Mark, most peonies have the red foliage when they first emerge in early spring. The leaves will gradually turn green. Determining the color of the blooms to come would be impossible at this stage. You are in for a delightful treat when they do bloom. :-) There is excellent growing information at the link below. Enjoy! Rosie Here is a link that might be useful: Peony care information

Marie, Thanks, yup I did it myself...with the Boss crackin the whip...saying Hurry Up...git-r-done...LOL I'm glad you enjoy the beds....:) I had plenty of Adult Supervision.....I'm glad she can cook real well...LOL UtOh...I better get back to work....I hear someone stirring....ROTFL...back to the Daylilies...right after I answer Roger...:) Roger, The flagstone walls have a base of 6 inches of 2A modified crushed stone. They are dry layed, I use "Crusher waste/dust" as a back fill as I build up. I start wide at the base and then build up at about a 8 degree lean to the rear. for every 2-3 layers of flagstone I repeat the backfill process. If they are built above 3 feet high, I backfill with 2B crushed stone first, coming up to 3 feet high. I then switch back to the crusher waste/dust for the remaining height. This allows for good drainage with no dirt/soil wash thru. It also builds a long lasting non-shifting wall. Even in weather extremes I have had not problems with the walls. I do get an occasional Chipmunk that thinks it is fun to try and dig out behind the walls...but after a few days they stop trying..LOL I used to use typar weedblock behind the walls, but found it ia not needed and a waste of money if the walls are back filled properly. I do use the typar if I am putting in a drain pipe system, I wrap the pipe with the typar to insire to soil blockage occurs. I hope that answers your question and gives you a better idea of the way I make the walls. Thanks, I'm glad you like the walls....they take some time, but I like that look on flower beds, adds a nice structure and seems to set off the flowers..IMO..:) Rick

I missed that you had come back with a reply, Coach! It sounds like you have some species of Asclepias! One of the common names is butterfly weed, and people pay money for the stuff you're trying to get rid of! Like dandelions, the seeds "float" in the air, and my guess is that some neighbor pretty close has one/some they're cultivating to attract butterflies! The most common species is A. incarnata--but I really have no way to know if that's the species that's showing up in your yard or not. Some info at the link below if you're interested in more! In terms of getting rid of it, I recommend Weed-B-Gon. You can use that in the grass--it kills only broad leaf plants, and you can use it where there is no grass too. From my experience it works better than Roundup, and it's what I use anywhere I need an herbicide these days--works quite well at getting rid of cottonwood and aspen suckers in the grass! As far as I know all, or at least most, milkweeds have taproots, so the sooner you get rid of them the easier it will be. If you decide to try to pull them, you'll need to get all of the root out or they'll come back from anything you leave behind! If you have a place where you want to grow some to attract butterflies (it's also a host plant for the caterpillars), you can just deadhead the flowers before any seeds form to help keep them from "filling up your yard!" Can't help with "the neighbor" if I'm right that that's where the seeds are coming from! Skybird P.S. The "plant" you were getting into as a kid was most likely dandelions! Here is a link that might be useful: Asclepias incarnata

I think your weed/vine might be one of the small flowered clematises like sweet autumn clematis or clematis virginiana, which has several common names. In order to identify it for sure, you can let it grow out and bloom. You might find it to be something that you even like. I have a number of species clematises that reseed with abandon. If you really want to be rid of it though, be sure you are digging out the roots. You can also post on the Name That Plant forum where lots of expert plant identifiers hang out. Good luck, spiderwoman