Thank you for the kind words- I have been working hard to get it nice until the San Fernando Valley Iris Tour on Saturday (then it can all go to seed for the year!). Kay, the dainty red flowers are impatiens and some sort of annual bedding salvia. I just popped them in for color. The orange flowers are gazanias- the big fancy kind. I just bought four more for that spot- they seem to be able to take the extremes of sun and shade. jjjb, the big huge shrub on the left is a variegated Duranta. It gets frost damage every year (along with the Brugmansias), but comes back by late April. It has huge thorns, and although it is only supposed to get six to eight feet tall, mine is probably 16 feet tall by now with the support of the fence. Nothing will grow in that walkway- which is why I pulled out what was left of the grass and put in flagstone. I'm having a tough time getting anything to grow in that sideyard at all- shade plants get burned in the summer and sun plants rot in the winter. The absence of weeds is the only good thing about that spot. Socks, I do work in the garden most days- the days I am not at work. I can't wait to retire! Ten more years... I know what you mean about raccoons- they get a goldfish occasionally, and really mess up the pond plants. That's one reason the ponds are so bare right now- marginal plants get destroyed.

The shrubs are so beautiful. It's amazing the rhodies can bloom in that shaded wood. I lost my Beauty Bush to that last windstorm. It was such a gorgeous thing. I need to get my sis to start me another one. She is supposed to be doing an old fashioned spirea van houttei for me too. I love the old ones. Your weigelas certainly outshine my two.

I hope everyone is getting ready to post pictures of their spring flowers. The tulips the squirrels got into are blooming now and I will take pictures tomorrow. I am very surprised since I did not chill these tulips and they are lovely anyway. Thanks you so much for looking at them. Thanks Jean, your garden is sure to be waking up. And yours Nancy. Rita, I do know you love the Dutch iris too, so I wanted you to know it couldn't be too long. I am surprised that so many tulips are doing so well, but loving it. Kay, Brent and Becky's bulbs have the Come Back tulips. Thank you sharon. Mantis, I am about to break your heart, but while have to fight voles very vigorously, I don't have a fence or deer repellant because I don't have deer. We currently are fighting a raccoon that thinks it lives here now, but no deer, kay

There are quite a few of the Itohs that are yellow that have come down in price significantly in the last few years. I was told that Home Depot sometimes carries the bagged roots. I've seen posts on the Peony Forum in the past about people acquiring Bartzella and Garden Treasure that way. Also Costco carries them in some areas. Think the prices I saw on the forum were around $40 from both of those sources. Tagawa carries several Itohs but they're around $90 each. I think they're mainly sold blooming so you'll know what you're getting! Yumi is an absolutely gorgeous yellow that blooms prolifically and is one that Tagawa carries. Other nurseries carry them in CO, Tagawa is just the one that I've seen them at. That series is limited distribution locally, though. Bartzella is probably the most popular and commonly available yellow Itoh. It's amazing when seen as an established shrub. Getting P. Mlokosewitschii from Hillside is a very good source for a good price, just keep in mind these are grown from seed so could possibly end up blooming a different color. Molly sold blooming size that has a proven color is significantly more expensive. I have 2 seedlings that I got last year, they come in a 3-4 inch pot, probably around 6" long. Both came up this year but probably won't bloom for another 2-3 years. I think they came from Hillside. All of the species peonies that I've seen are very wet sensitive, need to be planted in a very well draining area and a bit shallower than lactifloras here in CO.