Anything colder than zone 7 is pushing her limits. She grows in my zone 6 garden but not well enough to keep. If you look through the posts it's almost perfectly aligned that all zone 7's and up love her and zone 6's and down not so much. I do have one tucked against a house (house blocks the winter winds) and it does wonderfully.....heat from the house combined with the blocking of winds probably gives it a zone 7 micro climate.

I don't know, i am always way too lazy to attempt anything like that this time of year. If I have ratty blooms hanging on one of the ramblers, i just blast them off with a strong jet of water from the hose. It sounds like it does need support, but i'd wait until spring for that. sometimes i need to tie mine together a bit. guess i'd use bungie cords if i had them! alida

Not to stray even farther, but I think plants keep us humble. Our County Ag Agent isn't ashamed to tell how he finally purchased some daphne, planting some in his own garden and giving the rest to his brother-in-law. Now, our CAA, coming from a family that owned a nursery in addition to his formal training, was well aware not only of the finicky nature of daphne, but also how to meet those needs, and he made sure he did all the right things at the right times. His daphne were fine ... and then, one day, they just inexplicably, without warning, up and died. His BIL, being a somewhat casual gardener, treated the daphne with something just a tad better than benign neglect ... and they are still alive and thriving! Go figure. I've given up on delphinium. Love 'em, tried 'em, lost 'em. I finally found out they just don't like our humid weather. 'Windswept' buds are swelling and should be open soon.

You all made such interesting points but some trouble makers (lol) have crushed my unstated theory if the amount and type of clutter in my home mirrored the amount and type of clutter in my landscape the same must be true for my neighbor. I was so taken back by the self-realization that I purchase decorative items for both my interior and exterior based on a drive to surprise, I thought for sure I could then deduce I would find similarities in neighbors interior and exterior design ie if their landscape was filled with lots of big bold color that the same would be true for their interior. I suppose in a perfect world any thing we added to our interior or exterior would have been predetermined by our overall design but lets be honest most of us don't live in furniture showrooms or nursery display gardens. The clutter of aunt Mildred's rocker or your Hydrangea collection can water down your original plan to a point where you can't recall ever having had an overall design. For fun lets try this little experiment imagine if you will the conversation when there is a knock on your door or garden gate and it is someone who you don't know very well and who has never been to your home/garden. Of course the first sentence out of your mouth is something about excusing the mess, your guest then makes a complimentary statement (isn't it telling what first catches a visitors eye). Now your response is the significant moment in the conversation I believe whether we realizes it or not most of us are compelled at this point to define our design for the visitor. "Thanks, I really like that cottage look ect". Let me know what you think. Wendy- aka troublemaker, I love your analogy. Although I am a big fan of bright bold color I have always limited that impulse to rugs and fabric (ie Susan Sargent) I don't know why I am such a paint pussy but I am. Recently I replaced upholstered furniture in my living room and discovered that there was little for sale that wasn't a neutral beige, white, or black. I suppose we are held more captive to the trends offered in commerce to our interior designs then we are with our exterior designs. Carl- I am sure I am not the only one who is hoping to make the move back to New England. Carol - making one object or plant the center of attention for a short time - placing a blooming potted plant in an important location, or bringing out a different beautiful curio each month, the way the Japanese do, in the tokonoma . Also, the grouping of objects or plants concentrates the "busy-ness" and leaves the rest of the space feeling more open and calm Really Brilliant. Pixie lou - Wouldn't it be interesting to hear the first impressions of a visitor to both your public and private spaces. I am going to guess you would be very surprised. sharbear50- Welcome to the New England forum and safe travels. Nan - I think you are being your usual humble self I see an overall design in both your indoors and out. dee - I am curious after you ask your visitor to excuse the mess in your home/garden what comes next? spedigrees - We are a lot alike but after many many years of collecting I am now readying my house for the possibility of renting. It has been an interesting process and I surprised my self in the end to see what was packed up and what was not. terrene - I envy your self control when it comes to interior clutter!