Wow! This thread is insane-- but fun :-) Barb, love that greenhouse...we're thinking of building one at some point-- after the garage, after putting in a driveway, after the new shed... Lindama, sorry I didn't see your question about the Verbascum until now! Yes, it was Southern Charm. Love it! Okay, so here's my list of what I've sown since the last time I posted what I'd sown: Tomato- Cherry "Supersweet 100 VF HB" Tomato-Cherry "Sungold" HB Tomato- "Northern Delight" Tomato- "Mortgage Lifter" Tomato- "Cherokee" Leek "Musselburgh" Scallion "Ishikuro" Tomato- "Marmand" Beetroot "Chioggia" Salsify "Mammoth Sandwich Island" Rutabaga "American Purple Top" Chives (2nd container) Radish "Champion" Radish "China Rose" Radish "Easter Egg II" Dill "Dukat" Carrot "Nantes Coreless" Carrot "Long Imperator" Strawberries (Store bought produce) Blackberries (Storebought produce) Sweet William "Stokes Tall Mix" Sweet William "Single Flowered Mix" Sweet William "Black and White Minstrel" Siberian Wallflower Coneflower "Bravado" Chinese Lantern Salvia farinacea Blue-Violet "Victoria" Salvia farinacea White "Victoria" Alstroemeria "Ligtu HB" Alstroemeria "Dr Salter's HB" Salipglossis "Casino Mix" Salipglossis "Royal Chocolate HB" Salipglossis "Kew Blue" Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) Trailing Mix Malva "Mystic Merlin" Hollyhock "Summer Carnival Mix" Hollyhock "Nigra" Penstemon barbatus coccineus Alyssum saxatile "Golden Queen" Coreopsis Basilis Tansy Polyanthus "Gold Lace" Polyanthus "Dazzler Tagetes F1" Cleome "Color Fountains"- C. hassleriana Sweet Rocket (White)- Hesperis matronalis Clarkia unguiculata "Mountain Garland" Evening Primrose- Oenothera lamarckiana Scarlet Flax- Linum rubrus Crimson Clover - Trifolium Fried Eggs- Limanthes, regular yellow Fried Eggs "Sulphur Yellow"- Limanthes Pansy "Majestic Giants 2" Mix Pansy "Majestic Giants 2" Rosalyn Pansy "Majestic Giants 2" Blue and White Viola "Cuty" Viola "Bambini Mix" Pansy "Dynamite" Purple, Rose, White Pansy "Clear Sky" Mix Viola "Sorbet Purple Duet" Viola "Sunny Royale" Viola "Sorbet Yellow Frost" Pansy "Jolly Joker" Pansy "Skyline" White Counting down...Petunias, Stocks, Snaps, BBs, Cauliflower... Linda

on evergreens and HURRICANE SWIRLS: grass lover, I don't grow HURRICANE SWILRLS; in fact, I apparently have only a few Stamiles. Not because I don't like them; more to do with what I've ended up buying. However, I do have a certain number of evergreens and/or southern-hybridizerd plants and/or plants with southern genes, eg, Lambertson's SUBTLE KNIFE, which does very well here and has rebloomed two summers in a row; Mort Morss's BEYOND THE SKY (one of the most consistently beautiful daylilies in my garden and one of my top favs) and BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE; some Carpenter patterned evergreens; Larry Grace's OVER HEATED and HEATHER GRACE. OVER HEATED is right outside the window of this sunroom (ie, near the walls of this house = protected spot/microclimate), looking quite perky and green. As I look outside, I see a surprising number of green clumps; many were registered as sevs, but there must be evergreens out there, too...Oh, yes, almost forgot Stamile's GET JIGGY does very well here and has shown a beautiful pattern on every bloom with the exception of FFO (first flower open). Also in a microclimate bed outside the house are Dan Hansen's BRAIN STEW and LAST SNOWFLAKE (a Stamile!). I am embarrassed to admit that all but one of those was bought on spec as it were....I had no guarantee that they'd do well, nor did I know anyone in my region or area who grew them. The exception is BRAIN STEW, which a fellow club gave to me after raving about its performance. I seem to have lost the point of my comments. :) I think it's that some evergreens can do just fine up north. But, I recommend that, if you are unsure about one or do not care to be the first person whom you know to grow one, you can do an online search to see whether any northern resellers and/or gardens feature the plant. I like to see northern resellers who actually have it for sale, as opposed to showing it as a display plant. My thinking is that that should mean the plant's overwintered and increased enough to be offered. Finding growers in one's region/area is best, but because I have microclimate areas (in which I inadvertently overwinterd calla lilies last year!), I might order if, say, I find growers in Virginia, Tennessee, etc., even though those people might be in zone 7. You might "cheat" as far as zone 6A, or just zone 6 in general. Or even more, if you're brave. :) And don't forget that a nice, deep snow cover can help you overwinter plants. Don't people talk about how some southern plants do better in zones 4 and 5, for example, than in zone 6? Another thing to do, and that I've done, is just get on the phone and contact the hybridizer. Obviously, a southern hybridizer might not be able to say very much if anything about the winter hardiness of a brand-new intro but probably could tell you something about older plants. AHS database telle me HURRICANE SWIRLS is a 2005, so there should be info about it. And another thing you can do, if you are knowledgeable enough or feel like taking the time to do background research, is look at an intro's parentage. The AHS database shows that HURRICANE SWIRLS has MAGIC AMETHYST in it twice, and I'm pretty sure I've seen MA growing in a nearby AHS display garden. (I don't know the other parents off the top of my head, but if I wanted, I could look up each of them in the database and then, if necessary, go back one or more generations.) One other technique: go to the lily auction and search for your daylily under closed auctions. Click on the auctions to see where the sellers are located. Oh, I almost forgot! Doing an online search showed that there's a newspaper article about a New Hampshire hobbyist/collector who apparently has HURRICANE SWIRLS. I stopped there, but there could be more online hits. I realize my lengthy answer doesn't come close to answering your question, but I did want to let you know how I often go about trying to figure out whether a daylily might do well for me.

The following are consistent rebloomers for me: SILOAM PLUM TREE (Henry) MASK OF ETERNITY (Salter) MOONLIT MASQUERADE (Salter) FAIREST OF THEM (Salter) They have been consistent for the past three years. In zone 5, I have discovered that they really need to get established and this can take a couple of years. The three Salter intros are in full sun in my front yard along with 30 + others and they are very dependable rebloomers. SILOAM PLUM TREE gets some afternoon shade, but it also gets a little extra water by being close to my vegetable garden. David

If you're going to retain the gravel as the driveway material, then it would be good to install a band of something rigid to separate it from the turf. Since the space is large and wide open, it would look better to have a fairly bold edge to the gravel. I would suggest using a band of concrete that is about 15" wide (like a skinny walkway) at both the inside and outside edges. It should be perfectly circular, not faceted or irregular (so forming would be important) and nicely finished. It should sit a couple inches higher than the gravel, but flush with the lawn grade (you could add topsoil to make that happen.) You're not going to plant within 3' of house wall so lack of light there is immaterial. As far as what could be planted where I show blue flowers ... I envisioned it as a large perennial mass, 12" to 18" height (though bloom could stick up higher.) A color range of hybrid daylilies could be one solution. Possibly a shorter Veronica, if you can find such. Or Ajuga. Explore what grows there that would qualify. Maybe someone else will come up with a suggestion. Be practical and find something that will GROW well and is AVAILABLE. (Find a sunny place in your yard to grow some Russian sage as it is so pretty.)