Within the time we had them before RRD struck (less than 2 years), our Julia Childs didn't fade a whole lot here in NC. They were always a shade of yellow, identifiably yellow, never merely yellowish or creamy white. In cool weather, that yellow was intense, like butter. I have a picture that I took of Julia Child with an exceptionally early blooming Debutante (beautiful pink) camellia in November. Julia wasn't picked on the first day that she should have come in--but one or two days late, and then it took me a couple of days to get around to taking its picture in the vase. Anyway, it was a nice buttery yellow when I took the picture and the vase of the butter yellow Julia Child and the pink Debutante looked good for at least five days. It was noticeably more faded at the end of its time in the vase, but still looked like a yellow rose. Rise 'N' Shine fades really badly and really quickly, at least in hot weather. (We haven't had it in cool weather yet.) That's in the landscape. But if you notice that a bunch have just opened, you can cut them and bring them inside for a flower arrangement. They stay pretty close to perfectly the same bright yellow once inside in the air conditioning and they make nice little miniature additions to an arrangement. To the extent that we've seen Ghislaine de Feligonde blooming (not much), it fades quickly but is still attractive as a creamy small rose. Best wishes, Mary

Question:"Threedodsmom (waht a cute name!), what is the yellow flower in your fist picture? And I love the lush look in your second picture. I see some dark red in there. What are they?" Answer: standard button garden mum planted last fall, blooming now in July. A happy coincidence ! Dark red touches are Jacob Cline monarda, knockout rose new growth showing, and canna "Wyoming" leaves. Second Question: "Threedogsmom, I have those exact daylilies that are in your first picture - rust with bright yellow - a gift with no name tag. I always wondered but assumed they are just a variety of Ditch Lily. Is that right, or do you have some other name for them?" Answer: They are not the common ditch lilies - you can see a ditch lily in my second pic down, to the right, a tall scape towards the front/right of the bed. You can see more pics in the "poised for lily explosion" thread I started. I do not remember the name of the burgundy and yellow daylilies in the first pic, but they have multiplied very well in just 2 years ! Got at Lowe's.

Everyone, GOLD KISSED should not be doing that poorly here. Gosh, it grows all over the country although I don't know what the budcounts actually are. But if people normally had budcounts of three on it, I am sure they would notice. It had a budcount of three last year but I chalked it up to being new. No such excuse this year. This happens to me sometimes. I get a daylily thats just a dog here in my garden, very poor performance. Yet others on Long Island would grow the same daylily just fine. But that didn't help me as I have to garden here. And you have all seen pictures of my garden. I have enough sun and decent soil. So when something just turns into a dog while others thrive, I really have no explination. CHEDDAR CHEESE always looks perfect and its the older one. As my personal preference, I do absolutele love, love, love that rich glowing golden yelly color that they both are. I zero in on it right away as I walk the garden.

The head of what we saw looked exactly like the pictures of the Common Mynah. The yellow on the head was really bight. The size would fit the descriptions on-line. The dark color of the back was the color of one image described as immature. The breast was light brown. I thought I saw a distinct tint of yellow. My wife did not mention that. It flew in, rested for just a few seconds and disappeared. We had never seen it before or since. We must have seen a Mynah. Thanks.