There are a whole variety of Sunflowers of all sizes that would add joyful color to your already-soundy-lovely bed. Also, Hollyhock and Verbascum.... for which there are also a number of cultivars and sizes. V. olypicum can be 8' tall when in bloom, but others are shorter. :^)

Very pretty! We are not snow-bound here. But we have had lows in the teens. One night it was 15. I have yet to venture out to see what was killed. we have not had that low in about 15 years. I would love to grow the large callas like I saw in N. Cal. in 2002. I have a few, but not near as huge as those I saw. I have admired your front yard for years. My problem at this house is lots of spots of shade until late afternoon and then the sun fries so many things. My street curves at just the wrong angle and late sun shines down the middle of the street until my yard. Kathy

If I remember my classes from college of years gone by there are numerous factors that affect our ability to detect aromas or odors. Each of us has epithelium in our noses and lungs. The amount or percentage of epithelium in nose vs. lungs or respiratory system determines how sensitive we are to aromas or odors. We also have neuron receptors that detect certain chemicals as our smell is linked to chemical odors. If certain receptors are missing or inaccessible by the chemical then a person either can not smell the chemical or may have an altered perception of the chemical thus resulting in some chemical smelling pleasant to some people, overwhelming or having a bad odor to others or no aroma at all. Some people have overly sensitive nerve endings or neuron receptors and these are the people who can small anything and everything and have severe reactions either positive or negative to odors. Those who are lacking in certain receptors or have damaged receptors will smell aromas differently. That is why we have such a diversity of opinions of scents from the same plant. Then you have to take into affect trained or memory induced senses that affect our perceived smell of certain things. If you smelled something as a child that had either a traumatic or strong positive emotional impact on us then that aroma will create a positive or negative odor to us today. Perfumes that your mother or grandmother wore remind you of the love and comfort they imparted to you or negative feelings if you remember them with bad events. Therefore, smell is something that is intrinsic to all of us but is also different amongst all of us due to neuron receptors, memory cells and nerve sensitivity. Hope this helps. I am one of those with extremely sensitive nerve ending sensitivities so perfumes, soaps, tobacco smoke and other scents can create medical problems due to allergies and I can smell odors that most people can not. It is pleasant most of the time but it can be a curse at others. Happy sniffing and enjoying. Find a scent that is pleasant to you and go with it. Linda

Anna, that snowflake euphorbia is about 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide( I had to trim it back a little). It starts blooming about Thanksgiving and continues until January with the most fragrant flowers. The rest of the year it looks like an ordinary, boring bush. Like the Poinsettia, it needs to be shielded from artificial light after dark or it will not bloom. Your garden just makes me drool,a picture of perfection. I am so happy with all the pictures that everyone posted. We live in Florida so that we can garden all year and this time of year, it's more fun! Regina