All this reminds me of Marek's disease in poultry. Some of the ornamental breeders on finding Marek's in one bird cull their whole flocks over and over. On discussing this with my avian veterinarian he says that all birds carry Marek's but, some show symptoms and some do not via stress or poor genetics. One of my friends that had a large collection of Hippeastrum collection gave me his entire collection because of perceived TMV several years ago (large). He was going to burn them. I adjusted the PH of the soil, sprayed for bugs, and all turned back a dark green. Go figure. Are they infected? I don't really care. They bloom and grow fine for a long time. A few look mosaic when I first drag them out of the basement and put in the full sun when their leaves are burned. Maybe that is what he saw. Who knows.

well since this got bumped up, now I have to add in what I've done! Let's see the blvd is seeded in mostly allysum for now-- I've added a ton of sedum and hen and chick. Native flax and phlox I'm still waiting to pop up in there. I killed some stuff out there that was given to me and now I decided I love the ease of the viola in my aunt's back yard (their former veggie garden is a viola patch) so I stole about a hundred (they're selling the house) and plopped them out there and the shade bed. Let's see I stole about 20 Lily of the valley from my brother's new gardens (they needed thinning LOL) and put them in the north shade bed that hates me. Let's see I put a bleeding heart in there too. I also put ferns where the pond used to be on the north side of the house and mixed in foxglove, canterbury bells, and - maybe they'll grow there- coleus and violas. I also put runner beans along the deck there so we can decide if we want it to be a permanent trellis. I added a few roses to the rose bed. I bordered and barked the west perennial bed and bordered part of the north beds. I changed my mind on the bean fence and brick bordered it. I recycled my brothers paving stones and made a path through my new big perennial bed and seeded it to insanity and added some annual seeds there just to give first year color. I killed the entire alley border on the north side of the house and seeded it with a mix of stuff, but a good portion is sunflower and hollyhock. My aunt also had a bunch of raspberry shoots that were invading a flower bed, so I put them in the strawberry and herb bed (where the strawberries died anyway). That means my raspberries will go in the alley when that area becomes another driveway. I put sunflowers all along the edge of what will be his driveway and down the road edge of our house- now to keep him from weedwhacking them! I also added them and hollyhocks to the iris bed on the south side. Let's see what else. Oh he did put up a little dog run out back-- but it's probably going to be upgraded later this summer or next spring. The poms love it but the lab goes over whenever she pleases! The most ironic part of this is that the heavy work was all done by the beginning of june-- I 'm off for the summer as of June 2! That's OK, I also added a major project. Many of my starts and flowers and pics are going to our local farmer's market with me every Sat morning. I spent much of the last week and a half prepping for that! Since it rains for a day, then gets to 90 for 2 days and starts over again (sometimes raining for 3 days, then really nice for 3 days!), my main project now is WEEDING! Between lamb's quarter and bindweed, I am about insane! Oh wait, I can't forget the creeping charlie, creeping bellflower, dandys, and false salsify! Oh yes and where did all those mushrooms come from? Frankly I have too many pics to put on here, so I'm going to drop them in the gallery- ...

I am lucky to have Iris (Versicolor) growing rampantly and wild all over near our cabin. Unfortunately, in one small grove of them (about 4 plants), some ground hornets decided to make themselves at home, so I have to enjoy them from a distance. Also, they tend to bloom at varying times with some blooming in early June, and some not blooming until early July. They are truly one of my favorite flowers, and provide a nice green background for other flowers once they're done.

My NEVER AGAIN list includes: adenophora, snow on the mountain, lamb's ears, japanese artimesia. I think the "cherry bells" are pretty, but they came up everywhere so I yanked them! I actually have had no trouble with a lot of the plants you all have chosen here. No prob with daisies, mock orange, astrantia, bee balm, astilbe, etc. Have had absolutely NO luck with foxgloves, coreopsis "early sunrise" and "limerock ruby", or gaillardia "burgundy". My oriental poppies do well, but I, too am thinking they are not worth the trouble. I pulled my lady's mantle this year, with limited garden space I prefer "showier" plants. Some of you got my "Always Afternoon" daylilies because they were an off color in my soil, I am also pulling my "black eyed stella", and possibly a couple more, same reason as lady's mantle. There are others I have difficulty growing, but this is all I can think of off the top of my head. Linda