Raee- Clematis / rose is a classic combination. In fact, clematis is often grown climbing through a rose. And I'm sorry about tacking my similar bed on to your post. Hopefully, we will both get more ideas this way. I'm still a bit concerned about the number of plants your using and/or the fact that several of them seem to be struggling. Pam- I planted 3 bergenia there in the spring. One promptly died, but probably just a statistical failure. One has been very robust in spite of neglect, and one has been so-so. I usually have such good luck with plants that I had about decided that bergenia, for some reason, just doesn't like me. It would be a good workhorse edger in this spot, if I can just figure out what it's wanting me to do to get it off to a good start. Jo- Somehow I missed your sedem suggestion. Any favorites that do particularly well in a partial sun situation? I do like purple foliageÂhmmmm. I pondered this one last winter and then really did nothing. Well, I did clean out weeds, amend soil, plant the bergenias, plopped in some daylily divisions that had no where else to go, but didn't really solve anything. Since I can't have the path I want right now, I'd like to tidy up the look with a reliable edger along this gravel path. I have plenty of variety (too much!) elsewhere so this seems a reasonable place to play with just using one thing. Does that make sense? Wellspring / Charlotte

I have two false indigo plants growing in my butterfly bed, with lots of other full-sun perennials growing around them, including Shasta daisies, Echinacea, Nepeta/catmint, Rudbeckia, Caryopteris/blue mist shrub, rose of Sharon, peony, & butterfly bush. My artemesia has gradually diminished over the past half dozen years so I no longer count on it returning every year while cushion spurge (Polychroma spurge euphorbia) has been with me for more than 25 years. A low-growing option that requires zero care is Stachys 'Helen von Stein.' It's a sterile (without the ugly flower stems) lamb's ear cultivar that just looks great 11 months out of the year.

My trade list so far: Danielle -- purple irises, rose cuttings, and tomatoes for butterfly bush, hydrangea, and Pandora's box daylily Amybabyboy -- rose cuttings for purple sedum and belladonna lily Barbara -- Faerie queen foxgloves for dianthus Esh - Tagetes lucida for native azalea Lucyatlanta -- glads and dogwood for hostas Janen -- foxgloves for amaryllis and epimedium Let me know if I missed something. Also, I have a small hickory which grew from a squirrel-planted seed in a pot. Don' t know what kind it is. It's probably about 18" tall.

I'm looking forward to Saturday! mstywoods, I'm saving some dark purple irises for you, as well as the lady's mantle. amester, I'm saving some dark purple irises for you. gjmancini, I'm saving some lady's mantle for you. Skybird, Thanks for the hollihocks! I'll still be bringing those light purple irises.. they're very regal-looking and showy. Also, I'll be bringing some of that catmint. When I thinned out and transplanted my irises last time (Oct 08), I had about a zillion extras, and gave them away to my neighbors and co-workers. Here's a BEFORE shot. Then I dug them all up, washed off their little dirty feet, and separated them. Then replanted about half of them. Here's a RIGHT AFTER shot. And here we are, 3 months ago. Oh....um, oops. As you see, I got some of them mixed up. I think I can pick out the peachy colored ones, if anyone would especially like those. I'll be transporting them the way my momma taught me - bare roots, in a big tub of water. I'll bring ziplock bags so you can keep them wet until you get home. Then, if it will be a day or two until you can plant them, you might want to put them in a big clean plastic bowl with fresh water, just deep enough to keep the roots wet. I'd leave them outside, but not in direct sun. You probably already know the little trench arrangement for putting them in the dirt, but if not , I'll show you on Saturday. Looking forward to seeing all of you!. Betty