Going through your list, I really love caryopteris, I grow it with rudbeckia and coreopsis verticillata and ornamental grasses. I treat it as a sub-shrub sort of like lavender. It stays in the background until it blooms in late summer/early fall. Then it takes center stage. I have 'Longwood Blue'. It hasn't gotten tall for me (it's listed at 4 feet) because I prune about a third to a half off each spring. Kerria japonica is a love/hate shrub for me. I planted it because I had an impossibly shady dry site that needed something. I eventually moved it out to a place under trees by the driveway in rock and gravel. It explodes with color in the spring which is why I keep it. I guess I should give it more respect given its ability to flower in almost full shade. It lives comfortably at the end of a Viburnum border. Any blue flowering spring bulb like grape hyacinth, crocus or Phlox diveracata would complement it. I have both roses you mentioned, Julia Child and Ebb Tide. Rose combinations are almost a separate topic but any of the perennial geraniums in blue tones for Julia work well ('Rozanne' comes to mind) along with lower growing Veronicas like 'Goodness Grows' and Salvias like 'Caradonna' and catmints like 'Blue Wonder'. For Ebb Tide Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' or any dwarf coreopsis would work well. Perhaps a daylily like Stella d'Oro or Happy Returns. Mine were planted in a new bed last season and so far I only have some dwarf coreopsis and salvias but hope to add more perennials this spring. Buddleia is another love/hate shrub for me, I have 'Black Knight' which gets huge so it is sits in a corner of two fence lines. Actually the rugosa rose 'Hansa' is next to it so they fight it out. The purple and magenta combination is kind of cool though. Cameron's photo is stunning, there are so many new dwarf varieties that would be worth trying. Calycanthus florida is one of my favorite shade shrubs. I have 'Athens' by the front door with Autumn fern, Lady fern, asian ginger, Loropetalum, Sarcococca, Cornus alba, Phlox divaricata, and various hostas. If you need more information or inspiration I suggest checking your library for the following books which have been helpful to me: "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden" by Tracy DiSabato-Aust "Rose Companions" by Stephen Scanniello "Perennial Combinations" by C. Colston Burrell

mad gallica, in NY you get plenty of rainfall to keep a lawn alive without irrigation. I was born in Upstate NY and lived there until I was 44, and then moved to North Central Florida. You cannot keep a lawn alive in my area of Florida without supplemental irrigation, especially St. Augustine grass, (which we were told was the best stuff to put in). Ha!!! WHAT a lie, and what a racket! The stuff should be illegal here, and in some areas of Florida, it is. Talk about something that needs tons of chemicals and water to look good. Bahia grass can survive without irrigation, but can still die if mowed and allowed to go to seed. It also is a sparse grass, so many noxious weeds fill in. My conclusion is that lawns are not suitable in my area and are a HUGE waste of water. We are on an aquafer, but we have been going through some drought periods also, and the population has increased. I've noticed many of our lakes are down quite a bit. Despite water restrictions that are in place for once a week watering, during certain hours, many of my neighbors water their lawns every day. It's absolutely ridiculous! We stopped watering our lawn in December, and are going to let the grass continue to die off. I am going to try a native groundcover, and with any luck, it will work out, and I will gradually replace all of the grass with groundcover. Once established, it needs no supplemental irrigation. My roses and camellias are the only plants that I water, with drip irrigation. I am training them to get by with less water. I hope I set enough of an example that others may alter their thinking, and go native. It's insane to waste water on a lawn, as well as the money involved in buying fertilizer, organic or otherwise, and then having to mow and blow each week. I've got better things to do....like enjoy my roses. I also do not want to turn my faucet on some day, and have nothing come out of it. Sandy

Dave, I used to have to spray my Rhodies with some kind of waxy stuff, to prevent leaf scald, curling and brown spots. Forget what it was called. Must admit that I did enjoy seeing this evergreen shrub all winter. Julie, thank you for the happy ever appster daylily site. have you ever ordered from this Canadian Co.? Ayway, I printed out the pix and names of all their everbloomers, and plan to shop locally for these hybrids. Astrid, I dont remember if I bought my Korean Spice virburnum at Steins garden center or a local garden center near Jackson called Lamms Garden and Landscape Ctr on Sherman road. A really cool place to visit. They may even have a web site. I just love the pink and white huge head of blooms on the KS. Sometimes the scent is almost overpowering. Also, they dont get over large like some Virburnum. If you live in the west coast of WI, I surely would look locally. ARe you near the Mississippi? I love to tramp over those towering cliffs and watch the eagles fish. Beautiful non-glaciated area. Pondy (Sharon)

""Janet, I have some lovely clematis too. and My purple coneflowers are outstanding. However, they dont even begin to carry my front or back gardens to 'looking lovely'."" Pondy, that is why I've been filling in with daylilies. There is a great daylily farm in Reedsville Wisconsin, which doesn't open for the season until the daylilies begin blooming. They have prices listed on the website and photos of most of the daylilies they sell, so you can narrow down your search before going if you are so inclined. I'm not trying to pressure you into going there, but most garden centers and nurseries have a limited selection. There is such a wide range of colors that you can make any bland spot come alive with just one plant. Daylilies are saving my garden from the mid-season doldrums. Solaris also has liliums, which also offers a wide selection of color, too. Here is a link that might be useful: Solaris Farms