Well I'm not going there to find out but I suspect when any location in NZ gets to 37C, its a dry heat partly fueled by katabatic winds. This is still less irritating to alpine/european perennials than our 2 month summer steam baths. Part of the problem with comparing climates in this way (plant related) is the most useful information often isn't readily available. Hi and even lo temps are only part of the story. Dewpoint temp standard statistics...mean, 90th percentile values...morning and afternoon...would really be more illustrative. Likewise average rainfall...which doesn't reveal ours comes in huge, plant menacing clumps unlike your more reasonable pattern of sporadic showers. (Might not be true everywhere there...but more like the UK than SE US at least)

winter sowed Delphiniums too with great success. Unfortunately I did not know that slugs LOVE delphiniums. Those little @#$%% ate them all to nothing the very night I planted them out! Their little telltale trails were all over the place. That's the only reason I figured it was slugs and not something else. I still have one jug left with a few plants in it. I'm thinking of planting the entire clump and then putting that diatomaceous earth stuff around it and see what happens. I take it you are buying already growing plants? Are they expensive around your way? They are hard to find here and when you can they usually go for around $25 a plant. That right there should tell me they aren't good for this area but I'm stubborn ;-) Michelle

Thanks birdlegs and Blue interprid. Stephen I've never seen pink larkspur before is it a perennial or does it reseed? This one I bought either at Bowman's wildflower preserve or redbud native plant nursery and it's official name is Delphinium exaltatum it's a late summer perennial But this is the first time it ever survived. Sarah

I love the Missouri botanical plantfinder site. It has a very extensive database and lets you search on all kinds of things. Here is what I got for full sun, zone 5, blue bloom perennials. Start googling! Anchusa azurea 'Dropmore' blue bugloss 4-5 3-10 Anchusa azurea 'Loddon Royalist' blue bugloss 1-3 3-8 Aster amellus 'Veilchenkigin' VIOLET QUEEN Italian aster 1-2 5-8 Aster 'Celeste' michaelmas daisy 2-2.5 4-8 Aster ericoides 'Blue Star' heath aster 1-3 3-9 Aster laevis 'Bluebird' smooth aster 2.5-3 4-8 Aster linariifolius stiff aster 1-2 4-9 Aster 'Little Carlow' aster 1.5-2 4-8 Aster novi-belgii 'Blue Lagoon' michaelmas daisy 1-1.5 4-8 Aster oblongifolius aromatic aster 1-3 3-8 Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies' aromatic aster 1.5-2 3-8 Aster puniceus glossy-leaved aster 6-8 2-9 Aster sedifolius 'Nanus' aster 1-1.5 4-7 Aster tataricus tartarian aster 3-6 3-9 Aster 'Wood's Purple' aster 1-1.5 4-8 Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta calamint 1-1.5 5-7 Catananche caerulea cupid's dart 1-2 4-7 Centaurea montana mountain bluet 1-2 3-8 Centaurea montana 'Gold Bullion' perennial cornflower 1-2 3-8 Delphinium exaltatum tall larkspur 4-6 5-7 Delphinium grandiflorum Siberian larkspur 1-2 4-7 Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' Siberian larkspur 1-1.5 3-7 Delphinium (Pacific hybrids) larkspur 4-6 3-7 Delphinium treleasei Trelease's larkspur 2-4 5-7 Dianthus superbus carnation 0.75-1.5 3-8 Echinops bannaticus globe thistle 4-6 4-9 Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Globe' globe thistle 2-3 3-8 Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Glow' blue globe thistle 2-4 3-8 Echinops gmelinii globe thistle 1.5-2 3-8 Echinops ritro small globe thistle 3-4 3-8 Echinops ritro subsp. ruthenicus small globe thistle 2-3 4-8 Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' small globe thistle 3-3.5 3-8 Echium vulgare viper's bugloss 1-2.5 4-8 Erigeron 'Azurfee' AZURE FAIRY fleabane 1-2.5 5-8 Erigeron 'Dunkelste Aller' DARKEST OF ALL daisy fleabane 1.5-2 2-8 Eryngium alpinum 'Blue Star' eryngo 1-2.5 2-8 Eryngium bourgatii eryngo 1-2 5-8 Eryngium giganteum Miss Willmott's ghost 2-4 4-7 Eryngium planum sea holly 2-3 5-9 Eryngium planum 'Blue Glitter' sea holly 2-3 5-8 Eryngium 'Sapphire Blue' sea holly 2-2.5 5-9 Eryngium variifolium eryngo 1-1.5 5-9 Goniolimon incanum 'Blue Diamond' sea lavender 2-2.5 3-9 Goniolimon tataricum statice 1-1.5 4-10 Iris 'City Lights' tall bearded iris 2.5-3 3-10 Iris 'Clarence' tall bearded reblooming iris 2.5-3 3-10 Iris 'Midnight Fragrance' tall bearded iris 2.5-3 3-10 Iris 'Monty's Sweet Blue' bearded iris 2.5-3 3-10 Iris 'Rosalie Figge' tall bearded reblooming iris 2.5-3 3-10 Iris 'St. Petersburg' tall bearded reblooming iris 2.5-3 3-10 Iris virginica southern blue flag 1-3 5-9 Iris virginica 'Contraband Girl' southern blue flag 2-4 5-9 Iris virginica 'Purple Fan' southern blue flag 2-3 5-9 Lavandula angustifolia 'Buena Vista' English lavender 1.5-2 5-8 Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' English lavender 1-1.5 5-8 Lavandula angustifolia 'Potpourri Sky Blue' English lavender 0.75-1.5 5-8 Lavandula x intermedia (Dutch Group) lavandin 1.5-2.5 5-8 Limonium platyphyllum sea lavender 2-2.5 3-9 Lupinus x hybrida lupine 3-4 4-8 Malva sylvestris 'Dema' MARINA high mallow 1-1.5 5-7 Penstemon canescens beard tongue 1-3 5-8 Penstemon grandiflorus large beard tongue 2-4 3-9 Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian sage 3-5 5-9 Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Little Spire' Russian sage 1.5-2 5-9 Perovskia 'Blue Spire' perovskia 2-3 5-9 Perovskia 'Filigran' Russian sage 2-4 5-9 Pontederia cordata pickerel weed 2-4 3-10 Pulsatilla patens eastern pasque flower 0.25-1 3-7 Salvia azurea 'Nekan' blue sage 2-4 4-9 Salvia azurea var. grandiflora blue sage 3-5 5-9 Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' sage 1-2 4-8 Salvia nemorosa 'Marcus' sage 0.5-1 4-8 Salvia officinalis common sage 2-2.5 4-8 Salvia officinalis 'Berggarten' common sage 1.5-2 5-8 Salvia pratensis meadow sage 1-3 4-8 Salvia x superba 'Merleau' sage 1-1.5 5-8 Salvia x sylvestris 'Blauhügel' BLUE HILL wood sage 1.5-2 4-8 Salvia x sylvestris 'Lye End' wood sage 3-5 4-7 Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht' MAY NIGHT wood sage 1.5-2 4-8 Salvia x sylvestris 'Rhapsody in Blue' wood sage 1.5-2 4-8 Salvia x sylvestris 'Viola Klose' wood sage 1-1.5 4-8 Salvia verticillata lilac sage 1.5-2.5 5-8 Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' pincushion flower 1-1.5 5-9 Scabiosa caucasica pincushion flower 1.5-2 3-7 Scabiosa caucasica 'Kompliment' pincushion flower 1.5-2 3-7 Scabiosa caucasica (Perfecta Series) pincushion flower 1.5-2 3-7 Scabiosa 'Giant Blue' pincushion flower 1.5-2 3-7 Scabiosa 'Grand Stone' pincushion flower 1-2 4-7 Scabiosa 'Ultra Violet' pincushion flower 1.5-2 3-7 Scabiosa 'Vivid Violet' pincushion flower 1-1.5 3-7 Scutellaria resinosa 'Smoky Hills' skullcap 0.5-1 4-8 Sisyrinchium angustifolium blue-eyed grass 1.5-2 4-9 Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne' blue-eyed grass 0.5-1 4-8 Sisyrinchium campestre prairie blue-eyed grass 0.5-1 2-8 Stokesia laevis 'Blue Danube' Stokes' aster 1-1.5 5-9 Stokesia laevis 'Klaus Jelitto' Stokes' aster 1-1.5 5-9 Stokesia laevis 'Omega Skyrocket' Stokes' aster 3-4 5-9 Stokesia laevis 'Peachie's Pick' Stokes' aster 1-1.5 5-9 Stokesia laevis 'Wyoming' Stokes' aster 1-1.5 5-9 Verbena hastata American blue vervain 2-6 3-8 Verbena stricta hoary vervain 2-4 4-7 Veronica 'Blue Reflection' speedwell 0.25-0.5 4-7 Veronica 'Darwin's Blue' speedwell 1-1.5 4-8 Veronica 'Goodness Grows' speedwell 0.75-1 3-8 Veronica liwanensis speedwell -0.25 4-9 Veronica longifolia 'Blauriesin' BLUE GIANTESS long leaf speedwell 3-4 4-8 Veronica longifolia 'Blue John' long leaf speedwell 1-1.5 4-8 Veronica longifolia 'Joseph's Coat' long leaf speedwell 3-4 5-8 Veronica 'Mann's Variety' speedwell 0.5-0.75 5-8 Veronica 'Midnight' speedwell 1-1.5 4-9 Veronica spicata 'Blue Charm' spiked speedwell 1-1.5 3-8 Veronica spicata 'Glory' ROYAL CANDLES spiked speedwell 0.75-1 3-8 Veronica spicata 'High Five' speedwell 1-3 4-8 Veronica spicata 'Nana' spiked speedwell 0.5-0.75 3-8 Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue' speedwell 1.5-2 4-9 Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' speedwell 0.25-0.5 4-8 Viola pedata bird's foot violet 0.25-0.5 4-8 Lisa Here is a link that might be useful: MOBOT search