My tried-and-trues which might fit your description: Geranium sanguineum  blooms early summer until frost Threadleaf Coreopsis Campanula persicifolia Heuchera Achillea taygetea Cannas (wouldn't need to be dug up over winter in your climate) for foliage interest: Ruta graveolens (may need one mid-summer haircut) Artemesia absinthium Festuca ovina 'glauca' a favorite shrub, may be too large, great autumn color: Oakleaf Hydrangea (I prune ~ every 3rd year to keep it in proportion) And, when I lived in California, Agapanthus Caution on Monarda: it spreads rapidly in one season (underground runners), needs a thorough weeding out each spring. Easy to ID and pull, smells nice in the process, even the roots. I find Nepeta benefits from being cut back by a third to a half after the first bloom, otherwise it sprawls. More generally, what makes things easier: mulch! Also, though time consuming, edging the lawn-border boundary in spring keeps the grass from creeping in and really looks good until the border plants fill in. I hope your employers appreciate the sacrifice you're making lest you pull a Mora. Ana

Butterfly, sorry, but I have to disagree with you. :) I admit, growing Gardenias indoors, especially in lower zones is not an easy task, but it's not impossible either. Emh8, follow Blutayles instructions. And if possible, invest in a humidifer and/or indoor fountain. Both can be purchased at reasonable prices.. As for additional lighting, I use a 6' workshop light. They sell ornate lighting devices, but it depends how much you want to spend. Also, if you only have one plant, you can get by with a small fixture or floor lamp. Gro Lights are a bit pricy, so if you want to save on $$ yet want something that works, get a 2-bulb fixture, one cool white and one warm white flurescent bulbs. Daily misting helps a lot. If possible, hauling the Gardenia to a sink/shower, soaking leaves, 'not soil' increases humidity. Don't overwinter your Gardenia in a hot room..nope..that's an invitation to Spider Mites..A cool room is perfect. Do you have such a room? Keep away from heating vents.. If your Gardenia has foil, remove ASAP. Some plants are sold to look, 'pretty,' but foil is a sure way to kill most plants, let alone a Gardenia. Do not fertilize during winter months..Withhold fertilizer until you notice new growth or once days grow longer. Don't bother repotting in winter. As long as its current container has drainage, and well-draining soil, it should be okay..Water your gardenia well, then wait until soil feels dry/crumbly. In spring, you can start fertilizing..I use Azalia/Rhodo fertilizer. There's more to learn, but for the time being, let's see how it does. And yes, remove yellow leaves..they will not revert to green. While removing them, check to see if they feel sticky. Any leaves that fall in soil should be lifted and tossed..Good luck, Toni

PeaBee hope it's not too hot where you are, right now it's soooo unbearable. anyways, i thought it would be nice to drop books off to afew seniors home where we are and guess what not one place would tke them! so what able friends of the public library, where they take donated books and sell them from 25 cents and up, no takers there either, they have to be best sellers,no wear, no folded down pages, magazines have to be this year's. no wear on these either, it was a nightmare, so i did end up dropping the mags off at our parks and rec. for children to use for crafts and a bunch at the board of education for school children (public and high school) to use. there seems to be to many rules (some of the old,old books i understand) even with volunteering, -- the background check i don't care about, because i haven'tdone anything wrong, but some of the other things, like you have to have this that and the other thing, you have to buy our volunteer shirt at 24.95 i don't get, yet everyone is crying for volunteers. anyways i guess what i'm trying tosay is that i'm glad you have a place where they gladly take in donations. What are you reading right now? debbie

Yellow? Did someone say yellow kitchen?? Whee! It's the best! I'm on week 4 (or so) of painting just 1/2 of my kitchen yellow (barley, as rm said). Only half for now, because it is so exhausting and time consuming. I searched for the right yellow for about 6-7 months. It drove me nuts! The lighting in the room changes the color so much! I am wild about the barley color during the daytime. It is impossibly creamy without screaming 'yellow.' But at night, with the (incandescent) lights on, it starts to holler (not quite scream) "yellow, yellow, yellow!" I think I'll try cf lighting to see what that does. Those creams can turn really yellow as soon as the sunshine hits them. I see tons of kitchens that are called yellow, but painted cream (e.g. phila cream and precious ivory are a lovely yellow when the sun hits them). I"m also doing a yellow/black/white sort of thing. I have soapstone counters (which were blackish, but are now grayish), and will have subway tile with a black and white accent strip. Here is a pix (doors are just balanced in place, and don't have final coats on them yet). I think the barley needs 3 coats to look really rich, and the right paleness (it seems to get a bit paler as the coats go on). I can't see bungalow_house's photo. Rats! I really want to see it, but it appears to be gone. Can the rest of you still see it? :-) francy Here is a link that might be useful: My yellow inspiration