Mike, While it is wonderful to have that layer of mulch on the soil, it can work against the soil---holding in moisture when we'd rather have the soil drying up. I have raked back the mulch from around the onions (and they were only lightly mulched to begin with since we've been really wet dating back to before I even planted the onions) in an effort to get their soil to dry out more quickly, but have left it elsewhere. Pat, Cotton Root Rot is just about the only disease I'm familiar with that affects althea and related plants. Other than CRR, they generally don't have a lot of issues. The problem is that it is almost always deadly, and if you have the same plant all in a row----like a row of Rose of Sharon bushes for example---it often moves right up the row killing first one, and then the next one, and then the next one, until it gets them all. In alkaline soil with a pH between about 7 and 8.5, it is a huge and almost always deadly problem. The main way to combat it is to amend the soil heavily to get the soil pH below 7.0 and to keep it there. I aim for 6.8 but we have alkaline water, so it is hard to keep it at that pH once I get it there. I just mentioned it so you'd know the disease exists and that it is deadly for Rose of Sharon, so when a ROS is sickly looking, CRR is always a possibility that you have to consider. I am pretty familiar with Cotton Root Rot because it is a perpetual problem in parts of Texas where cotton once was grown, and I grew up in an area like that in Texas. However, even if cotton never, ever was grown in your soil, CRR can exist because it effects at least 2,000 species of plants. I'll find and link some info on CRR below. I am more inclined to think your Rose of Sharon is suffering from all the excess moisture we've been having in this part of the country, but if it declines and dies, I don't know if I'd go back into that same exact spot with another Rose of Sharon without first amending the soil to try to prevent the disease from getting the replacement plant, just in case what you're seeing is Cotton Root Rot. For June Bugs and their grubs, you can treat the soil to reduce their numbers. I used Milky Spore either our first or second summer here and never have lost a plant to them, though we often have plenty of them around. The timing of applying the milky spore powder is important---I think that I had to apply it in either late July or early August in order for it to work well. Once you get a soil test done, you'll have some idea of what might be going on with your soil at least in terms of fertility and soil pH. I expect everyone will have plants struggling in some parts of their yards or gardens after the May Deluge.

That's funny Ruth. Sherry Lane Carr was one of my oldest daylilies here. It grew contentedly and productively for many many years until a daylily friend of mine saw it and had to have it. I gifted it to her as it was time to move on to other yellows......Shores of Time got to bloom last year before going down for the count over last winter. Upon seeing that bloom I was reminded of why I kept trying to grow her. What a pretty thing she is and why I enjoyed seeing yours...........Maryl

I did try to put another section in comments but lost it twice. As I said, so many blooming now (you know, Kay) that it is hard to select just a few when you have so many you want to show. I think this is the year for Clown Parade to shine-unbelievable how much it has multiplied and has decent bud count and scapes. This is a small section of my roadside bed. I had posted part of the round bed close to the house in the comments that would not post and I have three other large beds in the front garden. Oh, and another half of that roadside bed-and the beds that surround the house and glory, glory, I now have the reclaimed jungle bed!!! I think I will save all those pictures and dedicate a post just to those. Thank you for comments!! Oops, forgot to mention that the Starling lily has not multiplied well-this is third year and I have two scapes up and no increase in fans. Time for a talk?

I didn't like how Through Dark Waters looked in my garden (no shame on that - very few purples, if any, even look like purple here, let alone hold well in our heat). I ended up giving it to my Pastor as the name sounded slightly biblical (but I don't think it is).......What a marvelous shot of Tall Dark Stranger. That's one beautiful package - color and form........That Clematis sure likes where you have it. ..........Maryl