Oh man. Wish I was closer. I'm going to have to check out our SD Iris Society for their annual sale. Think they run a spring and fall sale if I remember correctly. Iris really, really like my yard. Some of my lovely iris are in bloom right now, and I'd like to add more. Thanks for reminding us, Renee! If anyone has not been to an Iris Society sale, you MUST go if you want to pick up very cool iris (especially the reblooming varieties) at a great cost savings. Plus, lots of great information on how to grow and take care of iris. They are such a great flower for California. Patty S.

DFrench, your mini could be Tiny Tears, one of the most popular of the minis. It is a real toughie alright. Having a hickory nut in the pot with it is so appropriate! I mean, that nut looks the size of a basketball compared to the little plant. Oh. Another option for an ID is venusta, the species. But I think it is Tiny Tears. Most of my little guys had a rough winter with the squirrels digging them out of their pots. This year I repotted them and until a week ago kept them under close surveillance near the back deck. Now they are back in the main garden with no digging in the pots YET. I refresh the crushed red pepper regularly, and spend a lot of hours in the garden. Hopefully they will continue to thrive. I will be looking for the small table and 2 small chairs to match the real bistro set my DH and I sit in when we have our bubbly and cheese now and then. He is not so much smitten by the hosta as he is by the effect of the hosta on the back yard. It is a real magical spot now. I absolutely love the way Jo captured that magic look in her container. Here are a couple of the mini bowls. This last picture has Tiny Tears in it

Right now it is 77° and somewhat cloudy, and in spite of the forecast saying "chance of rain and thunderstorms" almost every day, we have had very little rain and some rolling thunder at times. Actually we need rain. I have not had my AC on yet this Summer. Evenings are perfect for walking, and nights with the windows open make good sleeping weather. Even had to get up and close the windows a couple nights. So I would be happy if this could last forever. I don't like the cold, icy, snowy Winter! Sue

Thanks to you both, that's very helpful to know. I am in Seattle, so rain is a thing, but I've seen numerous stands of P. nigra around the neighborhood that are successfully held back from walkways. Although, I'm not sure this would be the wisest location for it. With runners, I know the rhizomes are relatively shallow; will they travel UP several feet through soil? I have a planting strip on the opposite side of the sidewalk, then a 4' high rock (urbanite) retaining wall that runs around the property. I wouldn't care so much if they crawled under the sidewalk into that strip, but if they could then spread upward behind the wall, into the plants on top and into the yard, that might not be so good. Or maybe it would, and I could get rid of all that boxwood. In this photo you can see the wall on the other side of the sidewalk.