and in my z5 MI ... spring was 4 to 6 weeks late this spring ... meaning the soil didnt heat early.. meaning germination was delayed .. etc ... first time in 35 years.. that i doubt my 4 oclocks will make it to bloom ... and i might have to rebuy seed for the first time in that period ... of course.. the very cold spring.. was followed by intermittent drought ... and we are now finishing up with blistering heat ... many of my self reseeding annuals are simply.. all screwed up ... no one in their right mind sill argue with zen about this plant ... i agree on the hours of sun .... but on the other hand.. you nearly perfectly explain their growth cycle ... in my z5 MI ... they are not much to look at... until late july/aug .... you said this: --- What I find (and this has been the case over successive years) is that these zinnias languish for so long, barely holding their own throughout May and June and even into July. And it isn't until mid to late July that I see a reversal of fortune for these zzs and they begin to flourish. --- and that is why.. i have never gone all zen on them ... lol ... just figuring.. they are a borderline cold z5 plant... in my garden.. anyway ... [see what i did there.. lol] ken

When you water, are you giving the plant just enough to moisten the soil, or are you flushing the soil thoroughly? The later insures the soil gets flushed of accumulating salts, something that increases in importance if the fertilizer you're using isn't the same ratio as that at which the plant actually uses the nutrients. The former ensures that all the salts from the unused fraction of fertilizer and the salts from tap water remain in your soil. As these salts build, it becomes more and more difficult for the plant to take up water. The plant's response to a lack of water is to shed parts (leaves and branches) to reduce the demand for water. Unfortunately, the response to over-watering, under-watering, and a high concentration of salts in the soil are the same, so to determine what the actual cause is, you might need to go through the process of elimination. Alternately, you could review the link below, which will go a long way toward helping you identify and eliminate those things that are limiting your plant's vitality and appearance. If you put into practice the things you read at the link, you'll discover that maintaining healthy plants just got a LOT easier. A huge % of the issues people come here seeking resolution for are directly related to that triangle formed by soil choice, watering habits, and the ability to maintain an appropriate level of each of the nutrients in the soil solution and available for uptake. Al

Daylilies really do like water unless they are standing in it. Some of our daylilies are looking terrible too, but our problem recently is too little rain. We don't have experience with crown rot, but if your daylilies have it, I am told they will have a rotten smell. You might want to check for that. Nancy

My husband and I bought a house five months ago and I have been trying to decorate the entire house by myself. This is my final result for the living room. I would really appreciate any advise about the decor if it looks good or it looks saturated with too much stuff. What about the walls and color? Do I need to change anything. Any advise is more than welcome. Thank you so much!