forget-me-nots
 

I saw some of these in a street garden today, and fell in love with them.
The leaf is heart shaped like a violet and the little flowers are held
upright several inches above the foliage, and are the clearest most glorious
blue!

I want to add some to my garden. But I have some questions:

I know they multiply rapidly, but are they invasive?

How cold hardy are they?

Will they tolerate poor drainage (I have clay)

How long do the flowers last?

Does the foliage die back or last the season?

TIA.

forget-me-nots
 

In article , "Betsy" -0 wrote:

I saw some of these in a street garden today, and fell in love with them.
The leaf is heart shaped like a violet and the little flowers are held
upright several inches above the foliage, and are the clearest most glorious
blue!

I want to add some to my garden. But I have some questions:

I know they multiply rapidly, but are they invasive?

I have two wild forget me not species growing in various places. I never
planted any, they just arrived. One is extremely tiny, & grows even in the
lawn. The other gets to be a good foot high, but very thin & easily
removed if I don't like where they erupted. They are not the least bit
troublesome. I love them, rarely molest them, let them seed themselves
wherever they like. They're "invasive" in so far as they have naturalized
all around the world in places where they are not native, & can never be
gotten rid of, but they don't displace gardened plants so are extremely
unthreatening, & I see nothing wrong with them whatsoever. But then, I
find lots of weeds just as nice as cultivated flowers, & I even encourage
herb roberts.

How cold hardy are they?

Will they tolerate poor drainage (I have clay)

The larger forget-me-nots, Myosotis scorpiodes, & the diminuative M. laxa,
do fine in poor drainage, they will even grow partially in water, but will
do badly if things get dry. The common weedy little M. salvatica, I can't
really guess what its far range of tolerances might be, but they seem to
like well watered but well draining spots when self-selecting where they
want to pop up. Here's a little article:
http://www.paghat.com/forgetmenots.html

You can get the same flowers on a completely different plant, brunnera:
http://www.paghat.com/brunara.html

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

forget-me-nots
 

Thanks!

"paghat" wrote in message
...
In article , "Betsy" -0
wrote:

I saw some of these in a street garden today, and fell in love with
them.
The leaf is heart shaped like a violet and the little flowers are held
upright several inches above the foliage, and are the clearest most
glorious
blue!

I want to add some to my garden. But I have some questions:

I know they multiply rapidly, but are they invasive?

I have two wild forget me not species growing in various places. I never
planted any, they just arrived. One is extremely tiny, & grows even in the
lawn. The other gets to be a good foot high, but very thin & easily
removed if I don't like where they erupted. They are not the least bit
troublesome. I love them, rarely molest them, let them seed themselves
wherever they like. They're "invasive" in so far as they have naturalized
all around the world in places where they are not native, & can never be
gotten rid of, but they don't displace gardened plants so are extremely
unthreatening, & I see nothing wrong with them whatsoever. But then, I
find lots of weeds just as nice as cultivated flowers, & I even encourage
herb roberts.

How cold hardy are they?

Will they tolerate poor drainage (I have clay)

The larger forget-me-nots, Myosotis scorpiodes, & the diminuative M. laxa,
do fine in poor drainage, they will even grow partially in water, but will
do badly if things get dry. The common weedy little M. salvatica, I can't
really guess what its far range of tolerances might be, but they seem to
like well watered but well draining spots when self-selecting where they
want to pop up. Here's a little article:
http://www.paghat.com/forgetmenots.html

You can get the same flowers on a completely different plant, brunnera:
http://www.paghat.com/brunara.html

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

forget-me-nots
 

Subject: forget-me-nots
From: "Betsy" -0
Date: 4/25/2004 7:24 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

I saw some of these in a street garden today, and fell in love with them.
The leaf is heart shaped like a violet and the little flowers are held
upright several inches above the foliage, and are the clearest most glorious
blue!

I want to add some to my garden. But I have some questions:

I know they multiply rapidly, but are they invasive?

Definitely not.


How cold hardy are they?

Very. Probably zone 4, if not colder.
Don't know how warm tolerant they are, though. They like cool/cold winters.


Will they tolerate poor drainage (I have clay)

Yes. They like shady, somewhat wet. I've seen them in the wild in clay, and my
parents had them come up in clay soil.


How long do the flowers last?

Not sure yet. All mine are seedlings.


Does the foliage die back or last the season?

They stay in flower for a while. I'm not sure when it dies back.

-

theoneflasehaddock

forget-me-nots
 

After looking up pictures of forget-me-nots & brunerra, I've decided the
plant was brunera. The lady offered to give me some--yippee!

"theoneflasehaddock" ****off wrote in message
...
Subject: forget-me-nots
From: "Betsy" -0
Date: 4/25/2004 7:24 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

I saw some of these in a street garden today, and fell in love with them.
The leaf is heart shaped like a violet and the little flowers are held
upright several inches above the foliage, and are the clearest most
glorious
blue!

I want to add some to my garden. But I have some questions:

I know they multiply rapidly, but are they invasive?

Definitely not.


How cold hardy are they?

Very. Probably zone 4, if not colder.
Don't know how warm tolerant they are, though. They like cool/cold
winters.


Will they tolerate poor drainage (I have clay)

Yes. They like shady, somewhat wet. I've seen them in the wild in clay,
and my
parents had them come up in clay soil.


How long do the flowers last?

Not sure yet. All mine are seedlings.


Does the foliage die back or last the season?

They stay in flower for a while. I'm not sure when it dies back.

-

theoneflasehaddock

forget-me-nots
 

You can be forgiven young lady. The old name was Anchusa myosotidiflora.
Forget-me-not like and are of the same family.Boraginaceae.
Best Wishes Brian
"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
After looking up pictures of forget-me-nots & brunerra, I've decided the
plant was brunera. The lady offered to give me some--yippee!

"theoneflasehaddock" ****off wrote in message
...
Subject: forget-me-nots
From: "Betsy" -0
Date: 4/25/2004 7:24 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

I saw some of these in a street garden today, and fell in love with
them.
The leaf is heart shaped like a violet and the little flowers are held
upright several inches above the foliage, and are the clearest most
glorious
blue!

I want to add some to my garden. But I have some questions:

I know they multiply rapidly, but are they invasive?

Definitely not.


How cold hardy are they?

Very. Probably zone 4, if not colder.
Don't know how warm tolerant they are, though. They like cool/cold
winters.


Will they tolerate poor drainage (I have clay)

Yes. They like shady, somewhat wet. I've seen them in the wild in clay,
and my
parents had them come up in clay soil.


How long do the flowers last?

Not sure yet. All mine are seedlings.


Does the foliage die back or last the season?

They stay in flower for a while. I'm not sure when it dies back.

-

theoneflasehaddock