I'm glad to read all these reports; they're interesting! Thanks to everyone who's written in. Rosemeadowgardener: I don't recognize any of the weeds you list; are they Australian natives, or exotic: do you know their botanical names? Thank God we don't have one of the worst curses of North America here: no poison ivy, oak, sumac. How interesting to read Marianne's weed list from the other end of the European temperate zone and discover that I have all the nasty weeds she does, and several of the nice ones. Galium aperine is an unpleasant plant, sticky and climbing, but there are a number of other Galium species that grow locally that are rather nice. Sweet woodruff is Galium odoratum. Our native primrose is Primula vulgaris; and we too have anemones, hepaticas, wild geraniums--harebells I think not. Connie speaks of the huge weed population of her property, which is an old farm. We too garden on a former farm and downhill from a current one, and I agree with what her post suggests, that agricultural properties present particular weed problems. Ongoing plowing leaves ground permanently disturbed, given weeds fertile ground to grow; grazing animals can trample ground, and the hay brought in to feed them can bring weed seeds from other areas. The year after the shade garden was flooded with manure from a cattle enclosure above, the weed population there was amazing. And we get great numbers of weeds, some of them highly obnoxious, along the drainage ditches that descend from our neighbors' plowed fields through our own land. Then, if fields and pastures are abandoned, they begin to go to brush, and you get brambles and other colonizing species--Connie's plant list is different from mine, but the process is the same. What the heck is Creeping Charlie? A couple of you have mentioned it. The various posts have covered quite a bit of territory, not only in the literal sense, on the topic of weeds. Paula took up the issue of invasive exotics that push out native species on undomesticated land (as well as the native but obnoxious Poison Oak). This is a problem all over the world, of course. I read in that interesting book 'Ecological Imperialism' about how many plants flourished in Europe along with the development of agriculture and became weeds, then traveled all over the world with European colonizers and established themselves in temperate zones everywhere, often at considerable cost to native species. We too have our exotic invasive species--one standout here in the hills is black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, originally from North America--but I wonder what the effect has been on our native flora of a few thousand years of tolerably intensive agriculture. Were there species that went extinct because they were useless to humans and occupied land that could be used for farming and other useful activities? Some plant populations exist in part as a result of human activities: we have a rich population of native orchids many of which grow in pasture land and are now threatened because grazing is disappearing and the land is turning to brushland and then to woods. But perhaps three thousand years ago the orchids that grew were those adapted to woodlands? Lavender lass: do you know the species name of your artemisia? We have one ugly native artemisia, A. vulgaris, but a couple of nice ones. Another pleasant weed I remembered is lemon balm, Melissa officinalis--what a fine plant to share a name with. It's too invasive to plant, but grows wild at the edges of beds, is fragrant, and has fresh green leaves that are pretty in spring. I feel better every time I see it. I like mulleins too. We have a woolly species similar to what erasmus describes which makes a fine ornamental; the problem is that it seems to need a somewhat lighter soil than is present in most of our garden; otherwise it's not fussy. Melissa

Many of the nurseries you listed and others suggested are the same vendors I use. And I look forward to investigating some of the other ones that are new to me. Swallowtail is my primary seed source (I start hundreds of seeds every winter and spring in trays. I also like direct sowing in the fall.) I love Swallowtail and have always had good results with their seeds. I also like to order from Renee's Seeds (the Angel's Choir shirley poppy mix is very charming). And am trying a new vendor called Outside Pride because they seem to be more generous with the amount of seed they send and have some unique offerings I haven't seen elsewhere. Van Engelen is the wholesale side of John Scheepers and that is where I go for bulbs. They offer a small selection of peonies as well. C&T Iris Patch for iris. I'm trying a couple of new plant vendors this spring. Digging Dog is the one I remember off-hand. They have an interesting selection of plants. I was drawn in by the geranium, campanula, and monkshood.

mayland, since you were so kind to post the list for me, here is a list with the scientific names (only the natives, there are a few non-natives that I removed from the list below) - and some of these I could not be sure based on the common name: Anise, Florida Illicium floridanum Anise, Yellow - Illicum parviflorum Ash, Green - Fraxinus pennsylvanica Ash, White - Fraxinus americana Aster, Woods Pink, Woods Purple Aster, Climbing - Ampelaster carolinianus Aster, Yellow Stokesia - Stokesia laevis Azalea, Native spp. Rhododendron spp. Basswood - Tilia americana Beards Tongue Husker Red - Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' Beautyberry, American Callicarpa americana Bee Balm, Jacob Cline Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline Beech, American Fagus grandifolia Black Eyed Susan Goldstrum/Herbstonne - Rudbeckia fulgida Goldsturm Blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Blazing Star Liatris sp. Buckeye, Bottlebrush - Aesculus parviflora Buckeye, Painted - Aesculus sylvatica Buckeye, Red - Aesculus pavia Buckeye, Yellow - Aesculus flava Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis Carolina Buckthorn - Frangula caroliniana Catalpa - Catalpa bignonioides (southern form) Cedar, Atlantic White - Chamaecyparis thyoides Chokeberry, Red - Photinia pyrifolia Clethra, Ruby Spice Clethra alnifolia Ruby Spice Coneflower- Purple and Pale Purple - Echinacea purpurea Coneflower, Glossy leaf - ? Cross Vine, Tangerine Beauty - Bignonia capreolata Tangerine Beauty Cypress, Bald - Taxodium distichum Cypress, Pond - Taxodium ascendens Doghobble/ Leucothoe ? could be Leucothoe or Agarista Doghobble/ Leucothoe Dwarf - ? Dogwood Cherokee Princess - Cornus florida 'Cherokee Princess'. Eastern Mayhaw - Crataegus aestivalis (a hawthorn) Elderberry, American Sambucus nigra . ssp. canadensis False Blue Indigo - Baptisia australis Fern, Christmas - Polystichum acrostichoides Fern, Cinnamon - Osmunda cinnamomea Fern, Dixie Wood - Dryopteris x australis (native hybrid) Fern, Southern River - ? Filbert, American - Corylus americana Fothergilla, Mt. Airy - Fothergilla Mount Airy (native hybrid) Fringetree/Grancey Gray Beard Chionanthus virginicus Ginger, Wild and Callaway Hexastylis arifolia and Hexastylis shuttleworthii 'Callaway' Goldenrod Solidago sp. Gordonia/ Loblolly Bay - Gordonia lasianthus Hawthorn, Parsley - Crataegus marshallii Hearts-a-bustin - Euonymus americana Hibiscus, Swamp Hibiscus coccineus (perhaps) Hickory, Mockernut - Carya tomentosa Hickory, Pignut - Carya glabra Holly, American Carolina No.2 Ilex opaca Holly, Apollo (male) deciduous holly (native/japanese hybrid) Holly, Sparkleberry (female) - deciduous holly (native/japanese hybrid) Holly, Dahoon (female) Ilex cassine Holly, Dwarf Yaupon Ilex vomitoria (various dwarf cultivars) Holly, Savannah Ilex Savannah (native hybrid) Hophornbeam, American - Ostrya virginiana Hoptree - Ptelea trifoliata Hydrangea Annabelle Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle Hydrangea, Climbing - ? (several plants have this common name, could be Decumaria barbara) Hydrangea, Oak Leaf Hydrangea quercifolia Jacobs Ladder perhaps Polemonium reptans (if it is the native one) Joe-pye Weed - Eupatorium purpureum Magnolia, Ash Magnolia ashei Magnolia, Bigleaf Magnolia macrophylla Magnolia, Bigleaf Hybrid Magnolia, Pyramid Magnolia pyramidata Magnolia, Sweetbay Magnolia virginiana Magnolia, Umbrella Magnolia tripetala Maple, Red-leaf Maple Acer rubrum Maple, Chalkbark Acer leucoderme Maple, Red Autumn Blaze - Acer x freemanii Autumn Blaze (native hybrid) Maple, Red October Glory - Acer rubrum 'October Glory' Milkweed, Swamp Asclepias incarnata Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia Musclewood/ Hornbeam - Carpinus caroliniana Oak, Laurel - Quercus laurifolia Oak, Live - Quercus virginiana Oak, Northern Red Quercus rubra Oak, Post - Quercus stellata Oak, White - Quercus alba Oats, Upland River - Chasmanthium latifolium Partridgeberry Mitchella repens Passion Vine, Yellow Passiflora lutea Pawpaw Asimina triloba Persimmon - Diospyros virginiana Pipe Vine, Woolly Dutchmans - Aristolochia tomentosa Redbud Cercis canadensis Rhododendron spp. Sassafras Sassafras albidum Sedum Sedum ternatum (perhaps) Serviceberry Coles Select Amelanchier x grandiflora `Cole's Select' Silverbell, Savannah River Halesia (not sure which kind) Silverbell, Big-flowered - Halesia (not sure which kind) Smoketree, American Cotinus obovatus Solomon's Seal, False - Maianthemum racemosum Solomon's Seal, Variegated (not native) Sourwood Oxydendron arboreum Spicebush Lindera benzoin Spiderwort, Danielle hopefully Tradescantia virginiana Stonecrop sedum, perhaps Sedum ternatum? Sugarberry - Celtis laevigata Sunflower, Marcs Apollo - Helianthus Sunflower, Swamp Helianthus angustifolius Sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus Sweetshrub, Athens Calycanthus floridus Athens Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis Titi - Cyrilla racemiflora (perhaps) Verbena some are native, some arent Viburnum, spp. Virginia Sweetspire Henrys Garnet Itea virginica Henrys Garnet Walnut, Black Juglans nigra Waxmyrtle, Regular and Dwarf Morella cerifera Wichhazel, Common - Hamamelis virginiana Yarrow Oertels Rose - Achillea millefolium Yellowwood - Cladrastis kentukea

OkPrairie: The best blooming hibiscus for me so far, with the longest lasting blooms has been the Texas Star. It is open in the morning when I leave at 8:00 a.m. and still open in the evening when I get home at 6:00 p.m. The other hybrids' blooms don't open until after I leave for work, and sometimes, if I'm lucky, I'll see one open right before it declines in the evening. I'm so enjoying this long weekend. We need some more rain, but I also enjoy getting out and watering in order to check on the plants (for bugs, diseases, deadheading, whatever). Can't do that if I rely on soaker hoses and sprinklers all the time. I love having them for back up, but true gardening to me, is hands on. I'm waiting for Gulf Fritillaries still! Got plenty of passiflora. My new aster is putting forth new foliage and appears it will be a vigorous plant - to about 4' with purple flowers, blooms in late summer, and is supposed to be a grand nectaring plant for butterflies. Time will tell. Oh, it is aster tartaricus 'Jindai'. Ordered it from Lazy S's Farm. I love those folks there. Plants are small, but they will return your e-mail, make suggestions if you don't know what you are looking for, but know what you want it to do for you. I have plenty of milkweed seeds for next year (will start indoors early), asclepias curassavica. I've heard the Monarchs really like it best. Weeds, weeds everywhere. Too many to try to play catch up with now, so will just have to weather the weed storm until next year. I really need to put in some tough ground cover that will grow at the base of crowded plants, enough to stay the weeds. Any suggestions? I'm thinking maybe Bugle Weed will do the trick, or money wort. I have that, and can put plenty of starts out there. Tomorrow, I'm cutting back the Joe Pye Weed. The Morning Glories have taken in over so they will go with it. I expect I'll get some more growth out of the eupatorium before frost sets in. Datura is blooming, and I am to get some seeds of the yellow flowering datura. Am looking forward to that. Of my 3 hydrangeas planted in the back yard, H. Frau Reiko and oakleaf hydrangea are the best. I love the hot pink blooms on H. Merritt's Pride, but it demands so much more watering than the others. Does anyone know when Elderberry blooms? My Goldilocks ivy is growing well. It really brightens up that shady corner, and doesn't seem as overwhelming as the regular ivy. Two of my elephant ears are blooming! 'Illustris' and 'Fontanesii'. Actually, the bloom sets the foliage back a bit, but I wanted to see what they looked like. I'm going to get tiny tubers off my Hitchhiker EE; will try to bring to the trade. Can you guys tell me some nectar flowers that I can winter sow? Tomato_Hornworm - if you get on this forum, I know there is a sphinx moth that uses sweet potato as a host plant. Do you recall which one? Is anyone planting anything this fall? I am not going to get my lindera benzoin until the 1st week of October. I hope it will be okay to plant then. What do you think? I know, so many questions, but you guys are so helpful. If you weren't so helpful, I wouldn't be so inclined to ask! LOL! Susan