Interesting lists - I have some research to do....! :-) Dianthus is another one of those things that I'd love to grow but just has not taken to the conditions here although I've tried many of them in hopes of getting one that will decide it likes it here! I have not tried any saxifrages - for some reason I associated them with being fussy but maybe it's time I tried one or two to see how they do.... Any recommendations for good ones to start with? linum flavum - I'm not keen on yellow for this spot but I do like both the flowers and foliage on the blue ones, so maybe I'll move a seedling one of those in here - I think the color and texture would work well with the other blues in there. It does seed a fair bit and I want to avoid self-seeders as much as possible, but I find the flax not too offensive a seeder, so will think more about that one. That's a very nice looking geranium CMK - does it seed around? The one in the bed now does and is likely to get evicted sometime soon for that reason. The one in your picture would definitely be a possibility - if it is well-behaved. Primulas are another category of things I like but do not like me! :-) Geums (yes, it's me with the weed problem CMK...) are not given entry here because of their pesty relatives! Tulips - species and otherwise - are already present in sufficient quantity. The campanula family have some interesting ones - and ones to steer clear of! Any recommendations for well-behaved ones (no underground spreaders; no vigorous seeders)? E. 'Sea Breeze' looks very appealing and likely to be tried somewhere here, whether this bed or somewhere else.... Germander seems to be a spreader from what I see in i quick search....? I'm still trying to get rid of the dwarf Russian Sage in that bed that turned into a spreading thug. I don't want to put in something else that will confuse my efforts to get rid of the Russian Sage! There are some Cyclamen hederifolium in the driveway border on the other side of the mulch path. They've been there for years and only produce a couple of flowers a year, so I'm not inclined to try more of that tribe :-) Very helpful input...

I'm not quite counting anyone as being down for the count quite yet. But now that spring is starting to rear, well, its at the forefront of my mind, most notably the butterfly bush since it is "half-hardy" here. Ultimately, I wont be too heartbroken if certain things don't come back (it gives a good reason to buy more!) and I don't know that I'm "worrying" or "stressing" about these but I am thinking of them. And of course, no walking on the grass/ground - just the looking at what I can see from the patio... though the dogs don't seem to mind squishing around in the mud... Did I mention all three are white? I hate this thaw! jebfarm - good to hear witch hazel is blooming! Hopefully not too long now! I'd love to get one of these, too! Woodyoak - I know what you mean about everything being sheeted in ice. We had a nice little defrost for about a day or two before it dropped back to the negatives and everything was encased in ice. We were like living in a snow globe where the snow didn't move when shook because the water itself was frozen. lacyveil - I second the gardenweed's sentiment about agastache and mint being not one to worry about. I left mine out in a metal filing cabinet we converted into a planter... I can see some little basal leaves underneath the fall leaves I put around it. I thought I killed it the year before by leaving it in full, direct sun in a very hot hot hot summer. Never bothered to pull it out of the container, which was left out all winter, and come spring had some springing up! I can't speak exactly to agasatche itself (just planted my firsts this past summer) but if its anything like its cousin... You're good :) Love the input everyone - the best part of the gardening community is you're never alone!

I'm in the same zone as your mom..only in northern Indiana. Here's my suggestions: Salvia--Salvia should be deadheaded to look it's best but I don't always get to mine and it does just fine. Nepeta--cat mint. always does great and looks lush. Perennial geraniums...Does usually need to be cut back to the ground in July so it can relief but will survive without it. Pasque Flower...great plant for early spring blooms...blooms early April for me. Has interesting seed heads. Cone flowers--super easy...and now come in lots of colors. Gaura--dainty flowers that move in the wind Oriental & asiatic lilies..plant and forget them to be rewarded with fabulous blooms. I especially love the oriental ones because they smell so fabulous. Russian Sage...grey green folliage with purple spikey flowers. There is a miniature version that stays more contained. Butterfly bush...great summer color. Dies back to the ground every year. Annabelle Hydrangea...the white hydrangea is the only snowball type hydrangea that is reliable for me. The others are a pain in the @@@ to get to bloom.

When I lived on the humid central TX gulf coast it was hard to grow thyme. It handled the mild winters fine, but once the weather warmed it would rot. Yes, many varieties like heat & sun, but they like it dry. Finally carried lemon thyme over by planting it in a large unglazed clay pot, in a very sandy mix with oyster shell blended in & oyster shell mulched on top. Pretty much the same for lavenders. Since moving to central TX, I can grow any thyme--have huge masses of the lemon, silver, mother of thyme, German, French, English, etc.. Elfin, citrus, wooly, Doone Valley, Pink Chiffon are growing well--every thyme I pick up seems to thrive on the alkaline calcareous soils here (I'm being generous--we have little actual soil, lots of exposed caliche). Our normal rainfall is supposed to run ~29" but it's been much less than that for the last 5 years. Water is also alkaline here, coming from limestone aquifers--also has lots of calcium. I buy 4" pots from the local nurseries, but have had thymes from big box stores do well, too. Lavenders thrive also. 4" pots of augustifolias reach 3' height & spread in a year or so. In this drier environment I can mulch thymes with chopped leaves, etc, but in the rainier climate of the coast organic mulches seemed to make them rot faster. So, besides using a very well draining mix, try some fine oyster shell, like chick grit from the feed store (not the granite grit). I think if you can find a perfectly draining mix, plus add a bit of alkalinity to it maybe it will tolerate your high rainfall & humidity. Good luck.