I'm growing the variety called Schwellenberg that Blue Stone perennials offered in their catalog. It's really a nice plant and doesn't lean or spread. It's color is a buttery yellow, about 24 inches high counting the flowers and with gray-green foliage. I cut all the brown flowers back, taking off about 8 inches. All the bottom foliage is left, but looking a little yellow and bedraggled with all the high temps and drought conditions we've had. I just thought cutting it down further would fresh up the plants a little, but that may not be the case. My salvia responded to cutting back after flowering so well that I thought yarrow might do the same. I just noticed there are some newer stems sprouting from the old stems.

Yes, mine are in a less than optimal spot and that is the reason they are still there..lol. I heard how difficult they were to move and I didn't want to lose a season of bloom because I waited three years actually to see bloom. I would advice anyone considering placing these in the garden to consider doing the best you can to site them right the first time and be willing to leave them there for a long time. They do really want full sun. I have them in afternoon sun from 11:30pm until about 4pm and the blooming has been less than what I am sure it can do. One plant in the same border, evidently gets a little less sun due to trees shading it a little sooner than 4pm and it didn't bloom at all. They also get pretty large and I have had to use support for mine or it is all over the surrounding plants. Maybe due to not enough sun as well? It is very pretty when in bloom and is up against my cream colored siding and that makes it pop too. Maybe next year after it blooms I will move it. [g]

Hello, Just wanted to butt in and say that I have plenty of seeds for the orange milkweed or butterflyweed, and I have lots of seed pods forming as we speak. I also have many volunteer baby Rue plants that could probably be mailed in a pinch. I haven't checked for seeds of the Rue, because I have so much already growing. Unfortunately, I have yet to see any Giant Swallowtail action, despite having every host plant it is known to frequent. I also have seeds for two other varieties of milkweed, A. incarnata (swamp) and one called "Red" by Seed Saver's Exchange. If you're looking for seeds, try the wintersowing forum--also an excellent way to get multiple plants started inexpensively and very reliably. I could certainly send you a care package to get you started. Let me know. Martha

I've been cutting mine back because they look so rough. I figured it's less that the poor plant had to try to water. I need to get some fertilizer, but the shop I stopped at the other day was out and I didn't make it to the other place on the other side of town yet-but I'm not sure if they even carry it. It's more of a feed and grain/farm supplies. A couple that had tried to go dormant are perking back up after a few rains (finally). I'm wondering about winter too. The birds are already flocking and starting to disappear. I hope they are just looking for food and not telling us something.