Flowers 2014

Marigolds (large, round, orange with red streaks)
Tossed some seeds in the garden and near the tomatoes.  Also purchased 6 transplants from the local nursery, as the marigolds I started indoors in March got fried when I tried to harden them off in May.
A garden staple - I grow these every year and plant them near the tomatoes.


Dinnerplate Dahlias (tubers - assorted)
Date sown: May 9, 2014
direct sown outside
Observations:
8/8/14 - Have had lots of large, white dahlias - beautiful!  One smaller red, several orange peppermint, a small cream, and medium-sized lemon yellows.
Would grow again?  Love dahlias, plant tubers every year.  Haven't successfully saved tubers/overwintered them yet.


Starlight Rose Zinnia
Date sown:  May 10, 2014
direct sown outside
Date germinated: Did not germinate, despite it being (pricey) new seed and my sowing it twice.  Very disappointing!
These look so pretty online, would like to try growing them again at some point.  Likely when the cost of seeds goes down!


Peppermint Stick Zinna
Date sown:  May 12, 2014
direct sown outside
Date germinated:
Observations:
7/8/14 - First flower finally started to open!  The flowers are smaller than they should be and the plants are much shorter than they should be.  I think because they were planted in a shady part of the garden with hard soil.  Not the best growing conditions.
24/8/14 - A second one opened.  :)
Would grow again? yes


Early Russian Sunflower
Date sown:  May 17, 2014
Direct sown outside - two of them, each in a separate container.  Used as a support for pole beans.
Observations:
30/8/14 - These are about  7 feet tall.  Small heads that have not opened yet. 
Would grow again 


Russian Giant Sunflower
Date sown: Late May/Early June (forgot to note the date)
Direct sown outside at the edge of the potato patch. 
Date germinated: Did not note.  There were so many "volunteer" sunflowers in the potato patch this year (which turned out to be about 5 feet tall and mult-headed) that I was unsure what was what!
Observations:
29/8/14 - The flower has started to open.  The head/flower is smaller than I expected it to be, considering the stalk is as thick as my wrist and ~10 feet tall.  Then again, I did not fertilize it at all, and it was located in an area that was not watered regularly.  
Approximate date harvested:
Would grow again?  For fun, yes, but not near any vegetable crops.


Sunspot Sunflower
Date sown:  May 18, 2014
direct sown outside
Date germinated:
Observations:
8/8/14 - Only two or these of these seeds germinated.  The plants are coming along, but no flowers are close to appearing yet! 
28/8/14 - One of these bloomed in the last week.  Love these - compact, and the bees enjoy them.
Would grow again? yes


Teddy Bear Sunflower
Date sown:  May 18, 2014
direct sown outside
Date germinated:
Observations:
8/8/14 - The plants are coming along, but no flowers are even close to appearing yet! 
29/8/14 - one has bloomed in the last week, there are 5 or 6 that haven't bloomed yet.
Would grow again? yes


Scarlet Flax
Date sown:  May 24 2014
direct sown outside (flower bed)
Date germinated:
Observations:  Love this!  Tiny, delicate, vibrant red flowers - almost a neon effect.
Would grow again?  Second year growing it, will grow again.  Self-seeds and is easy to save seed from the pods.


Orange and Yellow Calendula
Date sown:  May 24, 2014
direct sown outside(flower bed)
Date germinated:
Observations: Grows so easily, germinates quickly, very easy to grow.
Would grow again? Second year growing it, yes, will grow it again!  Easy to save seed.  (Self-seeds easily, so I haven't much choice...  *L*)


Pink and White Gomphrena
Date sown:  May 24, 2014
direct sown outside (flower bed)
Date germinated:
Observations:
8/8/14 - no sign of the gomphrena.  Don't think it's going to grow this year!  The part of the flower bed where I planted them ended up being taken over by pansies that self-seeded from last year's bunches.
Would grow again?  Gomphrena's pretty and hardy, would like to try growing again.


Swiss Giant Pansies (mixed)
Date sown:  March 24, 2014
direct sown outside (flower bed)
Date germinated:
Observations: Light fragrance, very pretty, endures heat and cool temps well.  Self-seeds easily, easy to save seed.
8/8/14 - to my surpise, none of the seeds I sowed directly in the flower bed germinated.  Only 1 volunteer Swiss Giant Pansy grew, and that was in the pea patch!


Dwarf Hollyhock (perennial)
Date sown:  June 23, 2014
direct sown outside (flower bed)
Date germinated:
Observations: 
8/8/14 - About 5 germinated and are growing along the edge of the flower bed.  They are only ~3 inches tall at this point, though, and all leaves (no sign of flowers)
30/8/14 - no signs of flowers yet.
Sept 2014 - Still no flowers. Maybe next year.


Pink Double Poppy and Ladybug Poppy(annual, self-seeds)
Date sown:  June 23, 2014
direct sown outside (flower bed)
Date germinated:
Observations: 23/6/14 - Though I have heard that poppies are among the easiest flowers to grow, I have never had luck with them before.  Fingers crossed for success this summer! 
29/8/14 - One opened today!  Very pretty, frilly.
Would grow again? Yes - hope they self-seed.