I yanked all my knockouts out this spring except 2, the original cherry red knockout roses that are growing in partial shade and add a nice punch of color, to make room for roses whose sent is as beautiful as its flowers. Winter kill on them was absolutely horrific, plus the JBs loved the pink knockout roses in my garden. Even my Buck rose "Folksinger" which has weathered much colder winters than this one suffered with winter kill to the ground, but being own root after pruning down to about 4 inches from the ground it is recovering beautifully and sporting buds already. I'll be planting some Austins for their luscious scent and exquisite flowers plus some other less fussy (hopefully) roses like Julia Child, Bolero, Macy's Pride, Zepherine Drouhin, Darlow's Enigma, which is bullet proof and smells so sweet, Cl "Compassion" and The Fairy. I have some Kordes Fairy Tale roses that did well over the winter and "Heritage" came through once again. I have too little yard space that offers the best sunlight for roses and am not willing to give up the space for such a mundane, and yes, overused, rose.

Paula, Thank you for the offer but I don't collect gobs and gobs of seeds. I just collect a few seed heads of things I think others might like to grow and a few for myself for the next year if they are annuals. I shouldn't say this here on the garden web but I toss most seeds in the trash as I am cleaning up my gardens ( take a deep breathe, stop gasping...lol). I think this year I will collect more than usual because I feel like a cheap skate when I see some of the other seed packets in swaps...lol I have added the petunias to your gift package and again, thank you for the offer. I will pass this time though. Lisa

peren.all - yes, a non-seeding campanula would be good - as long as it is also not a big spreader from the roots! Does it spread? I agree that the two helenium pictures do appear somewhat different. It could be a factor of different light conditions when the two photos were taken (years apart; different cameras....), or the current helenium could be a seedling that has reverted to something in its ancestry. The only other helenium I've tried in that area other than the reds I've already mentioned, was 'Moerheim Beauty' and that doesn't look too much like what's there now. Another mystery plant....?! My Persicaria polymorpha in the front full-sun garden starts blooming in early-mid June and is finished by the end of July. The ones in varying degrees of shade in the backyard start a week or so later and last a week or so longer, with an occasional flower blooming in mid-Aug./Sept. Extra water is a rare-to-never event where the Persicaria in the front grows. DH sometimes does scatter some of the compost from the Town's spring compost give-away into that area. The bigger potential limiting factor is probably that it is in/near the root zone of some trees and shrubs that are now much bigger than when the Persicaria was first planted. It might eventually get crowded out/need to be moved, but so far it seems to be holding its own there - even if it doesn't bloom as long as yours!

Sorry for the dark exposures, but it is going to pour here, so thought I'd snap some as it is getting dark, in case the blooms do not survive our upcoming storm: 'Miss America' peony - one of my favorite herbaceous peonies: Oldie, but goodie: 'Festiva Maxima' peony. I paired it with catmint & like the combo: Closeup: Belle of Woking clematis: Celebrity peony (1st year)- the shape changes considerably from the first time the bud opens to days later, when it looks more like a pom-pom: Wow- the Festiva Maxima peony survived the storm that took down a 4" tree branch! Here is a better picture: