It always amazes me what a difference humidity makes. Here in the Phoenix metro area, our humidity starts to go up in July when our "monsoons" hit, and you can really tell the difference. And it is still not that high, but it is much more uncomfortable. Still, I look forward to the rain we get with monsoons. However, they have become more unpredictable than they used to be (or they seem to be). There has been so much (mindless) building on the outskirts of town which has resulted in a heat island. Now, it seems the rains cannot make it into town as it dissipates on the edge of town due to the heat. Someone I know was in San Diego this past week and thought it was almost as uncomfortable as here due to the higher humidity. Amazing, as everyone around here tries to get over to San Diego in the summer to escape our heat.

Too hot (about 104F) here also - some of clematis are looking quite fried. On some of them I have been experimenting with sprinkling down the entire plant when I water which is every 2-3 days. With the ones I have treated that way I have less crispy damage and have had no powdery mildew or spider mite damage. Somehow I think this only works in drier areas - it may not work in high humidy areas. The results have been great on the ones I treated this way. Another thing about drier, hotter areas - I believe the clematis need more shade especially during the middle of the day. I am rethinking the design of my garden with this mind in terms of adding some small trees that let some filtered light through.

Your Noid is very different yet engaging. The George Jets On clump is so pretty. You have several pretty pinks...How big is the bloom on Janet Benz? Shores of Time looks lovely en mass. That's as smooth a bloom on Red Friday as I've seen. George Jets On and Sea Dragon are my favorites today. kay

Shooting Star is not the same plant as Fuji Waterfall. Shooting Star is a Hydrangea macrophylla (Big-leaf) and is most likely a renaming of H. mac 'Hanabi' (Fireworks) and is sometimes listed as 'Sumida no Hanabi' (Fireworks of Sumida), developed as an indoor, potted plant for the Florist market. 'Fuji Waterfall' is a H. serrata (Mountain Hydrangea, small leaf) and is said to be the same as the Japanese cultivar, 'Fuji no taki', which means "Waterfall of Fuji" The confusion developed when a nursery began distributing 'Hanabi' with the 'Fuji Waterfall' label, whether knowingly or unknowingly and since the florets of the two are similar, no one questioned the name. A group of visiting Japanese Horticulturists, visiting a nursery in NJ, pointed out the error, but it appears no one cares and I suppose they are still being sold with the incorrect name attached. Since the fertile flower colors of both, H.macrophylla and H.serrata, are pH sensitive, you will need to maintain the current acidity level of your potted plants, to retain the blue color. A small amount of Aluminum sulphate, applied 2 or 3 times each year should suffice. but be careful not to apply too much. Fertilizers containing a small amount of Sulphur can also maintain the correct pH. One of our daughters gardens in Zone 9 and she has had very good success with Hydrangeas. But living only a few hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean, she rarely has temperatures that exceed the 100°F mark, but 90°+ temperatures are quite common. All of her Hydrangeas are grown in full shade. Good gardening! Rb