[Joanna Savage]

Artemisia schmidtiana nana. This plant is proving surprisingly difficult to keep growing in my garden. It looks as though it should be easy but I seem to lose it every winter. I wonder if others have the secret for growing it. It looks very good in walls when it wants to grow.

Artemisia tridentata This is a real favourite. The leaf shape instantly reminded me of Maiden Hair fern. Now my one plant is old and woody. For the past two years in spring and autumn I have taken cuttings, but without success. I wonder if others are propagating and growing this plant successfully.

In fact, I am having to conclude that Artemisias, in general, aren't as easy to grow as I had hoped.

[KatG]

Joanna, I brought an Artemisia Schmidtiana from England many years ago, but it didn't survive. Longifolium is also hopeless in my garden, however I have great success with 'Powys Castle'. It grows easily from cuttings, so the original plant I brought over has created many progeny. Now at last they are on sale here. I find they need to be cut back severely so that they don't get too woody/leggy. Here are some photos.

[Fermi]

Artemisia schmidtiana nana. This plant is proving surprisingly difficult to keep growing in my garden. It looks as though it should be easy but I seem to lose it every winter.

Hi Joanna,
I also have trouble with the true plant here in Central Victoria. However for many years what we had been growing as Artemesia schmidtiana nana turns out to be something else! Possibly it's Artemesia caucasica. It's not a herbaceous perennial like the true A. s. nana, but is a matting shrub or sub-shrub. It thrives in our area and it quite drought hardy, though it does better with a bit of summer watering - it looks great through the summer but is a bit ratty during winter. In late spring it starts to flower and I do wish it wouldn't bother! The spikes of dirty cream flowers detract from the mat and need to be sheared off to maintain a better appearance. The best thing is that the mat is not so dense that bulbs can't push through to flower.
cheers
fermi