She might not have noticed the date but if this was a topic of interest - enough to generate her response - then certainly she would have read through the previous comments and figured out the question of identification had already been confirmed years ago? I don't want to discourage anyone but we can all benefit from using a bit of common sense.

Wow! That's a gorgeous shot! You work so well with the camera, Maria! Your photo albums are wonderful! I've bookmarked your page, and will go back to see more when I have a few hours of free time! LOL! It definitely has been a busy summer! And it's not over yet! I still have lots to do outdoors, not to mention taking care of all my indoor bulbs. Since I was way too afraid to allow my bulbs outdoors this spring and summer, I doubt many will bloom next spring... although, I could be surprised. I do plan on purchasing a few new ones this fall, though, so I will have winter blooms! We were going to go to the Netherlands this August to attend the wedding of a dear friend, but with gas and airline prices the way they are, we had to cancel. Airline tickets alone would have cost several thousand dollars, which we can't spare right now. I'm very disappointed, but I am going to attend the Chicagoland Orchid Festival, and even though it won't be quite the same, it will be fun. I should come away with a new orchid or two, and I have Cindee to thank for pointing me toward collecting these wonderful plants, as well as bulbs! Xuan, I doubt the Clematis pods will be anywhere near ready to ship this month, but I am watching them. I will harvest when they're ripe and hang on to them for your next family member to visit the States. In the meantime, I may be able to harvest a few other seeds for you. I will email. I'm behind on shipping out care packages, too... very shortly, I will have several types of seeds harvested and ready to ship... most are perennials from my gardens, but I know a few friends wanted to try some! As I finish getting things ready, I will let you all know what I have. Well... here's hoping the rest of the summer is fabulous for everyone! I just charged the camera batteries, and will head outside shortly to capture a few more summer blooms, so look for those sometime soon! Happy Gardening!

"I didnt immediately add any because Swan Island repeatedly stated not to add too much N,..." There is big difference between no nitrogen and too much nitrogen. A little bit of fertilizer every few weeks makes a huge difference. Cow manure from the bags at the store have almost no fertilizer in them. It is getting late in the year to fertilize but in your case, you need to give the dahlias some fertilizer to grow and the fertilizer needs to be balanced; that is it must have some nitrogen.

Want a real color trend breaker? Hydrangea macrophylla 'Wedding Gown' is it! This rebloomer starts as an amazing bright white lacecap with very double florets. So most people figure it is a pigmentless white and treat it that way. The sales ads do say that it has very nice fall leaf color. Boy do those words minimize one's expectations. Once the initial lacecap forms more florets of smaller size open centrally to make a flat mophead. Most people cut the flowers off at this stage to use in long lasting table arrangements. The name alone gets them sent off to friend and family weddings. The flowers seem to last forever. However, finally in the late summer to fall the flowers become peppered with light pink to red blood like spots. I suspect that the majority of people cut them off now because the amazing pristine white color is now gone I got lazy and left mine on last year. The flower spots darken and fill in over time and the leaves begin developing an amazing fall color. The flowers eventually turn an even deep cranberry red color and hold their form. Thus, a pigmentless flower developed pigment over time, and a lot if it! At this stage the flowers dry well for dry flower arrangements (good Christmas color). Finally the florets invert in late fall as the leaves reach their peak fall color. I don't expect the red flower pigment to be shiftable towards a purplish or bluish black color. Mine was growing at a soil pH shifting blue hydrangea to pink. Anyone try growing 'Wedding Gown' on very acidic soil or with Alumminum Sulphate addition? Being a white it might not yet have been tried. Since current marketing materials focus only on the Wedding White lacecap aspects, do not be surprized if you see it re-trade marked then also sold as 'WhiteFire' or 'Drama Queen' (favorite ideas) 'Ice & Cranberry', 'Iced Fire', 'Blood in Ice', 'Ice Flare' or some other name.