I had to direct sow last year after my zinnia seedlings failed and the daffs flopped. So I never did get it too look like what I had in mind. But this year is different. Jean, I know zinnias need lots of sun and the get lots of sun there all afternoon from about noon on. Just shady earlier in the morning.

Thanks for the nice words Jon, Ken, and Rick. Yeah, I know I planted them rather close. I'm coming around to the viewpoint that it'll be easier to move them in a few years than it would be to maintain them in containers over the same period. Container maintenance becomes a bit much (for me, at least) above a hundred container plants, and a major goal was to get a lot of plants into the ground. I'm planning for the next several years, not the next several decades like some of you folks. I don't mind moving them when the time comes, and I'll have more space opened up by then. Call it planting at the Fletcher density...well maybe not that close :o). I buy the pine bark nuggets by the bag; they're not available in bulk around here. Local garden centers and big box stores have them for ~$2.5-3.5 for a 2 cubic ft bag, so it comes out to a little bit more than bulk mulch delivered. It's worth it IMO for the aesthetic value and also for its greater longevity - the nuggets will last much longer than shredded hardwood mulch, which needs to be replaced every year or two. A side benefit is that its much faster to apply mulch from bags. -Alex

Mantis, Aaron Brown is in a place in the bed that I can't get to right now, but it seems to have a lot of scapes this year - I'm not sure on bud count or even how many fans I have. I've had it for a few years. I really like Lip Smack, but don't 'love' the colors. It is definitely taller than registered here in my garden, it is more like 2ft or slightly taller than that. Maryl, I found that out about the hummingbird moths a few years ago too - very interesting. Ellie, yes that is Hot Papaya. I love it - it is one of my two favorite echinacea. Mine flops quite a bit at this point in the season. One of these years I need to get a little bit of a support system in place for it, so it doesn't slop all over the daylilies that are around it.

Debra, I stay away from most minis now. They don't do well here between my past lack of watering, extensive tree roots, and hordes of terrorist squirrels. I received Golden Threads in a trade last summer, and the squirrels killed it in a couple weeks. I think the smallest one I have now is Mighty Mouse, purchased from a club auction: Yellow Boa has also managed to hang on (this pic is a month old, nothing recent): Oh yeah, Radiant Star is smaller this year. Combination or poor location and being planted a little deep after the squirrels dug it up, it's also being moved tomorrow: