They've been through a perfect winter season to get them established. Mulching isn't helping in this case and, in fact, it might be your key hinderance. The mulch itself is possibly keeping the soil too moist (by the way, too much water can lead to symptoms almost identical to too little water, including that "crispiness"). And with the mulch continually up against the base of the stems, you will end up with rotting stems. Testing the soil now would only give you a snapshot of what's going on -- that is, it will tell you if you've watered recently. What you needed to know was whether or not the young plants actually dried out well between waterings of the past. Almost all natives like the oxygenation they'd get from the soil surface drying out. And I might as well ask: how often do you water and for how long each time? I'm still leaning toward rotting main stem bases. They have that "look". Joe

I use tip cuttings about 6 inches long removing all but one or two leaves at the tip, which will be small. I start four in a square four inch plastic pot. I use a mix of 80% perlite and 20% peat. I use four bamboo sticks about a foot long and tent with a clear plastic bread wrapper. A rubber band goes around the pot sealing the plastic to the pot. I keep the pot on a 70 degree bottom heat. Every other day I remove the tent and turn it inside out removing excess moisture from condensation which is likely to cause mold on the soil. Put the bag back on. After about a month you may notice the plastic is no longer condensing on the inside. This is a sign the mix is getting dry. While the plastic is off set the pot in a water bath for a couple of minutes. Do not assume you are growing roots for at least 2 months. You should see some new leaves growing but that does not mean you have roots. With a little practice a tug on the cutting will tell you if you have roots. If you pull one with no roots just put it right back. I always use a weak hormone #1 in most brands. I do most of my cuttings in the winter. Al

Both would be welcome in my garden, but I love the color, shape and pleating on the first one just a teeny bit better. That being said, they would both be keepers in my garden. I must get Victorian Lace! Ann

Thanks everyone! I'm still loving this color and think Rockport is definitely my favorite of the grays I've done thus far. rmkitchen, I guess the Rockport looks lighter on the exterior? Chardie, I would love to see your stairs! caminnc, can't wait to see your dining room! Mush, that's the color combo I am going for. Cream sofa, tan drapes. I want to add a bit more turquoise and a splash of orange with pillows and accessories. Maybe next month! catkin, I'll try to post some tomorrow. We've been out of town and I'm on the wrong computer. In the meantime, you can probably find photos by searching my name and the colors I've used. Here is a link that might be useful: Here's my foyer