Hi Susan, Be sure to include me on that list also. I had a great time at the last 'swap'. I hope we can get alot more people to come to the next one. I've been looking for you on the WS'ing forum ... where are you? I will start to WS my Daylily seeds next month (along with several other seeds). Sharon

Thanks Barb. Should you ever be in the Detroit area and want to see some of the areas finest gardens, let me know. I have friends with palatial homes and properties that far surpass my humble homestead. It's fun being on garden tours with their gardens as most people can relate more to my small surroundings. Having been at this home just four years I look forward to getting back on the garden tour circuit when I'm done doing/re-doing my garden. I use my iPhone to take the pics so they only show a small portion at a time so the number of pics might portray a larger property. A pool in your backyard? Sounds like a future pond to me! The pic attached here shows almost half my backyard but much of its blocked by plants. LOL Don. Didn't you see Kens thread with his pics of his yellow Wu's? Yes, they exist. And yes, I want one! Maybe he'd take an eye of a Gunthers Prize as a trade?

Seagreen, some of the suggestions offered are, while good ones, not necessarily what you are seeking. If it's the actual tree-not a garden mini-that you seek, then you want straight-species eastern hemlock-Tsuga canadensis. And if that is the case-that your main appreciation is for the native tree itself, well then let me tell you that is just as valid a quest as that of the collectors that participate on this board. I really like some of the conifer gardens I've seen. It really is, IMO, one of the pinnacles of skilled horticulture. But that in no way compares-for me-to the wonders of growing, watching grow, cutting down, burning, hehe, let's just say a range of activities, with the woods and tree farm that has been my project since 08. Or of seeing the same processes at work in the relatively less-disturbed areas in my travels. Anyway...the main issue with eastern hemlock these days is an imported (by accident) very destructive insect know as the hemlock woolly adelgid, which is in fact decimating this tree to the east. Michigan has recorded at least a find of tis pest, but I'm not sure of the present status without doing some quick research. But in any case, check that issue out-it sounds like you can still grow hemlock in SE Michigan-but arm yourself with knowledge, should you ever have to treat your plant(s), which is doable, BTW, or if that's just not a go with you. Here in Wisconsin, so far so good. But it has tended to be the case that whatever shows up to our E, it does end up here eventually. Cold winters, blah blah. They said that about gypsy moth-we got gypsy moth. Then two winters ago, when they said it would kill all the emerald ash borers, it didn't kill all of the emerald ash borers. And so on. Would really suck-right around where my land is, it is hemlock that I see coming up as regeneration in many areas. And there is a patch of old growth on the high bans of a lake nearby-this actually has state designation as a legacy stand-so much to lose around there if adelgid comes in. +oM

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone! Mantis, the spiky blue flower is a camint - nepeta Souvenir D'Andre Chaudron, it's my number 1 perennial for hummingbirds. I love it, but as a caution, it does spread a bit after a couple of years and it does flop as the blooming winds down. Also above it in the picture is agastache Purple Haze, but I don't think that's the one you're asking about (or maybe it is!). All those gaillarida came up from seed, must have been seed from a couple of years ago, as I don't think I had any last year. I ripped some of them out and will be ripping out more... they are taking over some of the daylilies, like poor Ashwood Still Night that you can see at the bottom middle of the pic. I will try to post more pictures of Fiesta Latina - FFO was on July 2, I just got it last September or so.