Susan, I don't have it, but you've just identified the small blue flowered plant that I've seen blooming in lawns. I believe I had this in my lawn in Pennsylvania and liked it in the lawn. Is it fairly shallowly rooted? Does it cross over into a mulched area? You might try digging a small "ditch" around your beds when you edge...do you think that would keep it out of your beds? Sorry, I didn't have any answers for you....just questions! :) Pam

Well, my main borders are still a work in progress, and I know it at least! Since I didn't order my roses this past spring, I've been doing a lot of second-guessing over the past weeks since I got my arbor in. I *think* I have made up my mind, but we'll see if the plan survives reality, lol. But, so far, instead of Quadra climbing roses plus clematis on the arbors, it will be just clematis (Clair de Lune). In the freed-up space, I will move some existing echinacea purpurea on one side, and spread out my agastache on the other side. I'm still planning on getting Lichtkonigen Lucia, Lavaglut and Tuscany Superb. But, instead of Ambridge Rose (too wimpy of a pale peachy-pink, I think), I want a pink peony in that spot. And, I want to infill with some alliums behind the peony and my bridalwreath spirea. I'd been planning to eventually move my lilac that I'd put in the border as a holding spot, but it seems pretty happy there, so I think I will just leave it there. The big question is whether my White Dome Hydrangea will survive - it seems to be thirstier than most of my other plants. I recently moved a self-seeded cosmos that I think was not helping matters by crowding it and stealing water, and I think it is finally bouncing back. I also want to divide some stachys to fill some empty spots, and maybe move some of my iris to a corner spot to give my lilac more space. Oh, and I want to add some daffodils. Whew! But, other than hoping to plant a peony and some bulbs this fall, I want to be done for this summer! Of course, I did just move some marigolds that had needed thinning...I'm not sure if they are going to survive or not, but they needed to go, anyhow, so if they survive in their new home, that is just an added bonus.

I have been raising hybrid iris from seed since I was a wee tad... The offspring are usually healthy plants, though they will often have specific faults, which a breeder wants to cull. Also we run out of space if we keep the ones which are 'nice' but not an improvement on existing cultivars. That's the source of the 1 in 5000 type of odds that you will read about. If you are just out to have fun I think you will find at least 1 or 2 keepers from each pod of iris seeds that you grow. The golden rule is to use the best parents you have available as it is rare to get progeny which are superior to their parents. Some fun things to try - self an Iris (cross with same) - this form of extreme in-breeding will uncover good and bad recessive traits - true freaks like flatties etc. Cross two similar Iris from the same hybridizer - often a single breeders lines are related and the results of line crossing are usually better than "wide" crosses of unrelated cv. Chad

loodean, That's the problem everywhere - the CSA I work at is having serious trouble with their carrots, beets etc and the radishes are ALREADY done! We had two weeks worth when we normally get 4-5. The heat and dryness aren't allowing them to germinate properly and when they do, it's slow growing. The snap peas are in bad shape, lots of pods - but no rain so they are mostly empty. They are in Osceola and seem to have gotten even less rain than we have here in northern St. Paul. -Marie