Gardeners, if you have lost plants over the past winter, would you buy the same plant over again, or would you learn?

[webster]

I'm moving to mass plantings for impact and ease of maintenance. After their first year in the ground, I don't baby my plants. I do try new ones, buying just one and seeing how they do and if they thrive I either get more or wait and divide.

[lammius]

I’m in zone 7B and for the most part I’ll plant things hardy to zone 6 if I want them to survive winter. An extra zone buffer to be safe.

Most of my plants are in containers. Often when I’ve lost plants it’s due to poor choice in soil, moisture, light, etc. that I didn’t get right. Sometimes I’ll try again and fix those issues.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Isleofpalms85

Would you learn from your trial and error that the plant simply will not grow in your area?

Anything Tropical. Not worth the time, money, and effort. I was even bringing them inside every fall in the warm rooms. Problem wasn't the room temps in the winter (65+)..it's the dryness. They hated the dry air. My Lemon plant survived a good 5 yrs but after one winter inside it just gave up.

[gentlearts]

I had an oleander die during a cold winter, and I have not replaced it.
I lose more plants to the hot summers than to the cold winters.

[Threerun]

We try to keep our plants as native as possible, certainly one's that can have a shot at making it thru brutal winters.

But some things we have certainly said 'Not Again'.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by stepka

I heard something about that in my gardening class recently but I’m having trouble remembering specifics. Something about getting the older varieties...the ones that actually have to be trimmed and shaped to get that lovely rounded look because the newer ones that self shape tend to be less hardy.

I've still been hit and miss with overwintering mums in the ground. My best results have been from potted mums stored in the garage from December through March (zone 6a/5b).

I haven't heard the advice you received, but I don't doubt it at all. Mums at Home Depot and Walmart are definitely marketed as a seasonal decoration, much like poinsettias. Nobody expects them to survive more than a couple months.

[Bungalove]

Originally Posted by stepka

I heard something about that in my gardening class recently but I’m having trouble remembering specifics. Something about getting the older varieties...the ones that actually have to be trimmed and shaped to get that lovely rounded look because the newer ones that self shape tend to be less hardy.

I've got two rounded cushion mums that started out in 3 in. pots. They're now in their 2nd year and about 2 ft. tall and wide and nice round balls. I also have two mums in the back garden bed that started in 2 in. pots that are about 3 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide but they're unshaped and running wild. They're also in their 2nd year and were a total surprise as far as size. They all get full sun but the rounded ones have poorer soil.