I have several Lemon Queens planted in my "wet" garden with various things with the word "swamp" in their common name. This area used to pretty much lay in water for weeks at a time, but as dried up some since. I keep the trollius along a edge where it is a bit drier in this garden, but if you dig into the soil in spring, as I did this year, it is very squishy. So unless it was so wet as to rot the plant, I don't think water is the problem with your plant. As much as I can remember (I first got these more than 10 years ago) they pretty much did the Sleep, Creep, Leap thing, although in my garden it may have been the Sleep, Creep, Creep, and then Leap, which often happens here. BTW, my Gold Queens are currently residing in a normal garden bed in a sunnier area and bloomed two weeks later this year than the lemon ones. Sort of surprised me.

Thanks for sharing that Ron. I did not know any of those stories. They all touched me, and they made me think of many other stories there are out there. I travel a lot on my job and in pursuit of my other passion in life; trout fishing. I see men and women in uniform in almost every airport I travel to, but I particularly see many on my trips to Charlotte. Some of these folks are going "over there" (or getting ready to) and a few of them I've met were coming home. I never go by without letting these people know that many people here at home, whom they have never met, care deeply about them, worry for them, wish them a swift and safe return, and thank them for their service. I hope these people never ever want for their fellow Americans respect and concern. And I hope that if you are reading this that you will reach out to these people when you see them in your own life, shake their hand, thank them for the job they do, and let them know in some small but sincere way that you care. You'll be doing that person and yourself a great deal of good in the process.

Thanks for the advice folks. The people on this forum are so helpful, and always come through with good suggestions. I cut off the seed pods (I found a second one under a leaf) and put them in a safe place so no one mistakes them for a chile pepper! I checked the stems and all but the last 6 inches or so look good, so I am cleaning them up and sitting tight until spring gets here. Next time they are getting covered up. Daniellalell, I am in St Marys, GA and loving it. But anywhere on the coast from Charleston south has Spanish Moss, live oaks, and gardenias. And it is beautiful and sunny and warm most of the time. (But you will miss those Jersey tomatoes...)

Dieter, I will continue to be on the look-out for my periwinkle. :) Jeff, I just returned from a trip around town checking out different nurseries and I found one that I really like. It's called Columbus Flower Market and they had loads of nice looking perennials. I especially was appreciative of their shade loving perennials. I bought a couple of heucheras (amethyst mist and green spice). They had another that I loved the look of...had a peach colored folage to it, but I moved on to other plants. ;) I bought a couple of strawberry begonias that she assured me grew in her own yard and returned. I was not so sure about that, but thought I'd give it a try. I bought an evergreen shrub I've been hunting...fragrant sarcococca (sweet box). And I bought a holly fern. Now I may have to return for one of her beautiful painted japanese ferns and great expectation hosta, which is one of the most beautiful hostas to me. She had lots of other choices there as well, but I figured I'd gotten as much as I could handle getting in the ground for now. Especially since my Frankly Scarlett daylilies and tea olive keep looking at me with such a forlorn "don't forget about putting us in the ground soon" look. Thanks for the tip about the Jemison nursery. I rarely get north of montgomery but it might be a nice little excursion to make this summer before I go back to the classroom.