Vera, your gardens are always a welcome sight. The only planted pot I didn't empty out last Fall had Nicotiana sanderae in it with Zinnia. I've got lots of little selfsown Nicotiana seedlings sitting in that pot to be transferred around. They're the lime green flowers. After looking at the alata I think they'd be more impressive blooms. No fragrance on sanderae and shield bugs constantly sit right in center of flowers. At least critters don't eat those plants so they're worth some space. I know it's backbreaking work to get out all those rocks but I'd have to buy them for garden borders here...and I do want a rock garden somewhere, sometime. The only thing in the dirt here at my father's is gravel. When the shovel hits something solid with a "clink" it's either more gravel or Chinese Wisteria runners the diameter of the shovel handle. Thanks for sharing pics of wide open spaces with sunlight and healthy gardens!

Thanks! Yeah, I don't understand selling sedums so pricy! They root with speed and don't need any special attention. My last quarter of school (spring 06)one of my classmates wanted to do some sedum as part of her final crop. I supplied her with pieces from every type I had and she made even more pieces out of what I gave. She ended up with a gazillion plants to sell LOL!! All of these rooted within 5 days. The sedum reflexum in my first post is a moderate spreader. Another one I CANT rid of and have tried, is the Sedum album. This one will engulf the world and I SWEAR they continue to grow in winter!! This would really be a nice one to cover a bank or area where nothing else is planned to go and it does start turning a nice deep purple beginning now; covered in white flowers in spring. Here's a pic taken June 28th last year...not very good. The same area on Mar 22nd this year....I ripped these all out last fall but as you can see they came back! It just takes a few dropped pieces :O ...and then in May.... Also taken March 22th...Here's a section that got it self started (from no doubt one tiny leaf)outside the bed. It's starting to green up again and lose the purple. You can also see the Sedum reflexum still bright orange growing beside the Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce', The 'Blue Spruce' is a soft blue in summer but mute purple/grey in winter... Sedum reflexum in flower on July 3rd... I'm not sure what the name of this one is, but here it is in bright yellow flowers over very low bright green foliage. It never exceeds 3" and is a pretty good self-starter but not even close to Sedum album! Spread is moderate... Here is S. reflexum and S. album blooming side by side on June 29th... Here is varigated Sedum spurium in flower. Summer color is variegated white/green...winter it turns bright rosy pink; spread is slow... Of course I have Sedum 'Autumn Joy' but everyone knows what that one looks like :D Vera

good camera work! thanks for the post. also it's nice to see the flowers that stand up to the heat of the day, I think. for example the ones that change color from when they first opened, i have orange ones like that. anyway. nice photography, keep it up. dean

Wow, this has got to be the peak in everyone's garden, right? So many great sounding flowers! Here's my list, from memory, since it's dark out. Woodies: late lilacs, enormous old red rhodies, swamp azalea, kousa dogwood, viburnum (American cranberry), carolina jessamine, red wigela, purple smoke bush, clematis montana rubra. Yellow-variegated sambucus is almost open, kerria japonica is just finishing up. Some of the early hydrangea are budding up - the white with enormous blooms (I call it Dolly Parton, but I think it might be Limelight?) and a division of preziosa that's sitting in a pot waiting for me to cart it up to Mindy. Perennials: siberian iris, rampant canadian anemone, red masterwort, columbine, money plant, heuchera (a dozen types), sea thrift, pinks, camassia, allium (some nifty new ones this year), nepeta, purple mullien, lots of columbine (red canadian and wild blue), wild daisies, sweet woodruff, pink geranium, wood hyacinths, foxglove. Oh, yeah, Crambe cordifolia - what a wild and wooly thing that is, a potted division is blooming as is another half that's in the ground. The peonies are about to burst, I hope they hold off until the rain stops! Annuals: my favorite is pink gazania, will bloom all summer and has the nicest silvery foliage. Lots of tender salvia and those nifty blue-eyed white daisies, Osteospermum fruticosum. I just love reading about what everyone has in bloom!