Scully, Those Obedient plants are beautiful! They are def. going on my list of flowers to try :) The problem I'm having with this area/type of flower, is that I'm trying to find something that is more "stalky" without much bush to the bottom. We live rurally, with orange orchards to one side of us, and hay fields to the other side, and we have a big pond smack dab in the middle.....snakes like traveling around our area(nothing poisonous that we've seen so far though, thank goodness!). While I haven't personally seen one right along our house, one did drop out the tree, onto our porch, right as my sister in law was passing by! It slithered under our porch!ACK! Anyways, I'm trying to spruce up the "play" yard, and make it pretty, but I'm thinking I don't want to encourage/add brush and nice spots for snakes. With the other yards, I don't like the idea of hiding places much more, but my kids don't use those, Know what I mean?....OK I totally rambled there! Sorry! :) Ginny, Your right, the title didn't give much. Hopefully changing it will be better :) I can only hope, one of these days to have a garden as beautiful as so many of you! I did plant Grandpa Ott MG's and Moon Flowers all along my fence line yesterday!! I can't wait to see how they grow! (I realize many gardeners hate the Grandpa Ott's, but I'm pretty sure I love them :P) Lily, I LOOOVE the look of Foxgloves as well. Logically, I'm sure the Foxgloves would be fine, but then my Mommy brain kicks in and I have visions of my Daughter daring her younger brother to eat something disgusting, or something he shouldn't (the visions are probably more like flash backs of me daring my little brother! LOL). The white and purple are beautiful on those Zebra Mallows! Do you know about the bottom of them? Is it mainly stalks, or a bit bushy? Thanks so much guys! :)

Susana, The cuttings seem to root real easy. Looking at my recent cuttings, the one simply stuck in the ground next to a stake in very full intense sun has already sent up new growth while two other cuttings from the same plant located in a pot and a bright but shadey area show no signs of growth. Just dig a small hole and place them in and support them with a stake of some sort. check out them scented geraniums in the background. Its amazing too see them thriving in this heat when I couldnt even keep them alive in the recent past

LOL, PM2, there is definitely a legitimate reason for not making a decision yet! I've been trying to decide on something for this spot for three months... so far! And it's harder when deciding for someone else. If it was just me, I'd take the plunge and see how it went. When it's for someone else, especially someone who is not really a gardener, they don't always understand the problems/concerns of each situation, and if you make a recommendation, they expect to buy, plop it in the ground, and be done with. If it tanks or doesn't do well, and they are out the money, they don't want to hear any excuses. Maybe I'll make a run to some local nurseries and see if they carry Castle Wall and see what they think. BTW, PM2, I also bought a few Green Mountains from Bluestone, and they are doing quite well. I don't have a problem also for the most part waiting for things to grow, especially in a bed, but I think for a front-and-center spot like next to the front door, my friend does need a bigger specimen. I think an 8-inch boxwood next to the door would look pretty darn silly, lol! Who knows? Maybe by the time we make a decision, my Green Mountains will be big enough and she can plant those, lol. :) Dee

Mike, HGi, THANKS SO MUCH FOR GETTING BACK!!!!! sorry so long in delay, nellie reportedly is fast growing and great for windbreaks. Further reading claims she needs protection winter winds (there goes windbreak theory). I've had POOR luck with conifers, most died,blue spruces/norway spruces are out, too many diseases where I live. Arbs (occidentalis) reportedly don't live too long in this climate (like it a bit cooler).. I never tried other kinds of arbs. I want something not too susceptible to diseases, esp. as various fungi are killing half my garden here. Abies concolor i have, that's it for windbreak at present. I'd take anything else, most E.G's need wind protection... Screening, my goodness, too much to afford, space, a lot but gotta watch money now... Full and part sun, both types of soil... main EGS for screening listed for this part of PA (Pittsburgh area) from Penn state are I believe Pines (but then I read they shouldn't be grown this area- pine blister- it's killed so much).. and norway spruce (again, susceptible to numerous diseases, after a loss of 4 I'm too afraid.. Concolor abies (I'm getting from forest farm)... and some say Nellie R stevens, but messsages conflicting. I always thought arbs needed protection from winds? Just some?? ANY feedback helpful, for now may just have to be some trees I'm getting (decidous), the winds are rough here due to my house, others houses, windtunnels.... few landscape around here so there's not much shade, privacy, anything... The man beside me is on raised area (my yard drops about 5 feet under his), the lady behind has steep yard with no trees, winds sweep down, erosion and rain from all for sides, messy complicated situation... house beside just has 2 screaming babies and 2 dogs that are vocal.. Amy