Biggest success and worst failure of 2018

[Silentrunning]

Since winter is just around the corner for those of us living in the northern hemisphere, I was wondering what everyone had as best and worst during this last growing season.

Best - Zinnias! My first time growing them and they took over their garden area. They are still beautiful.

Worst - Sweet corn. The continuous rains last spring ruined both planting’s. What did survive was decimated by corn borers.

 

[alp]

Biggest success has to be salvias. I have fallen into with them big time! Seeds easy to germinate and flower the same year and cuttings also flower the same year. My big love is Dyson's Joy with tender pink, Salmon Dance with peachy big flowers and Salvia Amistad! I don't know how to describe the latter! Just pure beauty!


Another success is Rajman Firecracker dahlia

It has deer antler split end petals, vibrant yellow and striking red. Quite prolific too!

Failures - Sweet corns too. The first batch didn't come through. 2nd batch too late. What a waste of time.

Penstemon Mother of Pearl and Sour grapes - two sulky sisters!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

no failures. Success were, all come up as usual .

 

[vette-kid]

Failure: .
Tomato, got only 3 or 4.

Bananas, tough for my zone, but I'm determined. I transplanted due to moving and a hard freeze right before that really took a toll.

Success:
Cherry tomato: wife couldn't eat them fast enough.

Sort of successful, jalapenos: Very prolific and good flavor. Ones ripening now have no or little heat though.

Key lime: got half a dozen so far, a few more ripening now. This is from a young starter plant, so I'm happy.

Orange: fingers crossed, but we have a few dozen that look like they are about to turn.

 

[Perki]

Had a few failures / disappointments
Tithonias - planted them in a pot with dahlia david howard both sulked trying to out compete each other.
Melons - plants grow well but no fruit , I suspect they are not self fertile
Primula's have really suffered this year not used to it being so dry
Cucumber Luxury f1 - disappointed not many fruits not as good as passandra which I normally grow.
Raspberry All gold flavour disappointing and sends suckers up everywhere.
Tomato Sweet million flavour disappointing
Carrots never germinated

Most pleased with this year
Kniphofia tawny king - Echinacea - Ligularia little rocket - most roses - Lobelia Tupa - trailing petunia . Most perennials have done good this year

 

[vette-kid]

Biggest success has to be salvias. I have fallen into with them big time! Seeds easy to germinate and flower the same year and cuttings also flower the same year. My big love is Dyson's Joy with tender pink, Salmon Dance with peachy big flowers and Salvia Amistad! I don't know how to describe the latter! Just pure beauty!


Another success is Rajman Firecracker dahlia
View attachment 46711
It has deer antler split end petals, vibrant yellow and striking red. Quite prolific too!

Failures - Sweet corns too. The first batch didn't come through. 2nd batch too late. What a waste of time.

Penstemon Mother of Pearl and Sour grapes - two sulky sisters!

That is beautiful! Just gorgeous.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Best: The whole garden. It produced until we were sick of it.

Best: Tea Olive, I love the way they make the whole yard smell. I planted them on every corner so no matter which way the wind blows it smells beautiful.

Worst: Believing my own water based PH tests, I put out sulphur on the lawn. It will be next year before things get corrected probably.

 

[alp]

That is beautiful! Just gorgeous.

Thank you soooooo much! Very nice of you!

 

[alp]

Best: The whole garden. It produced until we were sick of it.

Best: Tea Olive, I love the way they make the whole yard smell. I planted them on every corner so no matter which way the wind blows it smells beautiful.

Worst: Believing my own water based PH tests, I put out sulphur on the lawn. It will be next year before things get corrected probably.

I must get some of this tea olive! Sounds like my kind of thing.

 

[alp]

Had a few failures / disappointments
Tithonias - planted them in a pot with dahlia david howard both sulked trying to out compete each other.
Melons - plants grow well but no fruit , I suspect they are not self fertile
Primula's have really suffered this year not used to it being so dry
Cucumber Luxury f1 - disappointed not many fruits not as good as passandra which I normally grow.
Raspberry All gold flavour disappointing and sends suckers up everywhere.
Tomato Sweet million flavour disappointing
Carrots never germinated

Most pleased with this year
Kniphofia tawny king - Echinacea - Ligularia little rocket - most roses - Lobelia Tupa - trailing petunia . Most perennials have done good this year

Tithonia can be a very big plant with big spread. As for David Howard, I think this year hasn't been right for a lot of dahlias, as Monty points out! My Franz Kafka has had only ONE flower!

 

[Gail_68]

The Best - Cordylines are doing well with the new shootings since the stem have been cut.

Failure - Astilbes never took off even when moved to a shaded area...another waste of money.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The Best - Cordylines are doing well with the new shootings since the stem have been cut.

Failure - Astilbes never took off even when moved to a shaded area...another waste of money.

Shade is the hardest area for me to grow the fullness of any leaf. It will be the/a thesis of the coming year.

 

[alp]

My astilbes have NEVER flowered for me. Saw @Zenj 's lovely plume of feather and was very jealous. I'm not going to kill them. Expectation for another year!

 

[Gail_68]

Shade is the hardest area for me to grow the fullness of any leaf. It will be the/a thesis of the coming year.

We got no shade in both our gardens the only place it comes in the last afternoon just along the fence...we need to look for plants totally adoring the sun

My astilbes have NEVER flowered for me.

alp mine have nearly gone £12-99 each I paid for them

 

[alp]

Gail - you certainly keep the economy in good shape. Don't feel bad. I bought mine reduced to £1 each and tore the plants apart to make several and now I still have several, but NO PLUMES OF FEATHER!