture magazine SHOULD know better.
Seeking Feng Shui with my plants since 1976
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Oct 1, 2015 7:27 AM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
The same magazine offered a free PDF of their 1904 magazine. Should be interesting to learn what the authors wrote without the help of copy/paste from the internet.
http://media2.fwpublications.c...
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Oct 1, 2015 7:49 AM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
Stop the presses!!!

Since reading the article about overwintering annuals I have been subscribing.

Today there was an update - an article about planting spring bulbs. Ho-hum, nothing new in the test. Then I noticed at the bottom on the screen it said copyright COLORBLENDS Wholesale Flowerbulbs, All rights reserved with an address on Barnum Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

That's when I yelled stop the presses Hurray! and my dog jumped and hit his head on my chair. Bridgeport is where I was born and raised; Barnum Ave...well, that number on Barnum Ave is not exactly a thriving business location. If you want a good laugh copy/past this into a Google Map page:
COLORBLENDS Wholesale Flowerbulbs 747 Barnum Ave Bridgeport, CT 06608-2415

Then click on 'street view' and take a virtual walk around the block. You will get an eyeful. Whistling

Okay, you can start the presses now. I'll go apologize to my dog for disturbing his sleep. Rolling on the floor laughing
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Oct 1, 2015 12:15 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
A friend told me that there ARE some nice parts of Bridgeport!

But in all the parts I ever drove through, I would not have wanted to get out of my car to fix a flat.

Not ALL the windows in the Street View are broken!
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