York_rose, I knew when I bought the 3 Salvia greggii Heatwave that they wouldn't make it in mailbox bed with winter snow from street but was going to try them further back where bed is very raised. I also knew intellectually that they were a long shot but my heart took over. If they bloom this year and I get to see some pretty color and flying beauties around them it'll be worth it. I can always try keeping them in pots since they're on the small side and overwinter either heeled in or in pot ghetto with bagged leaves all around. As far as the Daffodil foliage it would have to be the deer eating it as there weren't other critters out and about all winter. The deer hoof marks were also a sign it was them. Some foliage came up very prematurely last summer and they started in on it then and continued through winter. During a warm winter spell I sowed Larkspur seed under open top half of clear bottles (so seeds wouldn't float away or get eaten) and deer plucked up bottles and chewed them to hell. Of course those seeds & bottles were right in front of the yews they eat. A very long stretch of temporary 3-4' green rabbit fencing is going up this weekend around entire front garden and all the way around to side rose garden area. I have to give plants time to grow much less bloom. I'm starting Salvia rupestris from seed indoors figuring if it doesn't survive winter or dies to the ground it's a more realistic goal since I can sow each year. I might get a small pot of blue salvia that's annual here just for the blooms and pollinator attraction. agardenstateof_mind, I think I saw you post somewhere that you work at Deep Cut Park which is just up the road from my father's place. I've passed it many times during detours around construction on Middletown-Lincroft Rd. and as alternate to Rt. 35 north when I'm making a northward gardening swing to Home Depot, Lowes & Dearborn Farms. Dearborn Farms is expensive but they sometimes have things I can't find anywhere else locally. I need to get up there very soon to get Dot Pots for germinating some seeds. People at Breck's and other local places look at me like I have 2 heads when I ask for something that's not "Jiffy" although tons of people have great success with them. I too peeked under the mulch on all the perennials yesterday and this morning...without stepping into the beds. Most have tiny fresh growth at crown but I'm not touching anything for a couple weeks until I have to plant some Campanula I have buried in pots. Thought I read in the Press that you have some fencing to keep out deer and protect some of your gardens at Deep Cut. I'm jealous. :) Although it takes a lot of time to hand water in August-early Sept. I tend to see only the glorious blooms all around and momentarily forget about what died or was eaten. I've also ordered spring blooming bulbs by then so have something to look forward to in Fall...the mad dash to get them all in the ground before it's too late...LOL. Feeling hopeful today and will have to be satisfied with outdoor work of collecting downed branches & leaves, cutting up some downed trees and carting them closer to the street for pick-up in April. At least I'll be outside and get some exercise.

Here are my results from Bluestone on what was delivered this year (this doesn't count hostas, etc., where the bloom is unimportant): Bloomed ASTILBE White Gloria ASTILBE Rheinland BUDDLEIA davidii Harlequin COREOPSIS verticillata Alba DIANTHUS gr. Bewitched (PP# 13,159) BUDDLEIA davidii White Ball HYDRANGEA Sadie Ray (one bloom) MONARDA Aquarius (one plant out of three) ERYNGIUM Sapphire Blue (bloomed until eaten by a groundhog) LYCHNIS coronaria Angel Blush (2 out of 3) HEUCHERA Chatterbox SEDUM spectabile Brilliant GERANIUM striatum Lancastriense (sparingly) Hasn't Bloomed/Doesn't Have Buds ARUNCUS sinensis Zweiweltenkind ALCHEMILLA Mollis ECHINACEA White Swan HYDRANGEA macrophylla Mariesii Variegata

Hey Kenny..re: Centaurea..I think those might have been my seeds.:O). Sorry, but they don't bloom the first year, but the leaves aren't unattractive. Try to mark the plant so you don't rip it out in error next spring..(from one who's done that!). Once established, they don't like to be moved, but I have successfully split off a couple of shoots to share with people. I could pot up a bit for you if you're coming near Oakville in the next little while, so you could have a bit of bloom this summer. Let me know via email. Is there going to be a spring swap in Etobicoke this year?

Here ya go then! LOL! Sorry but the pics are a little blurred this morning. Here's a Hyssopus officinalis....I'll obviously need to plant something with brighter/darker broad leaves near them next year. I didn't expect anything this year! another shot... Agastache foeniculum.... Magic Carpet Thyme....still in container...