Thanks highalttransplant. I sowed cosmos a week after our last frost instead. So here is an update. The cosmos were very easy to grow. They're 2 or 3 inch tall now. I direct sowed them around 3rd week of May. I thought I had a failure on safari primrose. After 20+ days of waiting, they did show up. I think I have 20 or 21 safari primrose seedlings and are about 10 inch apart. They're 2" tall now. The Rudbeckia Double Gold didn't do well via direct sowing. It didn't show up. The seeds I put in pot about 10 days ago have germinated. I also felt I failed on four o clocks limelight. It took more than 20 days also before they germinated. They're 2 or 3 inch tall now. The color is not as bright as sweet potato vine. Maybe because it's still young. Also, just want to share about basil. The cotyledon on purple ruffles basil is green. Glad I didn't wack out the ones I saw in my garden bed. The first true leaves came out dark purple. They are very easy to identify since the shape of the cotyledon is unique. Now, I'm not sure how my front bed is going to look like. I'm excited. Here are the plants/1 tree that are on this bed. 1. Purple Leaf Sandcherry tree 2. Canna with green leaves 3. Four O clocks limelight 4. Bachelor's button 5. bunny tail blue grass 6. Hydrangea Annabelle (pitimpinai) 7. Sedum Autumn Joy 8. Dianthus Firewitch 9. Safari Primrose Penstemon Husker Red(stage_rat) Agastache Korean Cleome Calendula Not sure if it's gloriosa daisy or shasta daisy larkspur(pitimpinai) cosmos cosmic orange red castor bean

Gaillardias tend to be short-lived perennials in any case. Maybe there's something to the idea of restricting flowering to promote longevity - but then you're defeating the purpose of having a long and abundantly flowering perennial. My strategy is to keep new plants coming from seed, while deadheading sufficiently to keep the plants' efforts focused on growth and bloom, not seed production. Easier said than done if you have multiple garden chores (I just harvested a bunch of seeds from G. "Arizona Sun", which is in its second year. If it makes it to 2013, fine...if not, I'll have new plants coming along which will flower in their first year). For existing plants, I'd recommend not cutting them back until spring.

Aphids aren't eggs, do they have legs and antennae? Ants tending them would imply they were aphids. If there aren't many you could crush them or blast them with a jet spray of water a few times. 4' is a small shrub, you want something that will grow bigger than the space? Considerations of scale aside, broadleaf evergreen shrubs for south walls include Abelia Azara Acca (Feijoa) Ceanothus Choisya Cistus Escallonia Euonymus japonicus Hebe Pittosporum tobira

I have a dianthus that's almost a carnation in looks (and I just discovered that carnations are a version of dianthus!) that's in the corner of my garden and has survived the last two winters. They don't have long stems, but would be nice in a small short vase AND they smell pretty. I don't remember the flowering times, though. Marigolds are pretty hardy and the flowers last a while, if I remember correctly, and they'll take the heat and supposedly help keep some pests off of your tomatoes if you plant them together. Gerber daisies are pretty hardy, too. Except for the cold. I'd suggest Earthkind roses, but they typically don't do well as cut flowers, they don't last long. I hope someone else has better ideas, because I'd love to have cut flowers, too!