I just sent you an email. I looked at your want list and did not see any there, I do notice you want peonies. You have reached the right person. Send me an email and I can send pictures of which ones I am diving. flowersbytheriver2@comcast.net This post was edited by illinoisdoglover on Fri, Jun 14, 13 at 22:29

In Central Texas on Caliche based soils, Salvia roemeriana, but then again it should be because it is a WILDFLOWER here on my land. It came with the land. The one that is really troublesome for me but I adore is Salvia chiquita. I backed my planting back to a level spot so I can control it. Art does not have this problem where he lives inAustin about 30 miles away. I get Salvia coccinea (wildflower for Texas), and some seed out of Salvia greggii. I wish I would get more seeds from my salvia regla, but It is easy enough to get started in pots. Salvia farenacia is a spreader even in packed roadbase caliche. I don't really have many salvias that made it through our bad drought. The Salvia penstemonoides sends up a few but I start them easily enough. I know how people get bent out of shape when one brings up the question of invasive species. I think some people feel that you are going to jump out of the computer and attack their garden, stealing their prime shrubs and vines, so they preemptively attack you. The heavy handedness of Big Brother government in controlling what we eat or grow has many people onguard. Conversation becomes difficult. I have been persona nongrata because I brought it up on a forum and people are still slinging underhanded slights in threads that I enter on. If one is a "citizen Scientist" using ones spare time to work on state parks and weed out invasives, you are the enemy. It is weird out there.

Not a salvia or nepeta, but pulmonaria (lungwort) loves the shade and has charming flowers in the spring that start out pink and turn blue. The variety I have in my shady garden turns a wonderful cobalt blue. After the flowers are gone the silvery-spotted leaves will continue to brighten the shaded garden throughout the season. This plant, like our native mertensia virginica (bluebells) is in the borage family and you will see the similarity of the clusters of nodding flowers.

Hi Robin, I wondered how you were faring! God, it has been cold, hasn't it - a bit better today. I shall take careful notes on what if anything survives at home - but I will be surprised if much does! I fear I will lose my iochromas, too, which are too big to move under cover anyway. I shall be really upset if the gesneriiflora goes but there is a good chance the base will make it, I think - it is right up against the house (not that there's any heat in there as it's empty) in a sheltered corner and has a woody trunk about 3-4 cm in diameter. It usually flowers Feb-April, but not last year and not, I strongly suspect, this year! It needs a couple of mild years to get going again. I'm quite glad to be here with my parents' efficient central heating!