Great conversation! I didn't see Purslane- technically its not a perennial, but it does come back from seed = great ground cover, gorgeous flowers and whole plant is delicious in salads or by itself with a little balsamic vinegar. For ongoing perennials: I have five acres,so I'm limited on how many flowers I can keep that require "tending". I have an assortment of hedge roses that bloom spring through fall. Honeysuckle of several varieties. The kind of old fashioned orange daylily that naturalizes (don't know the name)- it blooms constantly too. Sunflowers, that I think came out of my feeding the birds (and some "mammoth sunflowers" - that have regular blooms but the plant is 12 ft high) = both bloom all summer through to frost.

I was going to mention Ann Folkard, too. She is a sprawler, but not very floriferous in my garden. But she is a long bloomer and weaves around. I enjoy her. I have other geranium sanguineum (I believe these are the 'bloody cranesbill of mangenta color) but they bloom very heavily in mid spring for two weeks or so, and are pretty much done for the season. I recently read 'endorsement', undoubtably by hybridizer or seller of a 'better' successor to Anne Folkard. If anyone can find it, please post it somewhere so I can read it againl I'm going to try to google it under "better than Anne Folkard"

I have what was called Geranium himalayense and what was called Johnson's Blue and they I can't see any difference. I think that a lot of what is sold is a form of G himalayense and it does seed around. For me that is part of the fun of growing hardy geraniums, you never know what you will find next or where and the duds and superfluous ones are easy to pull up. Even if you have to do it sereptiously from the neighbours yard. This apeared in a clump of Brookside this summer, it is a nice tidy 45cm plant that is still blooming now.

I'm back again, I appreciate all the information you have all provided. Now I have another concern about the geranium. I've lost the paperwork from the blue geranium I ordered so I don't know for sure which variety it is. It is still in a 4" pot and blooming. It's a beautiful lavender blue--not quite the "blue" I was expecting, but a pretty color. I have a concern though. The leaf type looks similar to what I've always heard called "wild geranium." It's the one with the pink flowers and reddish stems. I believe it is "herb-Robert" (G. robertianum). A neighbor gave me a few about 10 years ago and they have taken over my yard. I see they are classified by the State as a noxious weed. So after this long ramble, before I plant these in the ground can anyone tell me if they will become "noxious?" Will they spread into every nook and cranny of the yard and garden or do they stay where they are planted? Hope this all makes sense, I just don't want another plant that turns into a disaster because it takes over everything. Help, please? Thanks :o) Linda