Hi Kathyjb, Your orange flower pictured is a cosmos, which is an annual. If the other blooms in the pic, have similar foliage as the orange, then you have Cosmos Bright Lights, an annual mix. They are great for reseeding themselves for the next year. I have even had them reseed in the same year. When the earliest plants are pretty well spent late in the season, there are often new ones that reseeded that will then bloom clear up until frost here. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Bright Lights.

NA, re your plants, I haven't grown those cultivars but have grown evidently similar one. Re Echinops ritro: would also recommend Echinops ritro myself: Had no problem at all with several cultivars. Have found even great globe flower (different species), think we have 'Arctic Glow', takes up space, but is very clump-forming. Re the tree mallow (the Lavatera): only grown Kashmiri tree mallow; relatively short-lived but, in this case, gently reseeding. Very hardy here. Re the hollyhocks (Alcea): never had any success with them. Not sure why, but they're apparently short-lived but reseed themselves. No problem with invasion, by seed, with that sort of perennial to my knowledge (at least in our growing conditions). Re that heritage Anemone cultivar: have tended to avoid garden (hybrid) anemones as too prone to run. Was one already there when I put a mixed perennial garden in in 2000 (garden which I still maintain). Never succeeded in eradicating (by hand) that one well established hybrid Anemone. It's very worst behaviour was running into shrubs. However, after reading other folk on the GW Anenome 'Honorine Jobert' thread you were on, I came to change my mind about that plant. I still chop away at bits of it, but it really adds to providing flower colour at a time of the growing season when fewer attractive perennials are coming into bloom. I guess then if you're attractive enough, you can get away with a bit of misbehaviour!

Alyrics, I just planted Lobelia cardinalis last fall, and have a nice robust patch this year that just started blooming yesterday. You're right about the Hummingbirds - little Hummer has been checking out the Lobelia since it started budding. One of the patches of red Monarda isn't far away - and the Hummer goes to both. Such a brilliant red on both of these flowers. Scraplolly, I am growing things like Rudbeckia, Daylilies, and Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) 'Shenandoah' around my Monarda. I kinda let it grow in a naturalized way, Monarda is not really a formal plant. They also grow well with other moisture-lovers like Asclepias incarnata and Joe Pye Weed. For mildew and fungus on Monarda, you are supposed to use a fungicide even before the mildew appears. I'm not that fussy about a little mildew which is only cosmetic - but I had a raging fungus on some susceptible plants this Spring (Monarda, Phlox, Asclepias, Veronicastrum, etc.) and the plants were yellowing and keeling over. So I've sprayed several times using an organic copper-based fungicide from Gardens Alive called "Soap Shield".

I liked everything you mentioned although I'd suggest checking to be sure they like your local climate. Be careful with some things like the clover, mints, and bee balm -- often they will spread rapidly and not necessarily where you wish they would go. I strongly suggest putting tall and deep edging around the beds that have these plants; you will still have plenty of extras popping up elsewhere from the seeds they set. Many types of clover are hellacious to pull up once they get loose; most mints will take over your garden with great enthusiasm but can be controlled with determined weeding of excess sproutlings in early spring - but oh, how the bees love them! You might want to consider some of the agastaches -- come in several colors and the bees seem to think they are as good as clover. Don't forget to put in lots of low-care annuals, they can help provide for the spring/summer/fall population. I don't know about the trumpet creepers: some places consider them invasive. If so for your area, try some of the bush-type lonicera (honeysuckle). Be sure to keep an eye on the mature height and width of the trees - isn't golden rain one of those that reaches to 60'? Regarding rough soil -- why not put in good wide paths? If you use a wheelchair, they should be of smooth concrete (although my mum did okay with concrete pavers, those can sometimes be hard to use); but otherwise, even a thick shredded leaf mulch would let you progress without the roughness. I've been on crutches for extended periods, and if you get those wide-bottomed rubber tips, they can handle most mulches. And I'm not one to encourage mowing -- that's got to be an invention of the keeping-up-with-Jones club and I'd rather spend my time and money on bulbs and plants! If you really want to give up the grass, you can gradually turn the grassy areas into 'garden rooms' with terracing, edged beds, and lots of colorful plants. And a chair or bench or two ;) It helps to do some forethought on design since you want it to look good from the street as well as from the house. BTW, my suburban residence is in an area with many trees; folks are gradually giving up the lawn in favor of putting wide beds around the trees (grouping several trees in one bed) with lots of shrubs, hosta, lilies, and shade perennials. Several are growing (? not sure that's the right term) moss for paths. Looks lovely, and boy did they snicker at the folks who had to water lawns during the last drought. I think ease of care and naturalness is finally becoming accepted as a viable alternative to the Jones' lawn :) Check with your local garden clubs to see what grows easily (but not invasively) in your locale -- and check with local apiarists for their recommendations of favored bee plants.