I didn't know it could happen, honest!

[Soummer]

Last year I planted Glads and Dahlias, with the intention of digging them up and wintering them over in my basement. WELL, I never got around to it.

Fast forward to today, I decided to clean up that bed. Still had dried up stalks, assorted weeds popped up from these oddly warm days, dandelions everywhere... ACK! A mess! I pulled up just a few weeds before I grabbed one that just would not come up. Took my little pitchfork to it, popped it out, and lo and behold, it was a clump of Dahlias! And with the debris gone, I could see little 1"-2" shoots of Glads popping up! Stunned, I trimmed off the damaged parts of the Dahlia and replanted it.

I was thrilled! I didn't think they would or could survive in zone 5! And I guess, in a way, they didn't. I think I have a zone 7 microclimate here. The bed faces south, is right up against the house, has been heated in the wee hours of the morning by the dryer vent, and was protected from the wind by the protruding backdoor steps and two large trash cans.

Now if our forecasted week of cold and snow doesn't kill them, I just might be the proud owner of the earliest Glads and Dahls around!

[Hoosier Gardener]

I hope your dahlias make it. I'm in zone 5. Wonder if I could get by with planting some and leaving them in the ground over the winter? It sounds like yours were in a well protected spot.

[petal*pusher]

Well "Hi" neighbor! I bet you're right Janet! We had SO MUCH snow this winter here in Adrian, those bulbs were nice and toasty! I was happy for all that white stuff.....it meant my perennials were doing pretty good in that 32 degree temp!

Hmmmm.....does that mean my dahlias could have made it too??!! Anxious to hear how they do!......p

[Soummer]

Oh, I hope so P*P. It's such a thrill to find stuff like that

[kHT]

I don't dig, I just cover them with straw.

[Old earth dog]

Smarty pants! @ KHT!

[wishiwere]

I've never dug up glads. They always come back.

Dahlias are always mush the next year, so let us know if they do alright! You might have started something here! I have a site just like you described, be nice if those border bulbs could make it there

[Soummer]

Mom thought glads would come up, too, but the on the packages we bought, they indicated they were not hardy in zone 5. So that they survived is not too surprising. We didn't get the cold cold weather they had predicted, so I'm really hopefully about the dahlias. Can't wait to see!

[wishiwere]

Cool! What type are they, do you remember? I love glads, just havne't gotten the 'addiction' so to say and only have some I started with 20 years ago!

[oldcoot]

You know what O.C. found a group of them too. Will post a picture in his forum...

That usually Funny and always VERY Friendly Old Coot, named John, REALLY enjoying Spring with all of God's pretty Flowers........and TODAY glowing with pride at the new ones blooming in his yard and on his deck !!!!

[Soummer]

I'm not completely positive, but I think they were just the grab-bag bulbs/tubers/corms/whatever you get at Lowe's. IF these do well, I'm planting me some more, you can bet on it!

OC, I'd love to see some pics!

[patsue53]

I used to have Glads in the front yard around the flag pole. They came up every year...no problem. My neighbor doesn't dig hers up either and they always come back. They're so pretty....I need to plant them again!

However...Cannas will not come back in zone 5...even if you mulch them really good. (thought it was worth a try.)

[Soummer]

Pat, I didn't mention the Cannas I had planted with the Glads and Dahls. They didn't flower last year or reappear (yet) this year.

BTW, the G and D's seem to be surviving the cold just fine!

***happy dance!***

[Soummer]

WELL! The last hard freeze we had a few weeks ago zapped the dals to black mush, but they have come back even better. Real bushy and healthy looking. The glads are 18"-24" tall already... funny, we looked at another pack of glads Saturday, and they too indicated not hardy in zone 5. Ok... Bought some slightly more expensive dals and planted them today, right close to the wall of the house. While I was doing that, I found 3 cannas coming up! Maybe they will flower this year, but even if not, I like the foliage Can't believe they came back!

[wishiwere]

Janet? Are you sure you don't have a live wire keeping them warm all winter under that garden?

I've never had cannas or dahlias come back. Took out several mushies this year I forgot to get up last year

But more are planted, so hopefully this year they'll do better than last.

[Soummer]

Janet? Are you sure you don't have a live wire keeping them warm all winter under that garden?

I've never had cannas or dahlias come back. Took out several mushies this year I forgot to get up last year

But more are planted, so hopefully this year they'll do better than last.

Hmmmm, well.... this house WAS built by volunteers... but it did pass inspection... lol No one is more amazed than me!

[wishiwere]

I did have one annual come back but I can't remember what they were. They were supposed to be for near a pond type, like soggy and such. I put in the bird sanctuary be/c during the summer I change teh water for them 4-5 or more times a day and needed something that could take all that water. Then end of year, I threw all the garden junk from that bed on top of these 2 plants and never picked it up. This spring when I was cleaning up debris, I was pleasantly surprised to see these huge burgandy & green leaves sticking out through all that debris! Laughed then, but wondering what they are now?