What a beautiful mixed bed. The daylilies go very well with these companions! Autumn Wood is my favorite daylily of these. Mine hasn't done well this year. The neighbor's evergreen shades it too much now. I'll need to move it this fall. Debra

Jean- I sometimes put on the Neptunes Seaweed Fertilizer with a watering can if I am doing only a small section. If I am doing all the daylilies like I did the other day then I used the hose end sprayer. It is kind of thick so there is the possibilty that it could clog the sprayer. But so far it hasn't. I really don't know if using the straw would be better for you or not. Remember it comes in big heavy bales that I am sure you can't lift and you have to get it into a van and out. But you could probably get it delivered. Well, they load it but someone has to unload. It doesn't fit into a car, you need an SUV or van. The thing that it does do is really help with keeping moisture in the soil, but you have to put it on really thick. Sometimes it has weed seeds in it which sprout and then you have to weed on top of the mulch. But eventually it really, really improves the soil. I am not sure if you don't like the looks of the lighter cypress mulch that you would like the looks of the straw. Don't look anything like the looks of the dark pine bark mulch. As for weeds and mulch if you lay newspaper down and THEN put on the mulch those weeds really never get a chance to come up. You know I don't have many weeds around here because the mulch is pilled up everwhere and things are realily mulched around here. Christine- Thanks, I do love the Portulacas. I use the straw all over my garden. Doesn't matter if it is sunny or shady. I could never manage the weeds if this place was not heavily mulched. If I have fall leaves I use those but in the summer I don't have any so have to use the straw. I have staw mulch in my veggie garden area and I have it in my flower gardens. I have it in the paths and I have it between the plants. What I have found with some of the hardwood mulches (or any of the bagged mulches) is they they can get a hard packed crust over the top that water has a difficult time getting thru. I do have to put the straw on every year. If I put it on thickly enough it just makes it to next year. But the thicker the better. In the paths I usually lay down afew pieces of newspaper and then lay the straw directly on top. If there are weeds, I smush them down, put newspaper on top and mulch on top of that. It all breaks down. In betwen plants I have to yank out weeds and then mulch putting the straw around the plants. The straw does break down and the earthworms help with that as they love the straw and move in. It really enriches the soil and makes it soft and loose instead of hard packed and dry. No removing of the straw ever. I just keep on adding.

Oh wow, what a nice collection of roses. I really like the way you have some of them hanging. I must try that. Are the hanging roses all minis? I have two GCs. I hope they grow up to be as beautiful as yours. They are both throwing long canes so I might have to give them something to climb up. : )

I love the look of a mixed color perennial garden. So much color and different heights and shapes. Your roses look just great with all the blues. My favorite picture is your last one. Molineux just captures the attention, yet soothes into the colors around it. Thanks!! Carol