Matt, I have some baby lilacs for you if you would like more.

There are a number of reasons why your lilac may not be blooming. Without seeing your garden, it’s always difficult to accurately diagnose a problem. Let me list factors that can contribute to lilacs not flowering:

1. Your lilac may not be getting enough sun. Lilacs need at least 6 hours of sunlight. If the area around the bush is getting too shady, you may want to move it to a sunnier spot or thin the area around it to make sure enough sun is reaching the entire plant.
2. Too much fertilizer can prevent flowering. If your lilac is located near a lawn, it could be getting too much nitrogen when you fertilize. Apply a balanced 5-1-1 fertilizer before buds begin to swell in early-spring. Bone meal works well, too.
3. A late freeze may have knocked off buds. Did you inspect your lilac prior to when it should have bloomed to see buds?
4. Heavy pruning can prevent flowers. Here’s a tip from the "Washington & Oregon Gardener’s Guide" by Debra Prinzing and Mary Robson(2004): “Flowers form on old wood from the previous year, developing just below the current year’s flowers. It’s not necessary to remove spent flowers. Lilacs begin to form new buds for the following year soon after bloom; stems that bloom one year generally bloom the next. Allow the plant to grow without pruning until it begins to bloom, which may be several years. Regular pruning and tidying keeps plants healthy by improving air circulation. For major renovation, prune in midwinter when the plant’s form is visible, removing a few of the oldest canes at the root level. To keep the plant open, pull or break off suckers as they come up"
5. Some pests can prevent flowering. Inspect the stems and leaves carefully for scale insects like the oyster shell. If present, identify the pest by referring to WSU Horstsense (go to Ornamentals and click on lilacs) http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense/
6. Another reason can be your plant may not be getting enough water, although given last year’s dreary summer, it’s probably unlikely. Still, it’s worth mentioning as a possible cause. Lilacs don’t like their feet constantly wet, but summer droughts (yes, we have a  drought every summer, especially in mid-July, August, and sometimes, September)  also can take a toll on the next year’s flower buds. Keep your lilac on a regular watering schedule and adjust it for heavy rain or extended periods of drought (just be sure not to over-water).
7. Shock can contribute to no or little flowering. Many gardeners complain they buy a lilac in flower, bring it home, plant it, and it doesn’t flower for 5-7 years. In "Ask Ciscoe" (2007) Ciscoe Morris states,”Lilacs are famous for taking years to bloom in the garden, even if they were in bloom when you planted them. They bloom at the nursery because of the stress caused from being trapped in small nursery pots. Once you plant them in better conditions, however, there in no hurry to raise a family; instead, they put their energy to growing healthy, strong root systems. Usually it takes 5 to 7 years to begin flowering, but even fifteen years before blossoming is not unheard of.” Here's Ciscoes aggressive recommendaton,  “ If after seven years, your plant fails to bloom, here’s what you can do: In June, dig the plant out as you would if you were going to move it, but instead replant it right back in the same spot. This should stress the plant enough to convince it to start a family by blooming and forming seed the following year.”
8. Soil should be neutral to slightly alkaline. If too acidic, you’ll need to add lime. Test your soil to check the pH. Soil testing kits are available, although not as accurate as a lab test. WSU Extension no longer performs soil testing. Check Fact Sheet #6 Soil Testing and Soil Improvement for more information http://king.wsu.edu/gardening/documents/6SoilTestingandSoilImprovement_001.pdf.  Also, Flower World in Snohomish offers soil testing.

Well, I don’t know if any of this information will solve your lilac problem. I only hope it gives you a little more information to ponder.  Oh, and Ciscoe also says, if all else fails, "walk in from of it with a chainsaw and smile menacingly!  Good luck!

-Andrea

Yes to replanting the bulbs! Not sure about the other questions.

Tiger Lilly bouquets are available in November, and you don't have to spend more than $100 on your bridal bouquet. anaflora.carbonnmade.com

What we did was go through QFC. It's better all the way around and all QFC florists are union so you tend to get better florists overall. They use the same flowers as other florists but don't charge as much. And really, no one is going to look at you twice for not getting flowers at the florists shop. Save your money, get better service and better florists. I've even purchased flowers at Safeway. Just stop by either of those places and see what they can quote you.

This person did my friends wedding and it was beautiful. Later that same year, I got an arrangement from the same florist as a gift from coworkers. It was so pretty that I signed up for ikebana classes from him. He's a nice guy and very reasonably priced. Worth a look.
http://www.hanadesignikebana.com/index.html

Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata). Tons of flowers throughout the summer. Comes in pinks, purples and whites.

Fuschias

Watch for Fred Meyers to have their annual Spring sale and buy small starts and they will pot them in your own pots with new soil for free. Put a cluster of three to five starts in each one (dependent on size) and they will grow quickly to size. Then sit back and watch the hummingbirds show up daily!

Put in a ground cover. I suggest thyme.

It's tricky to diagnose a plant problem from a photo or verbal description. To be safe, I'd recommend taking it to a local Master Gardener clinic to have it properly examined. See www.kingcountyMG.org for a clinic near you.

Now, let's think about some possible causes. More often then not, plant problems stem from care, which then can lead to pests or disease.

1. Is it just one leaf? Or are the other leaves starting to split and brown on the end? Be careful when watering not to let the leaves get drenched. Don’t water down the middle--orchids don’t like water sitting on their leaves.

2. Check the leaves for signs of pests. Orchids should be monitored for aphids, mealybugs, mites, and scale. These can usually be removed with a soft cloth and soapy water. If you choose to use a commercial pest control product, be sure to follow all label instructions.
If you suspect you have a pest, make sure you isolate the plant from other houseplants until you have the problem under control.

3. Are you over or under watering? Water every 7-10 days, preferably in the morning, and let the water completely drain out of the bottom of the pot into the sink. Don’t let your plants sit in water. This often causes just the right condition to encourage pests or disease. Phalaenopsis do not like to be dry to the point of wilting. They should be watered thoroughly and then not again until the media is nearly, but not completely, dry. For added humidity, especially when your furnace is running, set orchids on a tray with some pebbles and a little water.

4. Are you fertilizing? I don’t fertilize when in bloom. After the flowers are gone, add a pinch of orchid fertilizer, available in many good nurseries, to about a cup of water. I withhold fertilizer about once a month. Over fertilizing can lead to leaf problems.

5. Will my plant bloom again? Well, as they say, “Location, location!” One of the most common mistakes made is placing orchids in direct sun, which will scorch leaves, or placing orchids in dark rooms, which will lead to no blooms. Phalaenopsis like in-direct light.

6.And finally, there may not be anything wrong with your plant. Sometimes you just have to prune off a leaf. :-)

Your tubers (dahlias, gladiolas, crocosmia, and cannas) can go directly into the ground in the spring when the ground has warmed and there is little chance of frost. (Note: the average last frost date in Seattle is March 22 and April 15th is considered safe to plant.)
If you live in an area that is colder, plant later and keep covers available to protect emerging shoots in the event of sudden freeze. To be safe, many NW gardeners wait until mid-May to plant dahlias (and tomatoes). Dahlias can be planted as late as mid-June in most parts of the country. Dahlias require a site with good drainage and partial to full sun. Protect the tender shoots from slugs. And, don't forget to dig up your tubers in October before you put your garden to bed. Some gardeners have successfully "wintered-over" dahlia tubers in the ground, but you may end up with a dead tuber next spring.

Check out the Master Gardener Bellevue Demonstration Garden this summer to see over 48 Dahlia varieties grown at the garden plus edibles, herbs, cacti, grasses, etc. Also, a Dahlia seminar will be held October 8, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon. The garden is located on SE 16 Street between 148th Ave SE and 156th AVE SE, just west of 156th. Master Gardeners are on site every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 am – 1 pm, April-October and love to answer gardening questions and talk about the garden. http://www.mgfkc.org/resources/demonstration-gardens/bellevue-demonstration-garden

Stick to good nurseries - such as Swansons, Sky, and Molbaks, City People's, Furney's. If you want quality, avoid big box stores like Home Despot, Lowe's, Fred Meyer, and Walmart. They buy cheap to sell cheap, and their quality is dismal. Plus, who knows what kind of pesticides and crap they've been spraying on them - they'll do anything to keep their cheapoh merch salable for as long as possible. A reputable nursery will only sell you quality plants.

There are some online retailers as well, such as Michigan bulb that seem to have good quality. You might try popping onto Myfolia.com and asking in the forums there. It's a gardening website full of smart people who would have opinions about such things. I typically get all of my bulbs from the Arboretum's annual bulb sale, but that is already done this year.

Juicy has given you sound advice and correctly identified your Daphne odora (Winter Daphne). I also suspect the extreme temperatures we experienced this year damaged your Daphne.

This is the time of year we are inspecting our gardens and, sadly, finding winter damage on plants, trees, and shrubs. As a rule of thumb, it’s never wise to do anything too drastic. This is the time to be patient and watch for emerging growth. For more information, read "Low Temperature Plant Damage" by former King County Extension agent George Pinyuh (http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/lpro007/lpro007.htm).

That's actually a Daphne odora. The smell on them is amazing, and they'll even bloom when they're leaves look scorched. Many Daphnes were hit hard this year by our winter. The final cold snap really torched the leaves of many of them, especially if they were out in the open- not protected by a canopy of trees or near a house to provide some shelter.

I would remove the worst of the foliage and wait to see how it leafs out after flowering. I might give it a dose of some liquid kelp meal (sold as maxi-crop...it's organic) to encourage some new growth, but don't overdo the fertilizer. They like a free draining soil- if your soil is wet or waterlogged, they'll show signs of stress and won't thrive. They're naturally slow to grow, taking many years to get up to a respectable size. They like filtered light in a protected spot. North or eastern exposure is the best. Good luck!~ Juicy

Nitrogen is key. I planted a bed that had sunflowers in front and snap peas in the back. Peas and beans infuse the soil with nitrogen, giving your sunflowers what they need to grow big. Sun is of course a must. I put a big piece of screen over my bed until my seeds sprouted so as to protect them from birds. Also, put a little tray of beer in the bed to kill slugs. When your sprouts are est. take off the screen and put mulch in the bed to prevent weeds and feed the soil. This should do the trick. Also, check to make sure you are planting them at the correct time. Early June works best.

First, what sort of seed are you using? Do not use seeds from a neighbor or anybody unless they know what they are doing. Some sun flower varieties are open pollinated but others are hybrids and the resulting seed will may not be viable or result in the plant you want.

Second, prep your bed with compost and new top soil. If you want to be quick and dirty just buy a couple of bags of good dirt, dig out a piece of the flower bed, and dump the bag right there into a small mound so that the center is bit higher. You can plant right into that mound.

Third point- Sunflowers don't much like being transplanted. Direct seeding is best. If you want to give the plant a head start you can germinate the seed in a wet paper towel, plop it in the soil and make a small greenhouse over the seed with a plastic soda bottle or something. This is probably not necessary.

If you do want to transplant seedlings from indoors or from a framed greenhouse you should use larger pots and go through a hardening process before you put the seedling outside.

Where the plant is growing can be a big factor. Sunflowers love full sun and warmth. So pick a spot with very little shade and close as possible to a house or some other structure. They love it.

Slugs, squirrels, etc all love to eat the seedlings so some protection may be necessary. They also love soils rich in nitrogen.

Good luck.

I am not, I repeat, not a gardener, but I have managed to keep sunflowers alive so I'll chime in. Are you planting them in super direct sun like,absolutely no shade? They seem to like that at my house, anyway.