Welcome to Charlotte. If you live in town, one of your best resources is Wing Haven Gardens & Bird Sanctuary in Myers Park. It's a three-acre garden of densely planted bird-attracting plants and trees with formal and informal garden 'rooms,'and it's open to the public. Been there 80 years. Many of us learned to garden in this region by becoming volunteers there. You can also be a member without volunteering; you get a regular newsletter and discounts on their popular symposiums. Also,there are two big plants sales there, in April & October, and members get to shop on members-only day. Take a break from packing and visit there, hours are Wednesday 10-12 and Sunday afternoons. Info is available on www.winghavengardens.com There is a Charlotte Hosta Club. Sponsors a garden tour, heavy on the hostas, every summer. For info, e-mail royal2227@aol.com

I was wrong on that ID. It's actually a Night-Flowering Catchfly (Silene noctiflora) which looks nearly identical to the White Campion. The night flowering catchfly closes during the sunny day and opens at night. I'm gonna yank it either way.

It looks like Conoclinium coelestinum and it is native to Tennesee and most of the East of the country from Texas and Nebraska to the Atlantic. GREAT butterfly attracter. It is a bit of a thug in the garden so give it ROOM to expand if you are planting it otherwise you will grow to not like it. It is not a good plant for a small garden. Here is a link that might be useful: Blue mistflower

Looks like Callistephus chinensis. Here is a link that might be useful: Callistephus chinensis