Once the weather cooled down some everything just exploded, lol. I wish I live in a milder climate I can only dream of what my gardens would look like, lol. I spit out my coffee when I saw you thought I had 2 platypus. You been into juice early I think, roflamo. The striped one is a canna but doesn't look so hot. I am gonna plant it directly in the pond next spring and see if it keeps the leaves from burning. Right now its in mud like the lotus. The one I planted in potting soil rotted. Go figure, lol. The plumies are about 5 years old out back. The ones by the front pond are one year olds. I am going to plant some low growing things around the ponds and make sure I leave room to get in there to do maintenance, lol. I can only plant hardy things. The plummies are just stuck inside that wall in pots to keep them from blowing over in the wind. I am going to make a wall like that along the fence in the back yard for them next year. They blow over easily its so windy here and I can stick the pots behind something like that and weigh the down without it looking so ugly. I have sand bags and bricks around the bottoms of the larger ones. Yes, thats the lake I fish at. The pic with the wildflowers is up the creek. Its really pretty up there. I used to have the skinks in Louisiana and the boys would try to catch them and the tails would fall off in their hands. Some kind of defense mechanism. It was gross, lol.

Sorry it has taken me a while to get back and check in. I was out of town for work and just got home. Thanks so much everyone for the compliments. It makes me feel good, I must admit. I always seem to see what needs to be done, and sometimes forget to look at what it is! I will try to answer everyone's questions. Hope I don't miss any. In no particular order... The lilies in the "big" picture are almost all daylilies. The lilies in the close-up pictures I am not sure. Just some bulbs I picked up, probably at a big box store or the local garden center? Sorry I don't have their names. The rose pictured in the 4th picture is Morden Belle. There are actually 3 bushes planted in that bed. I hope that is the rose you meant? Yes, I do have the courtyard of roses and yes they are blooming. However, many of the roses on the fence were taken down this year due to RRD. I have planted bittersweet in their place. Won't be the beautiful flowers, but will provide privacy that won't get RRD. As you can see from the picture below, the fence is now pretty bare looking on the side. I have decided that I will try to keep the roses on the fence across the end and around the corner. The need for privacy there is not so great, as the Wine and Roses weigela in the island bed does screen most of the garden from that end. Again, thank you everyone! I am so glad you enjoyed the pictures. It does help to make the aches and pains feel better! :-) Marylu

So many beauties that I can't pick just one--Grapeade, Joshua Slocum, Painting the Roses Red are a few of my favorites. Seems like Truly Angelic looks a little different in every garden. Val

CARIBBEAN, has knock -out colours. NANCY REAGAN, looks gorgous. The name ROSE DES CISTERCIENS, makes me think of your 'mulfuncioning' septic tank. Many newbies, but not a chickie in sight. :>( Thank you Beth, for your sharing your beauties.