I carefully planned all my beds--drew them out on paper, dug the sod, planted things either purchased or grown from seed via winter sowing. I bought 'designer hostas' at a local hosta nursery and planted them as directed according to height/width and was carefull to give each the space it needed. This year two have so far grown to twice the size I was told and yet another one has grown considerably larger than the amount of real estate I allotted it. Am I disappointed? Not so much. Am I surprised? You betcha. Wasn't expecting these 'mood swings' with plants that have performed reliably in years past. Am I surprised they're performing in a manner I didn't expect? Why would I be? Like humans and other living creatures, plants are alive and respond differently based on growing conditions that aren't normally exactly the same two years running. Do I expect my carefully planned, planted & tended beds to look the same year after year? Well, yeah, I guess I'd like that but am coming to realize it's just not realistic to expect that's gonna happen.

If you like spiders and UFs at all, you really might look at some by either Dan Bachman, Margo Reed or Jim Murphy. While some are new and more expensive, there are a lot that are very reasonably priced ( AFTER AWHILE CROCODILE, RED HILL, TOODLELOO KANGAROO,LATER ALLIGATOR) A couple of other older and very reliable late bloomers are SANDRA ELIZABETH- it is a rather old fashioned buttery yellow, but it is considered the marker for very late blooms. It is reliably very late almost everywhere. Also, Sanford Roberts POINT OF VIEW is a great ML-L bloomer. It is a big red and very impressive in a clump. I did a thread or two on some L-VL bloomers and pictured some of these daylilies - one was earlier this week and another was a couple of weeks ago. Good luck with your quest! Remember that hybridizers can only register daylilies as they bloom in their home gardens. They might not ( and often don't) bloom at the same time in completely different climates!

I stumbled on this decade old thread searching for empathy about the things that frustrate me while gardening last year. This is an oldie- but a goodie. I laughed so hard that I cried. And then I laughed some more and could not stop giggling- it was cathartic! I had to bump this to share- in case anyone missed it. :) My 2016 Garden Vexations: 1. Slugs and black vine weevils. Trying to find a balance between killing them and not harming the wildlife and beneficial insects. The slugs did not give some hostas a chance to get it's roots into the ground before the leaves were eaten off (Cherry Berry and Dancing Queen were gone in days, a few others took about a month). I used the late night and early morning picking off method along with Diatomaceous Earth dusted around ground and base . 2. Feral and house cats roaming free around the neighborhood. Very destructive to the environment by killing the wild birds, marking territory on my porch and deck (ugh, that stinks!), and using my landscape and garden beds as their litter box. 3. Digging out volunteer trash/weedy/invasive tree saplings whose roots seem to go down to the core of the Earth. Cutting it down only encourages more stems to grow. 4. The garden hose- same exact problem as stated earlier in the thread... I spit on your nozzle. :) This year will be considering the possibility of drip irrigation systems (but will it work with only one spigot?). 5. Temperature fluctuations and the high stakes of gardening and container gardening. Is it spring or winter? Last year I asked is it Summer or Fall? Should I bring the pots in or leave them out and risk a black frost? Do I have to guts to see if they will be OK? It seems like with some temperature dips and frosts there is just one one shot... should I risk it because I am tired of dragging the many containers in and out of the wintering space that gets too warm in the day or should I play it safe, suck it up and make the many trips back and forth to protect the tender plant greens each evening? So far I have played it safe after reading about "dogwood winters". I have not been gardening as long to have discovered the humor in annoying things as the others... but it is good to know that many have the same frustrations. Please share yours, too!

I finally got to read your whole post. I bet you are feeling like tearing your hair out because she sure doesn't seem to value your time or that you have other things to do. I am so sorry. My dad will be 91 in July and had hip/femur surgery in November and, sadly, it just hasn't healed. The next step is a partial hip replacement with a titanium rod inserted in the femur. What I have noticed is that on the days he has pain he can't seem to hand me his lunch or dinner plate or mail in order for me to clean up. I think it is a mental decision that they can't do the simplest of things. I think contacting any senior centers or any senior programs available through government services might be a great start. There are organizations that will take your mom grocery shopping or to appointments if they are fairly local. Some charge, some take donations and some are totally free. Many grocery stores have online ordering and will deliver to her home for a fee. That could be a lifesaver for sure. Do insist on being in charge of her calendar or you won't be able to attend or drive. She cannot make decisions for you when you are the ride. Let us know what you have decided to do and know that we all support you and most have gone through (or are going through) similar situations. The is a great place to vent! Robyn