Well it's hard to believe that it was last April that I created this thread. Now it's October and I'm posting a picture of a whole spring, summer and fall of growth. Last year these bananas were no bigger than the palm of your hand when I ordered them. The 2 basjoos are in front, left and right. The left one was overwintered from last year in the ground, stem and all. See pictures at top of this thread. The basjoo on the far right was brought in the house in a pot near the window as insurance in case the one on the left didn't make it. The banana in the center is a dwarf orinoco which was in the house last winter and the one in the center-rear is an ice cream which was also potted in the house last winter. I need to rearrange these bananas so I will be digging them ALL out and storing them in the basement this winter. I'll post pics next spring if and when they get going again.

Hi guys! Gillian, I planted the original seeds for the nigella thinking they were garlic chives! lol I had forgotten that a client of mine had given me the seeds and I mislabled the packet. Ever since that first year they just keep coming back and in soooooo many areas that I hadn't planted them! lol Tiffy, thanks! We have had just incredible weather up here, lots of regular rain and hot summer days. I am expecting to find ole Jack-in-the-Beanstalk come climbing down the bean pole! lol That anchor... glad you like it. I made it with cement and sand cast it into the anchor shaped hollow. I embedded the shells into the sand before I filled it with cement mortar mix. I kinda like it too! Marly

maryl- The roses are double knockouts and Gingersnap is the orange one. I have bought lilies locally at nurseries each spring for years. I just plant the bulbs and throw out the packages, never mark anything. This year and last year I bought on line but last year even then I did not mark my lilies. So this year at least I started keeping track. But all those planted in my rose gardens are NO IDs for me. I think its just one of the Asiatics I bought in the mixed color bags. I got some of those each spring for years before I started branching out to diffent colors and types. I don't even remember the orange one next to the yellow blooming last year! There is something magical to me about the roses and lilies combined. I love my roses and I truly love lilies but put them together and wow, they just do so well together. I have lilies planted all around between my roses. Yesterday I was out cutting back the roses in my rose bed that runs along side the house. The lilies are blooming strongly there as the rose flush is winding down. After I neatened things up the bed started looking so much better as the focus was now turned from the spring flush of roses (glorius while it lasted but pretty much done) to the bloom of the companion lilies. It makes the rose bed interest last past the spring flush for me.

I'm in zone 7 too. I have two large rosemary plants that have been overwintered for several winters now. They do get a bit unhealthy looking, but they always spring back. However, they never look dead. They just aren't as green. I don't do a thing to them... no mulch, no additional watering, no fertilizer. If your rosemary looks dead (brown), perhaps the burlap kept your rosemary from getting enough sunlight. If it looks dull green, it's probably still okay. Bend, and break, a stem. If it is green inside, you're in luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Planting Herbs Indoors