My experience does not at all mimic yours. I am in even a drier climate than Kim, being more inland. The climate here is mediterranean, zone 8b. I have a Cl. Crimson Glory that has been growing happily and flowering heavily in partial shade for way more than 2 decades (it was covered in flowers in December). Gertrude Jekyll is also in partial shade. No problems with vigor--it wants to be Jack and the Beanstalk--and I've seen no loss in flowering compared to the other GJ I had in full sun. Check the ratings on HMF as others have given it a good rating for shade tolerance. What works for roses in your climate may not apply to everyone else everywhere else for the same varieties. Many quite hardy roses do not demand full sun here. Not surprising as the sun in Southern California can be very intense. Alba roses in particular can be hardy in some really cold climates (a couple zones or so colder than yours) yet multiple of them are known for shade tolerance (I have 3 albas--all in part shade). Rugosas likewise. Check HMF and note rugosas hardy down to zone 2, yet you may also find multiple of them that are described as shade tolerant. Check to see how many of these are listed thru zone 10, zone 9, or even only up to zone 8. The cold tolerance does not necessarily translate to heat tolerance or the demand for full sun. My rugosa magnifica I've had for about 8 years. It has been in pretty dense shade and was still able to grow and flower. I cut back some of the underbrush and shade canopy around it last year so that it gets perhaps 3 hours of sun per day. It has more than doubled in size and blooms more. RM is listed as being hardy to zone 3 on HMF. Location, location, location! Melissa

Mike, I will keep the Yushania Anceps and see how it does. I decided to trade the Chusquea Gigantea (for a Bambusa Multiplex "Alphonse Karr" as the Multiplex types seem to do very well here). Hopefully the Yushania Anceps I have can eventually gain more resistance to heat like yours did. The Yushania Anceps came from Washington state which would seem to support your theory well. A big more background and prospective future information: I originally planted the Yushania Anceps in early May of this year. I had first planted it in direct sunlight however about two weeks later I noticed that it was starting to display some minor signs of leaf curl. I decided to dig it up and move it to a more shaded spot (its present site) since the temperatures would get much warmer during the summer than in May. It would be very useful if the Anceps can adapt to the heat in time since I find many of its characteristics very interesting/effective (the expansion method and the cold tolerance in particular the only problem is the present lack of heat tolerance). The site it is planted in will gradually become more shaded (I have a young Bambusa Tuldoides "Clone X" which is said to reach 65-75 feet fairly nearby). I plan to remove the umbrella soon (once the highs drop a slightly more). Farslayr, do not worry about posting your questions here. I hope that your Yushania becomes more acclimated and well adjusted. If your Pitt White keeps shooting that may facilitate any remaining adjustments.

HEAT-LOVING, COLORFUL PERENNIALS: Achillea fillipendulina WOOLY YARROW Achillea ÂMoonshine MOONSHINE YARROW Achillea hybrids HYBRID YARROWS Agapanthus LILY-OF-THE-NILE Agastache aurantiaca ORANGE HYSSOP Agastache hybrids (many) HYBRID HYSSOP-MINTS Agastache rupestris SUNSET HYSSOP Alstroemeria PERUVIAN LILY Convolvulus sabatius GROUND MORNING GLORY Dietes FORTNIGHT LILY Eriogonum umbellatum RED-FLOWERED BUCKWHEAT Eryngium amethystinum BLUE SEA HOLLY Eryngium variifolium MOROCCAN SEA HOLLY Euphorbia characias wulfenii CHARTREUSE EUPHORBIA Euphorbia x martinii RED EUPHORBIA Euphorbia rigida MEDITERRANEAN EUPHORBIA Gaillardia x grandiflora BLANKET FLOWER Gaura lindheimeri GAURA Gaura ÂSiskiyou Pink PINK GAURA Helianthemum nummularium SUN ROSE Hemerocallis DAYLILIES Hesperaloe campanulatus PINK TEXAS YUCCA Hesperaloe parviflora RED YUCCA Kniphofia hybrids RED-HOT POKER, TORCH LILY Nepeta ÂSix Hills Giant GIANT CATMINT Nepeta racemosa ÂWalkerÂs Low CATMINT Nepeta x faassenii CATMINT Oenothera caespitosa TUFTED EVENING PRIMROSE Opuntia microdasys RABBIT EARS Opuntia violacea santa-rita BLUE-BLADE Origanum x ÂJimÂs BestÂ, ÂRotkugelÂ, ÂSanta Cruz ORNAMENTAL OREGANOS Penstemon barbatus BEARD TONGUE Penstemon centranthifolius SCARLET BUGLER Penstemon eatonii FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON Penstemon x gloxinioides (many) HYBRID PENSTEMONS Penstemon heterophyllus BLUE BEARDTONGUE Penstemon x mexicali RED ROCKS PENSTEMON Penstemon palmeri PALMER BEARDTONGUE Penstemon pseudospectabilis DESERT BEARDTONGUE Penstemon spectabilis ROYAL PENSTEMON Penstemon strictus ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEARDTONGUE Penstemon superbus SHOWY PENSTEMON Phlomis (many) JERUSALEM-SAGE Pyrethropsis hosmariense MOROCCAN DAISY Salvia chamaedryoides GERMANDER SAGE Salvia daghestanica DWARF SILVER-LEAF SAGE Salvia dorrii PURPLE DESERT SAGE Salvia ÂRaspberry Delight RASPBERRY DELIGHT BUSH SAGE Salvia reptans TEXAS GRASS SAGE Stachys albotomentosa HIDALGO Stachys coccinea HEDGENETTLE Stachys macrantha ÂRobustaÂ, ÂSuperba BIG BETONY Stokesia laevis STOKES ASTER Verbena bipinnatifida SPLIT-LEAF VERBENA Verbena bonariensis BUTTERFLY VERBENA Verbena hybrids (many) HYBRID VERBENA Verbena rigida SANDPAPER VERBENA Verbena tenuisecta MOSS VERBENA Zauschneria californica (Epilobium) CALIFORNIA FUCHSIA (from my CD) Joe

You don't need to wait until another house to make a better raised bed garden. Once you know your mistakes or even if not mistakes, but you know what you want to do better, plan it out and add it to your list of garden to-dos. (I just re-read that you have some HOA but I would guess your next garden plans still fit into what they allow you to do). Some varieties of squash get really large. Even just one plant can cover several tens of feet horizontally or vertically. Check the sizes on all your plants. It also sounds like you might like reading about square foot gardening. It doesn't have to be implemented this year, since you already have your plans set out, but you can consider it for next time. It's also a lot of gardening info to digest so read it and get a grasp on it before changing at a whim. There are alternatives to growing potatoes, though in a bed is OK too. It's not too late for starting them in your area. Asparagus can pretty much remain in that bed forever, so consider that you'll probably never plant anything else there if you don't get rid of the asparagus. For your extra beds as well as different places along your beds and yard, you may also want to have plants which attract pollinators, or plants which may help attract destructive bugs. For that, companion planting might be something to try also.