I think I just lost this post. It included Dawn's 2019 Grow List. Okay, I'll try again. I'll have to pick something out to plant in her memory, although I already have some--the two most notable are verbena bonariensis and Laura Bush petunas. I have many, if not most of what she has, and will be working to tear a lot of those out this year, so I can replace them with natives. Daylilies and 4 o'clocks will be gone--if I can manage it. No vinca, crinum lilies, hibiscus, datura, hollyhocks, or salvia. I have a huge patch of cannas I'd love to gift someone. They don't get enough sun here, so don't bloom. Dawn's List. Flowering plants (not including herbs, which are on the herb list) which are perennial in the front garden: Autumn Sage (several, with blooms in various colors, including red, raspberry red and red/white) Canna Lilies Coral Honeysuckle 'Pink Lemonade' Crinum lilies Daylilies Dianthus Four O'Clocks Glads Hardy Hibiscus Iris Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina' Meadow Sage Mealy Cup Sage Purple Coneflower Russian Sage Texas Hibiscus Verbena 'Homestead Purple' Flowering plants that generally reseed in the front garden: Cypress Vine Daturas Globe Amaranth Larkspur Laura Bush Petunias in shades of pink and purple Marigolds (shorter ones like lemon gem, orange gem, tangerine gem) Morning Glories Moss Rose Poppies Zinnias Flowers I'll grow from seed: Agastache, Arizona Sandstone Agastache, Arizona Sun Agastache, Arizona Sunset Angel's Trumpet, Blackcurrant Swirl Cassia alata/Senna alata, Candletree Celosia, Dracula Celosia, King Coral Cleome, Color Fountains Mix Hollyhock, Happy Lights Mix Hummingbird Salvia, Coral Nymph Malva sylvestris, Mystic Merlin Nicotiana, Antique Lime Nicotiana, Perfume Deep Purple Nicotiana, Starlight Dancer Poppy, Raspberry Ripple (direct sown in February) Vinca, Cora Cascade Magenta Vinca, Cora Cascade Strawberry Vinca, Cora Red Salvia, Yvonne's Giant Zinnia, Benary's Giant, Purple Zinnia, Forecast Zinnia, Moulin Rouge (a red-flowered cutting blend) Zinnia, Pinwheel Mix Zinnia, Profusion, Lemon Yellow Zinnia, Queen Lime with Blotch Zinnia, Queen Lime Green Zinnia, Scabiosa Flowered Mix Zinnia, Starlight Rose Zinnia, Zinderella Lilac Zinnia, Zinderella Orange Zinnia, Zinderella Purple Zinnia, Zinderella Red Zinnia, Zinderella White

I thought someone started an April thread, I don't see it? I wanted to say that it is 20F on my back porch this morning. Does anyone else find that shocking? It's still dark out, but I'm afraid to go out and look at what the garden has to look like. Anyone else having temperatures that low this morning? I just went out and checked again, to make sure I was seeing it right. Still 20F. I looked at the forecast and right now it's supposed to be 26F. I just checked out 2 more different forecasts. One that is embedded in the top of my search engine is reporting that it is 27F in my town right now. But the National Weather Service reports it at 23F so at least they are close, but what does that say about my property? Am I in some microclimate? I planned on working outside early and digging a bed out and some other things. Is the ground going to be frozen? I'm thinking I might get a later start than I planned. I'm feeling bad that I didn't cover anything or bring in my winter sown containers which would have been easy, but I haven't thought it was going to get more than a couple of degrees lower than freezing.

Deanna, back to roses. I was very serious when I said I thought you should get yourself a rose. I wanted a rose for the longest time and kept thinking it was a bad idea. I am very strictly organic since 1980 and I was under the impression that roses were disease and bug magnets and that I'd never be able to grow them, so I avoided them. But I realized that roses are my favorite flower and it was dumb to be a gardener and not grow your favorite. [g] So I decided to try to find a rose that was easy to grow and reliable and fragrant and repeat bloom and disease resistant. Not too much to ask, right? And that's how it all began. It's been really fun. And what I think now is that roses are really not harder to grow, in some ways I find them easier. And they are not as fragile as you think they are. I think they are pretty tough. And now there are so many disease resistant roses. So I went from one rose, to 3 roses and now I have 8. lol I think that is my limit. Although....lol. I was thinking today. I do get winter damage and end up having to prune close to the ground, which isn't a problem, they still grow very vigorously and flower every year just the same. But they don't get the size that say someone in California is able to grow them. And today I was thinking, I had in mind a larger impact and I've been waiting for the plants to get large enough for that. I am realizing that they are not going to get the size I am looking for and what I need to do is buy multiples of the same rose and plant them together to get the effect I want. So, definitely, don't be afraid to try a rose. Have fun looking for just the one you want. Spend some time over on the rose forum and you will be hooked. lol

I'm not taking many photos at all, and they're all repeats of what I showed in years past, but wanted to share theses. One of my favorite pairings in still echinacea with jewelweed. I'm learning to manage the jewelweed better. Boy, it is the bunny of the plant world, for sure. Two plants the pollinators love! A shout-out to Visions Light Pink Geranium. These bushes grow MUCH larger than online sites claim, and they just keep on blooming. Had to include a photo to show how nice they look, even in late August. An unusual pairing this year. Plopped some poppies in the garden at the closest availalbe spot. Just had to get them out of the jug in early summer and in the ground ANYWHERE, and do it fast. Turns out they look really nice with the pink 'First Love' Veronica. This veronica has been a bit of a mystery. It is supposed to be short, 18". It was the first year, then for two years it SHOT UP to 3' tall! I divided it early last summer and this year all divisions are barely making it. Makes no sense, but this year they are maybe 12" tall at most!