Oh my! I recognize the word debris! My husband and I talked after Katrina about how we never used that word except after a hurricane! And when I think of hurricanes, the first thing that comes to mind is the endless sound of chain saws. I'll never forget Hurricane Elena, when we still lived in Gulfport. Somebody in our neighborhood already had his chain saw going before the storm was even over! My neighbor here gave me a funny look when she saw how much things had "grown up" at my house. I'm not going to give up on trees, no matter how many hurricanes go through here. Who would want to live in a treeless world? Sherry

Whew! I'm tired just seeing all the work you've done, Rhonda! (Every time I type your name I start singing in my head, "Help me Rhonda, help help me Rhonda, help me Rhonda, help help me Rhonda......") Joe's description of your new home is so romantic - 'love it! You mentioned not being able to find salvias. If you don't plant another plant in your garden, I'd recommend that you plant 'Amistad' salvia. I bought one a few years ago and consider it one of my best plants. It blooms continually, it's a hummingbird and sulphur butterfly favorite, gets big but not too big, doesn't need staking, makes real big dark purple flowers, comes through every winter here easily (not a problem in south Florida) and roots about as easily as any plant I've rooted. I rooted a piece last year and planted it in the center of a reworked bed. It's growing rapidly and has made its first flower buds. You can order it from a variety of nurseries, probably can't buy it locally (maybe you can) but it's well worth it. You'll likely be getting orange barred and cloudless sulphurs that would just love it. Having praised it to the skies, it's possible that under frost-free south Florida conditions and not having to start over every spring, it might grow too tall. You could just prune it back - it has a strong trunk, nothing like Mexican sunflowers with the hollow, weak stems. Congratulations! 'Hope you get lots of butterflies! Sherry

Hi Tom We just put it in last year. The house we are in now, we didn't buy until 10/15. I bought a sterile variety at Lowes, mid range size I would say. It's doing fine. I have actually started Rose of sharon from seed before, 2 houses ago. If you planted very small/whip sizes, they are probally just a year old and may need a year before they really start putting on growth. Once roots take hold, unless you have very bad soil, they will grow quickly. Once they seem established, don't be afraid to prune them to get them to branch out more. I don't think they do much for Butterflies, but Hummers do love them. Also if you have the time to dead head the flowers once petals drop, it does extend the bloom season, might be too time consuming for some though. Keep in mind the more you put in, if it's not a sterile variety, unless you get rid of the seed pods, Rose of Sharon is known to be invasive. I personally love to just be in my garden, so dead heading my bushes even when I had over 10 of them, wasn't a chore for me, but some may think it is.

Jane, Thanks for the kind words. My garden faces west and is is full sun after about 11:00 am. I have to water it about twice a week now because it has been so hot and we haven't received rain in weeks. This is the garden's first full month...so I'll have to wait and see how it does in the summer. Yes, our Mexican Petunias are in large pots to keep under control. Sherry, Thanks! I grew the shrimp plants in Williston too but they always got killed back by hard freezes and had to start over every year. I'm hoping that since I'm a whole zone warmer here with no freezes that they will do better for me. Tom123 recommended the 'Phyllis Fancy' salvia, and I agree...it is so easy to grow. The ones in the pics were dug up from my Williston yard and were just starting to show green when I transplanted them here a month ago..I was surprised that they have grown so full and are blooming already. The 'Amistad' salvia have doubled in size in just a month too. jaybirdyj, Thanks!!! I prefer to use pine needles for mulch but Joe uses the red everywhere else so I decided I needed to be consistent. It does makes them stand out as you said :) Wow! I am surprised that the cuphea grew so well for you in Illinois. Yes, the hummers do love them. I made sure to include a few host plants: milkweeds, passion vines, Dutchman's pipevine, parsley and dill. Thanks again everyone! Rhonda