Thanks to all of you for looking and commenting. I will try to answer all questions. First, I do deadhead the roses. Depending on whether we get rain, or do lots of watering and fertilizing, that usually determines how quickly they rebloom. I have Fairy Tale Pink, but the pink NOID is different. Have heard possibly Elizabeth Salter, but I will have to look up that info--don't know that dl. Always Afternoon really took off when a daylily right next to it was moved to a different spot. Then, DH took out the invasive phlox that was threatening to take over. Also, the clump was divided, and then replanted. With lots of TLC, ---water, fertilizer--- and I think space, this is the reason it is doing so well. I hope I can send a pic when in full bloom, but it may not happen since I must go back to MO the end of May to help take care of my mother. I will be gone a month, so I will be missing out on lots of bloom. I told my husband he must get photos. Avedon

Hi, everybody, had a big surprise an hour ago, we had a ten minute rain shower. In this drought, we will take anything we can. I had just taken a few pictures and walked into the house when the rain started. I will post those pics later, but just want to comment on a few things. First, the cantaloupes--we have wonderful cantaloupes. one of the best things we grow. There are four sitting outside waiting to come in to be eaten, yummy. Ours were started from seeds from a single Pecos melon that I bought years ago. We always save the seeds for our melon crop. Jean, sorry your to hear your Persian Market has not been blooming. For us, this has been the best year ever, especially with all the rebloom scapes. Hope you get a good cantaloupe soon, it is our favorite fruit. For everyone who likes Tender Love, this has been its best year ever. We have had it about four years, so now it is coming into its own, for sure. Love that it is a late bloomer that extends our DL season. Chris, I have Berma Abercrombie because of you and Julia. I just hope that next year, our plants will be growing well and producing those really beautiful flowers I love. Soglobig--yes, I find my camera seems to struggle with the right colors on some of the DLS, particularly oranges and some purples. Amazingly, the color looks right on Persian Market, and I have seen comments from other people who say that is a difficult one to get the color right. Avedon

'Colby's Wishing Star' is the one pictured below. I have never been fond of lilacs, they are shy and undependable bloomers for me. Also, single season of interest is a big negative in any shrub. This is the second blooming of 'CWS' the first one having been dead-headed. Pix taken today. This is a respectable showing for a lilac in summer. While the fragrance is not like the old fashioned vulgaris types, it is sweet and pleasant. Now my question, if I deadhead these flowers, will I get a third blooming this year?

Hmm. To all of you suggesting cutting, your advice sort of goes back to my initial issue. I have been cutting this plant, repeatedly, back to the green tissue, no rot left, with a sterilized pruner. (This adenium was actually rather full and branchy at the start of winter.) I've cared for stem rot before and know the technique. In this case, the rot came back at each cutting, and and new unconnected branches started rotting as well, which is something I have not experienced before in a stem rot case. At present, if I cut off the rot, I will not be "giving it a haircut"-- I will be cutting off a literal half of the crown, at the main fork where it first branched seven years ago. All of the branches to the right of the fork will go. If that's what it takes to save the plant, I'll do it. But given that pruning over the last few weeks has seemed only to result in rot reappearing closer to the main stem, I'm worried that making a major cut will just result in the same. If this cut doesn't work, the rot spreads to the main stem. My next step would have to be to cut all of the branches off, back to the base, leaving the plant with no leaves and in a pretty poor position to heal. :) So yeah, I'm a little bit trigger-shy this time. But I'll go ahead and make the cut later today.