thankyou all for your advice. these bulbs probably fronted the back portion of this hedge since there's a border edging in front of them. But forsythia arches and the stems readily root so I think that's why the hyacinth appear to be amidst the hedge. I think while they have plenty of blooming time sun and very healthy looking leaf growth and leaf covering from overhead trees, they probably are a bit too low in the ground so I will lift them this fall, bring them forward to a better area and set higher in the ground. I presume if the leaves are full height and no evidence of a flower stalk coming then nothing I do now will bring forth a bloom this year. Next fall project. Thanks again.

Hummm....good to know that 'Painter's Palette' can be a bit of a spreader. I got one last year, but it hasn't done much, probably because I keep moving it around (ya' think??! Lol). Your 'Pink Elephant' is really nice rouge21- very nice light shade of pink. I also have P. 'Red Dragon', P. affinis 'Himalayan Boder Jewel', and just recently got a lovely P. amplexicaulis 'Blackfield' at a local plant sale in late August. It is still blooming away too!! They also had 'Golden Arrow' at the sale, but I didn't get it because it looked mostly green leafed and not much gold to it. After seeing another GWebbers plant I am kicking myself for not snatching one up!!! The foliage seems to get much brighter in more sun (guessing they were kept in shade at the sale). Another one I want to learn more about and maybe get is Persicaria 'Silver Dragon'. Some sites (DG for one) shows a VERY silvery leaf on it, while others show a plant more like 'Red Dragon' with a hint of silver markings. Anyone have that one? It took FIVE YEARS for me to see a bloom on that 'HB Jewel! Not sure what the problem was, I didn't move it and it was planted in a nice situation. Anyway, the flowers are wonderful. They are a light pink but are also attractive when they fade, to a reddish brown color. I didn't cut back the spent flowers and it started blooming again this fall! -lacyveil, that Crimson Beauty is gorgeous! I might have a large space opening up next year for such a big beauty. Would you say it is a fast spreader? Hard to keep in control? Reseed any? CMK

My mind is boggled that you are getting any spring bloom at all in your zone! Ours bloom in spring only because the stems don't freeze in the winter. Try cutting back severely immediately after the spring bloom--take out all of the stems that have bloomed, and any others left over from last summer, down to ground level. Leave the new shoots undisturbed, or only cut back lightly. Pinch the new growth every 3-4 leaves, or less often if you want them to be more flowing and graceful. Stop pinching about 6 weeks before their normal fall blooming period: that may be the first of July, around here, it's the second week of August. Good luck! Kevin : )

I think each of us has to remember that what works for our Brug doesn't necessarily work for our 'neighbour's' or 'other person's'. Geographical location, micro climates, soil PH, soil types and the cultivar of the Brug itself, as well as how well the soil has been amended ALL play a significant role on the growth/bloom factor of any Brugmansia. Karyn can attest to the fact that here in my Zone 5 in Canada, if I put my mind to it I can get mine to grow to 12-13 feet tall in a season and bloom with large flushes. I have shown pictures of this over the years. Mine I plant in the ground in June, but have to dig up and bring in in Oct so really I only have a 5 month growing period.the rest of their time they are dormant. I have over the years amended my soil and the past 5 years or so I rarely fertilize my Brugs, I do add mushroom compost to my planting holes.I often can get away with only watering once a week, not even that if we get rain but our temps in the summer rarely get over 90 and then it is usually humid too. If what you are trying isn't working for you, change something up, do something opposite and see if you have better results.On the whole, Brugs are pretty resilient and don't expect the results in 3 years of growing them that others get who have been doing it for 15+ years. It takes time to study them and time to learn what works best for you in your location with your particular cultivar. Not all Brugs perform the same under same conditions. Variegates and doubles, on the whole, grow much slower than singles. Vericolors will not withstand the same cooler temps all the others do etc.