Rina, your Orgyalis is so pretty..Vivid orange. Your Kalanchoe must have been in full/direct sun. Mine has orange foliage but not as orange as yours. Okay, went outside..The perennial, whatever it may be has no fragrance..Leaf texture is rough, protrudes. Thankfully, no problems touching Kalanchoes. If so, I'd be in trouble. Have quite a few 'indoor' Kalanchoes. I also rubbed my finger and thumb over the Sage..It's VERY fragrant. Was going to mention, but didn't think it important at the time..probably isn't now either.lol. Actually, I bought two perennials at HD w/tags reading Euphorbia. The second had different colors. Unfortunately, it didn't make it through winter. Your E. Helena's Bush is gorgeous! Is it hardy? Your Sage looks similar to mine, only a LOT larger.. Height and leaf size. Is it planted in medium or full sun? It's supposed to grow tall, but for some reason, doesn't. This is the first year it's reached 8"..lol. Supposed to be 2-4' or taller. I think 104F summers halt growth too. Your plants look terrific. Toni

I mostly grow "mopheads" Macrophylla Hydrangeas, but their treatment, I believe is the same as Lacecaps which are also Macrophylla. I too have had more success, virtually leaving them unpruned and by gosh that is when they bloom the heaviest. Had too many years of bloomless hydrangeas for pruning back too far. Susan your lacecaps are beautiful and I see you too are of the same school re no-pruning. I love hydrangeas almost as much as I love my roses. I was delighted to purchase my first Endless Summer last year, and I can hardly wait for it to get going - still in that lovely blue pot that they are grown and shipped in. All but my white hydrangeas, I have tagged either "pink" or "blue". I would have thought that I had acid soil, but am having a hard time turning some of them blue, but the coffee grinds are finally working. On all tagged "pink", I give them a little lime, and all tagged "blue" I give them coffee grinds, hoping to get my blue, bluer and the pinks pinker, tee-hee!! I am using identical varieties that I am trying to change the colours as I hope to eventually have a kaleidescope of colourful hydrangeas. Hope you enjoy my hydrangea pics? Pauline - Vancouver Island

LIR is a Lacecap. For a donation, I received some from the UGA Research Center prior to general introduction. Other than having burgundy (red) stems and some leaf veins, I am unimpressed with them. Mine are grown in an area that receives several hours of morning sun and have been very slow growing, only about 3' tall after 3 years and with a very open growth habit. They have some coloration of leaves in the fall, but not outstanding. They are generally higher priced at local nurseries here, being a new cultivar and patented, which requires a licensing agreement and a per plant royalty payment by the growers. They also have to purchase those red pots to market them in! The price you paid is a bargain. I haven't seen those marked down that low here. Rb

Hi George and yellowgirl! I also agree that I need something between my property and my neighbors'. What my photo did not show you though, was how this area in question looked from the driveway. It's actually directly looking at the end of bed on the left. In fact, it is not such a wide area. This area needs something pretty and not so big. A conifer like Picea orientalis will be too tall for this area as it is too close to the house, and the base of the mature tree will be even wider than the width of the entire bed. That's why it will not work. I am choosing something like the Sugar Tyme Crabapple because it has a good size and upright habit for this area, and it's so gorgeous in spring! It is actually going to look spectacular from the driveway. Also, the persistent and very bright red fruit during winter will look absolutely stunning with the snow during winter. Another thing is, since there is no other evergreen tree in this woodland setting in my backyard, would it not look odd to have one single evergreen there in this island? In any case, you have given me a lot more to think about, which is great! Thank you. I will certainly take a look at some evergreens at the nursery this weekend before I decide on the crabapple or something else. BTW, I have a Prairifire Crabapple in my front yard, so having this white flower crabapple in this backyard area visible from the front is going to look very nice.