Hi Denise, I am interested in your cherry bells and heuchera crimson curls and possibly raspberry monarda. I didn't see anything in your want list that I have...but I do have these available: dwarf iris 'grapesicle' spiderworts: rose pink, purple and few white ones crocosmia: orange/red with yellow throat rain lilies: pink and white ones white crinum esperanza tecoma stans (rooted cutting) orlaya grandiflora LMK Betsy

Hi Carol, We have not traded for quite some time. I have some of your wants and you have a few I would like to try; I have for you: COSMOS - Rubenza HOLLYHOCKS - Creme de Cassis PRIMROSE - Pubescens perennials (If interested) ZINNIA - Swizzle Scarlet & Yellow Swirl,Swizzle Yellow & Orange, Swizzle Cherry & Ivory From your list I am interested in: ANEMONE - 'Annabelle,' Japanese White HELENIUM - 'Moorheim Beauty' YARROW - 'Paprika' 'Pink Grapefruit', 'Summer Wine' 'Wonderful Wampee' It would great to talk with you as well. Let me know if your interested in a trade.. Debi

Besides spring, Annette, I plant for summer and fall herbaceous perennials and usually avoid woody ones (e.g. shrubs). Some of what I plant doesn't like being disturbed, e.g. balloon flowers and peonies. Most of it, however, does much better if it's periodically reduced (and moved) and replanted with new organic soil. Consequently I feel free to plant closely. You could plant a perennial bed with the plants three foot away from each other and it would look great in three years time. Personally, I want the effect quickly, as most people do. With my close planting, it's necessary to avoid seeders and especially runners, which usually means avoiding the species (and paying more for well behaved cultivars). I reduce and move around plants probably a lot, as required with close spacing. With some perennials (e.g garden phlox), it doesn't seem to matter when they are divided as long as watering is covered. For instance, this year my one phlox 'Twister' seemed to be not getting enough sun by the time it started to flower, so I moved it to a better location (watched watering) and it's fine. Needless-to-say, (1) this works well for our growing conditions and (2) I'm basically retired and have a lot to time available for gardening. Re variegated perennials: I never liked variegated perennials either, but I'm now a convert. Many perennials only bloom for two or three weeks and so variegated ones really add some variation to a mixed perennial bed. The other thing that really appeals to me is the fact that variegated perennials may be less vigourous (= tamer) than the non-variegated forms ( e.g. with yellow loosestrife or obedient plant cultivars).

Hi Jacob, I actually water in the evening only once the sun is starting to go down...and I avoid the leaves (especially the tops) of the entire garden bed. We had a pretty intense storm the day before I took the original photos...it rained about 2 inches in 1 hour. Soil has been nice and wet since and I haven't needed to water....but I was checking on the drainage and making sure the plants weren't damaged when I noticed the phlox started to look like it was. I had originally thought they were getting burned up by the sun a few days after I planted them but it went away and then came back about 2 weeks later... I'm still thinking the phlox was in shock mode...they seem to be doing okay after I pruned yesterday. I plan on updating with some photos tomorrow morning after today's batch of partly sunny and mixed in rain weather.