Kelly, the peony company may become more reputable if they keep selling gorgeous peonies like that one. I am crazy about tree peonies, but most of mine reverted back to species large, single white petals. I think I had them planted too shallow like herbaceous peonies. I've never seen one quite the color of yours. The yellow stamens really set it off. I don't have Cherry Frost, but have heard good things about it. I know how it is, hoping for a climber to at least get a few feet tall. I'm in the house instead of outside because we're having another wind storm. Every time it looks calm and I change shoes and pull my gloves on, it starts up again. Those pine cones are murder when they fall on your head from up so high. I need a gardening helmet.

Oh, what a long day, and I still haven't had a decent dinner. I deadheaded til the sweat ran down my face, hand watered a bunch of stuff, and sprayed every rose in my garden with deer repellent. To top it off, Jemma and I found over 200 more pics on a second file in my memory card, so we now have organized, filed, cropped, etc, over 700 photos! Jemma will be taking my camera away from me. I plead temporary insanity. All those days I didn't post, I was taking photos--ha. And you thought I was working in my garden. Pippa, I've always wanted to grow Gruss, and your photo reminds me why. She's such a lovely rose. I love the linaria. I've become interested in wispy delicate plants to weave amongst the roses. I've been trying out anchusa for the past year or two. Thank you, Flowers. Love Song is a favorite of mine, so I guess that's why I have two of them. Yes, from now on Jim is Sir James, OBE. Sorry, Jim. Kristine, I'm glad you're getting some help because your day sounds like mine--only I don't have a baby to care for. I can't imagine how exhausting it must be, but you still grow lots of lovely roses and other plants. Did you grow delphinium this year? Deadheading is my biggest job right now, too, so I can sympathize. It gets me that we work so hard all year so the roses can bloom a while, only to have all those luscious blooms dry up and die. What a waste of beauty, it seems like. Thanks, Blondie. What a shame that some Canadian roses don't take the cold well. Your Morden Sunrise may be small, but it's quite cute, plus nice and thick. It will be lovely all covered in blooms, so be sure to post a photo. I guess MS does better in zone 7 and above--ha. I'm interested in baptisia, so would love to see more photos of Sparkling Sapphires. It should be a stunning plant in full bloom. Love the solar egg. Now I will show you our Finn on a Bike whirligig. Diane

Ikaye, I am so sorry to read about all your rain and flood warnings. All this rain has serious national repercussions, too. There is a massive die off of crab, shrimp, oysters, and other yummy stuff that live in the salty waters of Louisiana and Mississippi lower swampy areas. The water is being diluted by fresh water pouring out of the Mississippi into the salty water where the seafood live. They die if there isn't a certain amount of salt in the water. Now, back to gardening--the gazebo is my good friend and gardening mentor's. She gardens several acres--by herself. We are both 73 and still do it all except the grass. Those photos were at her place June 5. My garden and yard are small, and I don't have room for a big gazebo. What I really want is a little cottage/garden retreat, sitting amongst the roses. That's not going to happen, sadly. I hope your rain finally stops. And no floods! Blondie, what a beautiful Carding Mills. I love the colors and bloom structure. Any more roses blooming for you? I'm glad you got those new Austin roses, but thought of my not lamented PAoK that I dug out a few years back. She was a monster garden thug, and when the summer heated up, started producing little bright coral blooms with a few petals. I've never seen anything like it. I think you are in the right climate for PAoK. Your winters will keep her in check, and your milder summers won't the coral epidemic.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation - Lynne Truss