I am green with envy! What beautiful delphiniums you've all been growing. With all the plant materials available to me for my hardiness zone, you'd think I'd be satisfied. Why do I always want what I can't have? Thanks for the recommendation of the New Milleniums...it sounds like my best hope yet for some of these blue spires to plant with my yellow and white roses. But I'm holding off. The people at Graceful Gardens are growing theirs in upstate NY, a far cry from my sultry Zone 7. Also, The New Perennial Club (www.perennials.com) had the New Milleniums listed as one of their Top Ten for 2006. All the acolades at their site are for strong stems and color range. Nowhere do they mention anything about resistance to heat and humidity. Oh, well, back to Adenophora. At a mere 36" it's a dwarf compared to stately delphs, but better than no blue spikes at all. I hope everyone growing the New Milleniums in Zone 6b and hotter will check back here in August to let us know how things are progressing! I just might HAVE to order some NM delphs for next year!

Carol, I have tried hollyhocks before without much success but I admit I put them in some less than desirable spots. The hollyhocks I planted this year are right out there among my roses. The ones I planted are the Old Barnyard variety from Wayside Gardens. I have been wanting to try these for a while. In their listing they describe them as originating in an old barnyard in Vermont. As a child every summer I went to Vermont to visit my Great Uncle who owned a dairy farm near Hartland. Each summer while there we visited a nearby farm that was referred to as the "Hollyhock House". The entire place was filled with blooming hollyhocks and left a lasting impression. I tried contacting Wayside to see where in Vermont their hollyhocks originated but they had no clue. Figures. So I can think what I want. ;-) I haven't been bitten by the clematis bug yet although I do have one that grows with my Clair Matin. It blooms right before the rose does and is quite eye catching each spring. I refer to that as one of my "Southern Living" spots in my yard. I honestly don't know which variety it is but if I cut it back harshly once it blooms it will bloom again. I also gave lilacs a try...nearly killing two. I saved them by giving them to a friend in Rock Hill. She says they bloom each spring. ::"I don't believe anything won't grow in my garden until I have killed it at least three times":: Elizabeth Lawrence, maybe? It sounds like her. Anyway, those are words that I live by! Carole

When I saw the thread title I asked myself if original poster meant to Mother Nature or the confounded animals. It's a bummer when a healthy perennial gets to its third year and then something comes along and eats and/or rips off the buds and foliage. I almost dislike it more when they rip it apart and don't eat it. Guara had nothing above ground but still has some white roots. Put it in pot and will see how it does. Think it's a goner. 1 out of 3 Salvia Greggii which I mistakenly thought could take NJ zone 6. Other 2 struggling to put out some new foliage. 1 out of 3 Campanula Summer Blues. Other 2 are being eaten one stem at a time by something. At least I got to see a couple blooms. Too much wet and cool temps for too long now is getting to plants that did make it through winter. Deer jumped fence around Butterfly Garden last night as I saw hoof prints in wet soil. Ate top half of quite a few plants...even ones they aren't supposed to "like". This isn't shaping up to be a great garden year or it's just getting off to a slow start with inclement weather.

I wish I had more time to stick around, but we wanted to get up to Cougar Mountan before it got to busy. Thanks to Jim for the wonderful bamboo, its beautiful *G* I sat the bag up to fill with water and saw a little 1/2" new culm coming up, so tomorrow I'll plant the two clumps. Thnks to Teresa for the ferns, and Shilpa for the day lillies. As my trees and bamboo grows up taller, and I get more shade I'll have lots of sun loving plants to trade as time goes by. Kendal *we made it up to the falls in good time, and got out just as a rush of people with their kids started up*