Thanks, everyone, for your comments and suggestions. At least no one is referring to it as the devil plant from hell ... I spoke with a friend today who also has some (variegated variety) in her garden. She manages to keep it in check and contained to just where she wants it to grow and also thinks it might be a good candidate for this area of mine. She, too, questions whether it will eventually choke out the bulbs. I only grew Goutweed once before while living in Ottawa. Off and to the side of the back steps there was a horrid little area where the air conditioner sat. It got spillage from the rain barrel, there was gravel and yucky soil - basically just a mess. So I planted goutweed and it did a pretty nice job - certainly better than the weeds and long grass that were there prior to that. Now, I don't know if the next owners battled it and cursed me for planting it (as I had cursed the previous owners for planting mint), as a couple or so years later we moved on. I agree, Sharon, a pond would probably look terrific there but yeah, that's not gonna happen. I imagine the giant messy old Manitoba Maple that overhangs the other side would have a hayday dropping stuff in there. I'm definitely looking for less maintenance than more for this area. If the Miss Kim Lilac grows well in there (planted just in front of that corner), that should provide a bit of height. But if not, an obelisk or some such object would be a good idea . I never thought of that, so thanks for the idea (hey, maybe that's where we can put an Inukshuk - I've been wondering where we could erect one). The plantings I saw in Regina were just Goutweed and evergreens - very full looking but well tended and neat looking and under the canopy of some big deciduous trees (probably elms but I don't recall exactly). I don't know if there were other plants, earlier blooming, that the Goutweed was covering up. I'll have to make a point of driving by again in spring to see how it looks. Gillian, I'm really looking forward to seeing more pictures of your new yard as it makes its way thru spring and summer. So far I haven't been all that thrilled with the couple Solomon's Seal I planted in another area, but I do have some wild stuff growing in the most inhospitable spot (the deepest, driest shade in the bed above) that seems to be holding its own. I put some Lily of the Valley in with it last year as well - we'll see if a battle ensues. I'll still think about this a while. Within probably 5 years it will be more heavily shaded as the willow tree grows and spreads, so perhaps allium and tulips eventually won't even really be an option. Thanks again everyone - if any more ideas come to mind, be sure to shout out.

To newyorkrita... I didn't plant them there, they came with the house and I have never redone that section of garden. When I get to redoing that section, I will dig them out and put some better dayliles there. Still, they really are not that bad looking are very cheery in color. Nothing kills them as they have been neglected forever. I find a kinda like them anyway." Your words, my thoughts exactly. About 4 years ago I started to transplant those very daylilies that came with my house 25 years ago. They were always ignored on the chimney side of the house where no one ever went. Although I've only "gotten into" daylilies the last few years, I've come to love my ditch lilies as well and always note who's got them growing where. If I were to name my home as they did in the past, it would have to be something to do with ditch lilies. I'm still trying to think of something clever. I was glad to see that by the end of your posting you had conceded that they definitely had their own charm.

"As others have stated, your top picture is a true lily (tigridium) from a bulb and the stem has leaves growing on it, with bulblets at the leaf axis. Also note the recurved petal and spots. I have a double one. Plant those bulblets and they will bloom in about 2 years." Yes, that is pretty clear now. I don't know all that much about lilies, have never attempted to grow any before. "the second picture could be the daylily Flore pleno, flower lookes like it is stacked, probably with green leaves? Daylilies (hemerocallis) have their leaves growing from the ground from rhyzomes. There is also a variegated leaf Kwanso, with the same double flower, but its petals have a very waddy center, like a peony. Their clumps are very spreading-- not tight, neat clumps like Stella deOro." The leaves on this one grow what I describe as fountain-like, from the ground; it does belong in the daylily forum; I just lumped them both together here. I didn't think it looked like the other sample posted, that one has more petals and is just different. Since everything is such a jungle where it is currently growing, I'm not exactly sure how it would grow in less crowded conditions. I just thought it was pretty and don't usually care for orange lilies or the so-common ditch lily we have all around here. I didn't notice any variegated leaves. "the problem is you CANNOT use it for hybridizing-because it is the species of daylily that has 3 sets of chromozone, and will not interbreed with either the DIP hemerocallis (1 double set of chromozone) or the TET hemerocallis (2 double sets of chromozone). Since the 3 sets of chromozone are not divisible by 2, it usually won't set seed with other daylilies. and remember that when hybridizing double daylilies, the pod parent must be the double. Go to the daylily forum to get more info about them." I don't care that it is no good for hybridizing, but that is interesting information. I've no interest in hybridizing anything at this point, especially that one, just hope they transplant successfully and spread out some but not so much as to become invasive and crowd out other lilies I hope to grow. Hybriding would be fun, but the results are too unpredictable, I'm a little more interested in old roses, and I wouldn't want to throw out baby plants. I want to control the lilies I do plant by purchasing or being given certain particular ones I like. If they happen to cross naturally, well I may or may not be happy about the results of that. Thanks much for the input. It's kind of daunting trying to figure out how I will pull all this together. I can't plant too many at once, too much work. These particular ones look like they won't be too fussy if I don't damage anything while transplanting them, which like I said before, I will wait until fall (cooler for me) even though one poster said I could do it now. If I get to feeling too pressured, can I go and collect some of those bulblets and try them instead of digging the bulbs? When would be the right time for that? It looks like it might be easier but would probably take longer for mature lilies. At this point I have to be realistic because I've bitten off more than I can chew for one growing season. In July and August, I am not going to be able to do much other than basic maintenance and watering because of the heat, although sometimes we get a short break. We have a two-day one now, but it is still pretty hot out. Thank you and everyone else who has been so helpful about these lilies.

Thanks for your replies! Farmerbell, I sent them an email. Thanks for the link! Cmarks, not sure if they are daylillies or not. They do look like them as far as the leaves. They are growing along side the roads here which from what I understand is how they got the name ditch lillies. We called them tiger lillies growing up. They are orange with brownish black dots. I had heard if you smell them you would get freckles too. They just bring back such wonderful memories of playing on my grandmother's patio with them surrounding it as well as it seems they are virtually indestrucible. that is good for me as I did not inherit my grandmother's green thumb. She could root or get a start of just about anything and it would flourish! Now if I could just find out the plant with the seed pods that I got in trouble for popping! Thanks all! Judy