But that's not the plant that has knocked my socks off this winter. The winner, in my mind, is Sedum 'Angelina', pictured here. At the nursery we have a small rock garden where this perky thing remains in absolutely perfect condition — if anything it looks even better now because the foliage has these deep, rich burnt-amber or marmalade tones on the tips of each trailing stem. Its companions are a clump of powdery grey-leaved Dianthus, a big rock and an octopus of a Donkey-tail Spurge. A very cheery quartet for those snowless midwinter moments, and a complete accident!

Flowers in January are nice, but they don't happen often around here, while good winter foliage interest is a more certain investment. Keep the dreary months in mind later this year when you're purchasing plants. And don't forget to keep your eyes peeled to discover which winter-interest plants work well in your own particular region the next time you're out for a walk. If you see 'Angelina', say hello for me!

In fact, there were so many great entries that I gave up trying to pick the best three, and threw the entries into our draw drum instead. Congratulations to the winners, who will each receive a copy of our Perennial Gardening Guide. WINNERS: Jo-Anne — Chatham, Ontario, Caron — Esterhazy, Saskatchewan and Donna — Ajax, Ontario

It was really interesting reading the entries and trying to organize them. To give you an idea, I've sorted them into categories. Any of you who organize contests for horticultural societies, etc. are welcome to use any that intrigue you.
BEST PLANT: a large number of suggestions fit into this category, which is hardly a surprise. Gardeners know they can learn from the experiences of others when it comes to selecting a good plant, especially with large groups such as Hosta or Daylilies where the choices are overwhelming. Your suggestions included best: Salvia, ornamental grass, best overall plant in your garden, best perennials in containers, best foliage perennial, #1 must-have plant, best perennial workhorse, reblooming perennial, best clematis, roses, groundcovers, ferns, shade plants, Xeriscape plants, just to name a few.
PLANT COMBINATIONS: again, I think it's wonderful how gardeners love to learn from the ideas of others. Suggestions included: best plant combination (for example, groupings of 3 or 4 different plants that work together to create an effect), combinations involving a specific perennial such as Heuchera 'Marmalade', combinations for sun, shade, etc.
TIPS & PROBLEM-SOLVING: a couple of readers would like tips that make gardening easier on the body/back; time-saving perennial gardening tips; most difficult garden problem you have solved, and how.
PHOTO CONTESTS: this particular theme is one I've been dragging my feet on, but at some point I'd like to try it. Suggestions included: best photo of a perennial flower, with readers voting to decide on their favourite; best winter garden photo; photos of art in the perennial garden i.e. objects such as statuary or sculpture used among the plants. At some point we will run a photo contest, though the voting part of it needs some help from our website technical wizard. Great idea though!
POIGNANT & PERSONAL: some of the most creative ideas fit into this group: best plant (or root or cutting) you received as a gift. Why is it special? Does it have sentimental value?; Most romantic flower to you, and why; Oldest perennial in your garden, and its known history; on the humourous end — there is that old idea that people look like their pets: do people look like their gardens? Do you resemble your garden?; or how about "I thought I planted a ___ and it turned out to be a ____."
PUZZLES & PLANT IDENTIFICATION: suggestions here included word scrambles (involving plant names); tricky photos of a portion of a perennial to be identified; photos of plant diseases or symptoms to be identified.
CRAFTS & PROJECTS: included suggesting seasonal crafts or decorating projects that use things from the perennial garden; perennials for cut flowers at various times of the year; projects or things to do for the housebound gardener in the middle of winter.
ZONE PUSHING: what plants are you growing with success that break the hardiness zone rules? i.e. are not normally considered hardy in your region. What special efforts must you go to for them to survive?

Where to Get Perennial Seeds includes tips on purchasing seed in stores, and has links to catalogue sources and garden societies, for those seeking the unusual.

QUESTION: Last month you advised someone on how to force her bulbs, since she didn't get them in the ground in the fall, but the advice is not accurate. You said the bulbs will be useless since they haven't had a period of cold dormancy, which is true, but you didn't advise the lady on an easy way to keep the bulbs cool: bulbs can be stored in the refrigerator over the winter and they will do just fine when planted in the spring. I know because I live in an apartment and garden only in containers, and my tulips, hyacinths and narcissi came up beautifully this summer after spending the winter in my fridge. The only caution is to keep them in the crisper in ventilated paper bags and be careful not to keep fresh fruit in the fridge because the gases [ethylene] from the fruit will rot the bulbs." Carrol — Toronto, Ontario

This sun-loving plant is a German selection of hybrid Cheddar Pinks first introduced in 1957, but it was not really known in North America until the late 1980s. It's a low-growing alpine perennial featuring evergreen leaves of blue-grey with a grassy texture, with upright stems to 8 inches that bear single magenta-pink blooms about an inch across. Flowers are very fragrant, smelling sweetly of cloves, and appearing in mid to late spring. A quick trim or clipping of the spent blooms and stems often results in repeat flowering later in the summer or fall.

Use Firewitch Pinks in the rock garden, for edging sunny borders, on slopes or walls or even in mixed containers. It performs best in very well-drained soils, and has good tolerance to drought, once plants are established.

Our best-selling book, the Perennial Gardening Guide (4th edition, March 2003) is a handy reference used by gardeners across North America — written by John Valleau, horticulturist for Heritage Perennials®. Available at your local Heritage Perennials® Dealer.