I have some dianthus, myosotis, campanulas, mini daffs, all planted around my roses. I just LOVE the myosotis planted there. True blue flowers and look gorgeous! I don't care if they fill in the whole bed around the roses. The only problem I'm encountering now is the daffs. The daffs need divided this fall and I'll have to dig them up around everything. So, lesson learned, I will never plant daffs in my rose bed! lol I'm surprised that anyone can plant iris in their rose beds! Those would need dividing too. The dianthus and campanulas work well, and if they get to large can be sheared back.

Prairiemoon, I decided not to make more comments on delphiniums. There will always be somebody new, who will drag it forward again anyway, so there is no sense in it. Second language??? English is actually my fourth language and I'm selftaught. Nevertheless it was assessed to be good enough to appoint me to be a global moderator on an US-based international forum in another branch. And let me tell you: although the Americans are in minority there, it is the most offended group of all (Australians runner-up). Nothing is too small to feel offended about,it seems like they love to feel offended. Nothing is too small to cause a stir. No opportunity is missed to feel offended, no matter how small, it's like they are fault finders or something.They try to find something that is not there. And then they use half an hour to tell each other what they actually meant and what they did not mean. Nobody else does it. The Dutch ones do not even have a word for sorry. So no, you are not right even on this account, either. And they remember being offended like elephants: til the day they die. As far as the Kevin's attack on me is concerned: it surprises me that you cannot see that it was totally unfounded and out of place. You seem to only notice "my sins". This post was edited by wieslaw59 on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 1:20

It is definitely difficult for nurseries and farms to stay in business. Given the high cost of fuel lately and the fact that their land is often worth 'muli millions' of dollars it is hard to blame a farmer eeking out a living selling out to a developer. I try to do 95% of my plant buying and shopping at local nurseries and only 5% at box stores. Often I don't buy anything at the box stores in a season because the selection of plants (not just the quality) isn't what I am looking for. I can agree that they are a good source for beginning gardeners just getting started with their common plant varieties offered (tried and true) but at what cost to local nurseries? Idabean I too like New England Nurseries in Bedford, Mass. They definitely carry different types of uncommon annuals, perennials, container plants etc. than you can find other places. I think their prices are fair and they have coupons in the local papers for deals. Anyone here just getting going in gardening don't be scared off thinking that local nurseries are much higher in prices and avoiding them. Definitely check them out you may be pleasantly surprised they are quite competitive with the box stores and offer plants you are unfamiliar with or only available through mail order.

I just don’t personally care for that shade of slightly yellow toned beige, or really for any beige, but remember that color is very personal and it isn’t my color sense that matters here, it is yours. In my job (mapmaking) I use color to communicate information, so I might be a bit more opinionated about color palettes than many. That doesn’t mean I am right, just opinionated. I gravitate to soft sages and grayed blues and greens or various shades of gray for house exteriors. Indoors I like very pale warm colors on rooms that don’t have much outside light because during the low light of our long winters it just feels friendlier to me. In my current home there are painted hemlock wide plank floors that date from when the house was built. We went with historic colors that were already there in the layers, so I do have a couple of rooms with a slightly deeper and more golden color than your home, and it isn’t my favorite, but I have grown used to it. I just thought you might want to try out different colors to see if there is another shade that you or the rest of your household like better. Especially as some folks, though obviously not everyone, has a bit of extra time on their hands right now.