Echo, thanks for the recs--I have no Agastaches..and I don't know why! Must check them out. I don't think I've seen them in bloom. And I love Dahlias especially the black leaved ones. I have Heavy Metal ready to go into the ground! Just not sure where yet--perhaps next to the 'Rose Glow' Berberis! I have several Miscanthus that DH and I have to cut down with a chainsaw in the Fall (or else they shed/blow everywhere) so I've shied away from more giant grasses--they're creeping back in, though...they add so much and are so graceful! Rosie,hang in there good things take time! Thanks for the Chelsea Chop scoop! Thanks for weighing in, David, the Iron Weed sounds great! I have Zebrinus but it seems to have lost its stripes--it is still so pretty! I used to have the red Valerian but I let is seed everywhere then cursed the plant! They must have a taproot, had to dig them out--yikes! Same for Dame's Rocket--Hesperis matronalis. Been digging out babies for for or five years now, which is why I asked if any of people's faves reseeded everywhere. I have gravel nearby that is a perfect germination area! Trying hard to learn my lesson! Hollyhocks are on my list! Babera, that Hibiscus sounds awesome! I've had a 'Buebird' in the ground for years that has never bloomed or grown much...I know I should move it but haven't gotten around to it....bad me! It probably is too shaded, maybe. ROUGE!!!!!!!!!! Be still my heart! I love 'Splendide'!!! Those pics did me in! I believe I prefer yours to the one on the link, however. Looks great with your PeeGee! Allen, that Helianthus looks like a cheery force to be reckoned with--what a beauty! I'm just now in my gardening life beginning to warm up to yellow flowers. I've normally only searched out creams and very pale yellows--I've been livin' on the edge, now, got some Rudbeckias, etc.! Thanks for sharing. Christin, I'm on the other side of the mountains and the fireweed grows wild around here! Pretty! Is your Actaea in sun? I plunked mine in shade and would love to try it in the sun--can barely see it now and it is so gorgeous! I have lovage--same plant for years--do you eat it? Very architectural, fer sure--and yes, I think it may just want to be cut back to the ground after it blooms--then it'll send up a fresh new stalk of celery! I have Myrrhis that does great in my deep shade--I love lacy texture and the licorice scent, though. Is yours in the sun? I need to try more stuff in opposite locations than what the tags say... Campanula, if that Valerian's happy, it may reward you with many babies! Umbellifers scare me! Lots of natives here that have taken over the roadsides... Thanks, all!

Talk to the better nurseries in your area. They're starting to come out with smaller phormium varieties to better fit small urban lots. Try checking out the images from David Feix San Jose on Google Images. He does a lot of work with drought resistant landscaping (he posts occasionally on the Landscaping forum under the name "bahia"). He uses berming to add height to his plant compositions and you might find his work so inspiring you'll want to redo everything!

T. urvilleana seems quite a bit tougher than the T. heteromalla (I have both). It definitely likes sun better; the T. heteromalla gets sun-burned with only 2 hrs of sun. I think T. heteromalla is a typical tropical understory plant - it needs bright indirect light and warmth to bloom. Unfortunately it is in one of the coldest spots in the garden, and the chill factor seems to prevent blooming. Citrus and roses have certain similarities - the most obvious is that they are "born hungry". Meyers are the hungriest citrus of all because they bear not only heavily, but when young, whereas most citrus don't bear much until 7 yrs of age. I use any old citrus fertilizer alternated with a custom mix of humic acid/greensand/alfalfa meal, at least 7-12x per year. Twice a year I give a direct shot of liquid iron - just open the bottle and pour, then water it in (or let the rains do it).

Last year I tried out a new plant called Rasberrie Fuzzies, Acalypha monostachya that I just love. It has an overall bronzy red look to it and it handled our heat and sparse watering fine. It is small, basically like ground cover size and it goes away in the winter but popped back up this spring and is blooming away right now. My only problem is where can I find more of these great plants! Maria