I was on vacation, returned yesterday, happy to get so many responses to my post, and wonderful feedback. Coolplantsguy - yes, I do love peonies and heirloom plants for that matter, I just don't have the room though I admire them in my neighbors yard. The one we had toppled from the weight of the blooms, I don't know the variety, they were here when we purchased. Thanks for the suggestion, I will consider if I ever find the space again...my lawn gets smaller with each passing year. LOL. Pat, you make me chuckle. I'm like you. I spend so much time planning and thinking things through over the winter, only to find later that I don't like the combos or placement, so I plan again for next year. Some of my plant combos happened by accident & some I've followed suggestions when researching companion plants. I'm still learning how textures compliment eachother, and other things I didn't know to think about a few years back, but it's fun to learn. Summer is too short though. Prairiemoon, I also have Astilbe planted next to my Annabelle, and I enjoy the contrast of the red plumes and darker foliage with the brighter green backdrop of Annabelle. I've learned it's best to NOT fertilize it once it's established, it makes the blooms too heavy and they'll topple. Still, the rain does make them flop, but mine usually bounce back, I have one staked with a support, but it was just planted this year. I also cut my dianthus blooms back before I left for vacation, and returned to a new flush of blooms, the foliage tends to yellow on me though, I need to stop watering, I didn't realize they're drought tolerant. I forget the variety, it's got blue spiky foliage and red flowers. I will have to do more research on hellebores...we added a raised planting bed/retaining wall with a row of purple leaf sandcherries on top, and I'm looking for an underplanting in full sun; the sandcherries will be trimmed into a tree form once established. For now, I planted yellowish hostas at the base for contrast, but I know they won't do well in full sun. I'm glad to hear about Sedum Angelina, mine will be delivered some time this week, now I'm really looking forward to growing them, I just worry about our new dog, she's so rambunctious - she's a chihuahua boston terrier mix, the cutest thing, she likes to grab my plants and tug on them..I'll have to get her some more toys. I was thinking of amending my soil for the iris, adding more grit for drainage, we'll see if that works. I had one aster that bloomed for me, but it was spindly, a combo of dry soil in this area and minimal sun, but my campanula that I moved not too long ago is doing much better, must be the sun. I have to move the asters, just trying to find a location. It's funny about the Autumn Joy Sedum, my husband keeps telling me to pot them up since I can't find the 'right' place for them, I'll have to try that. I do like the blooms, very pretty, and they grow amazingly large after transplanting a single stalk, very impressive. I will try to post a pic of William Baffin rose when I have a chance..the pic is not mine as mine is only a few months new and I'm still learning how to prune them to shape, but my friend has one along their property and it's a stunner, grows upright almost like a tree canopy, and does well in our zone without protection and is disease resistant, with prolific blooms, but I know they have to trim it back regularly, it's a monster. Give me a couple of days and I'll try to post here if I can figure out photobucket. Of the climbers, I have Don Juan and Sombreuil. They died back almost to the ground, but new growth emerged in the spring, so they're still puny and it's the end of July, though I also transplanted them in early spring. We'll see next year if they do better. I purchased Smokebush 'Grace' and 'Golden Spirit' - I've read there's some potential winter die back, mine is only a month new, but I've also heard that they grow like weeds once established, so even with winter die back they'll grow like crazy. 'Golden Spirit' has new growth in a pretty lime green color and grows more upright in form whereas 'Grace' fans out. 'Grace' grows at a house up the street from us and it's just beautiful, especially with the smokey plumes. I ask my husband to slow down every time we drive by. :) Phyl in Chicagoland, I'm embarrassed to post pics. I still consider my landscaping in the beginning stages, most plants aren't mature or established yet, I've moved a lot around, still a work in progress. I had problems with photobucket last time I tried, but I'll see what I can do. I'll tell you though, do an internet search on 'Nancy J. Ondra', I came across her website when researching plants (that's where I got my iris and lemonbalm combo inspiration from) - her garden is to die for, absolutely STUNNING!!! I peruse her garden pics whenever I get the winter blues. Mxk, I was also looking at the Iris pallida but wasn't sure if it would look odd to mix these with the non variegated type. If you like the look of Jacobs Ladder, it reminds me of a shrub, Carol Mackie Daphne. Same variegated foliage, with pretty spring flowers. Connie, this is also my first year with wave petunias and I love them, I have them in hanging baskets. I've read they are self-cleaning, unlike the regular petunias, but I still deadhead here and there. I'd do them again, definitely. The foliage is also very pretty. Gabby, I used to throw tags away, but as the gardening world became more intriguing to me, I've learned to write down the names of my plants on a 'map' of my yard...LOL. Mostly in an attempt to overcome winter blahs, I also compiled a list of plants that need deadheading, cutting back, dividing, etc. so I know what to do come spring. Daylilyluvr, ok, like I said I'm an 'advanced' beginner in the gardening world, still in my learning curve. LOL. I had no idea Sweet William was a biennial. I've had it for two years now, the blooms are stunning, but this year it got all brown and ratty after blooms were spent, I chalked that up to too much watering. I cut it back and it looks like a few blooms are starting to come in again, but I had to remove old dried stems. Web says if you don't let it self seed it will shoot up more stems and act as a perennial...looks like that's what's happening for me as I likely cut back the spent blooms last year too. Crunchpa, my favorite person from the container gardening forum. LOL. I have a TON of containers this year, maybe too many. It takes me over an hour just to water everything, and that's just the containers, but I think I got overzealous and overstuffed them this time around...still, I wouldn't go without my containers, I'm hooked. I love that moss sedum, I'll have to try it. You always have the best pics. I still have dirt to cover until everything is established, I'm waiting patiently though my transplanting doesn't help either. I was looking into that red hot poker at one point, if I remember correctly I think it goes dormant mid season and then comes back again later?? Or am I thinking of something else? Pretty. I'll have to research more of the suggestions here, though I'll probably be losing more lawn in the process. :)

I have been collecting the seeds when the pods are open, but not bone dry. I have some laying out in the sun now in hopes they will dry out completely, but it seems to be a slow process. A couple of pods have burst today, and I am going to leave them alone until they are completely dried out and see if I get some viable seeds. I'm not sure what the variety is on my whites, they were labeled as Brug's at the nursery when I bought them, so I have no idea what I've gotten! I'm going to try to attach a link to photos of them blooming; they were taken a few hours apart,and maybe someone will recognize them. They do start out as a dark almost lemon yellow as they are opening, and fade to a beautiful pure white when completely opened. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/Udidudi/Garden/DSCN6752.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/Udidudi/Garden/DSCN6785.jpg

Yeah, My Wild Horses is like the last picture, too. It is very distintive and a clump is goregous! I just love Doddle Bug, and it did make me smile! I don't have Red Volunteer, but I have some seedlings that have some of the markings it has, the red streaks that runs threw it. Its a beautiful plant. I have several older unknown reds in my garden beds that make me just say wow! I'm looking at some of the older ones to make some crosses with because they are just plum beautiful! I've had quite a few plants that have had blooms like your last one, all of them on the plant will be withered, dry up and fall off, or look like yours. I'm blaming it on last years freaky weather. I hope that's it. I do not need some kind of weird sickness!!! The bad ones will be right next to some really good plants so, I'm just guessing at the cause, or hoping. Yours are all so pretty, thanks, Mona

Probably 4-5 years too late but maybe we can weigh in a little here as well. When it comes couch covers or sofa covers, the traditional sense would be that it's loose and unfitting and yes - companies that sell sofas or slipcovers like us would put in a lot of effort in making the end result look super crisp like so: You're right - it's unrealistic to be super focused on one's decor and presenting it to the world but when we do it for a living it's kinda something we have to do. It's constantly having to show our best work every single time, but it's definitely important to note that not all slipcovers can be made equally. In our experience, we could classify aesthetic sofa rejuvenation into 3 major categories: 1) ready-made slipcovers / universal covers / drapes These are the typical "Stretch covers" you see everywhere going for about US$100 to $300 and claims to fit every single shape of sofa, which they don't. (I've personally tested this on a Chesterfield sofa and looked like a trampoline. Feel free to pm for a photo.) They are economic but aren't the best looking - hence, good for a quick fix. 2) tailored made sofa covers (can be further sub-categorised into "relaxed" or "snug" fits) These are the slipcovers we're most familiar with since CB sells them or we can go to an upholsterer to have it made for about $800 onwards -- which I have to say sounds cheap because upon inquiring many upholstery shops that's just the charge for labour as far as I remember. $30/yard extra for fabrics, which brings the total to $1200 but once again this are upholstery shops. Nowadays online slipcover makers like us and others are able to provide these at about $500 or so for a complete so slipcover set inclusive of seat/back cushion covers. This can go a couple of ways, with the "relaxed" fit looking a bit more shabby with a skirt and some people do intentionally go for this look. Alternatively if you want something more fitting and closer to upholstery, it is very possible for sofas that constructed more squarely as per the image above. While it's also possible for more curvy sofas, the outcome won't be as perfect. Having said all that, the more fitting the slipcover the less likely it'll look saggy in a couple of years. 3) upholstery Not much needs to be said as this is literally putting fabric over the couch so the fit should theoretically be perfect. The downside is just cleaning and as you all mentioned, potentially quite gross (even steam-cleaning isn't a 100% solution). Of course, it is just as expensive as getting a slipcover made from that same upholstery shop. Hope this gives a bit more perspective to everyone else despite the tardiness! Just like everyone else though we're also quite interested in what you went with in the end!