GG, 'giant white flowering hosta' could be a Hosta plantaginea. perennials: -Kirengeshoma (in part-shade, in part-sun it bloomed in early August), -Campanula 'Samantha' (blooming and blooming and blooming), -Lilium speciosum 'Alba', -few late daylilies, -miniature hosta, -phloxes, -hibiscus 'Lord Baltimore', -tricyrtis 'Toyen', -dicentra eximia (this plant is unbelievable, it didn't skip a single day without bloom since May), -leftovers of platicodons and gladiolas, -anemone tomentosa and a.hybrida 'Pamina' (dark pink/red, just started), -geranium Rozanne, -ceratostigma plumbaginoides, -chelone and sedums starting. sparsly reblooming: daylily 'Patricia' (double yellow, look very much like daffodil 'Golden Ducat') and Stella d', -salvia 'Caradonna' and 'Blue Queen' (dwarf only, regular is not reblooming), -some veronicas, but I don't care, -campanula persicofolia, -nepeta WL, -clematis 'Violet Charm', 'The Prsident', 'Dr. Rupel' (all three are good rebloomers and second bloom is not any worse than the first one) and 'Duchess of Edinburgh'(nothing to talk about in comparison to the first flush). Shrubs: -Clethra 'Creel Calico', '16 candles' and 'Hummingbird' (last two almost done), -Abelia 'Ed Goucher' and 'Confetti', -Caryopteris 'Dark Knight' and new on a market 'Grand Bleu' (it worth a separate thread to describe of how gorgeous it is), -all paniculata hydrangeas, -Lespedeza 'Edo Shibori' (bi-colored). very sparsly reblooming: -kerria 'Plena' (flore-plena) -weigela 'French Lace' (become a huge octopus-like plant just in one season. Looks like a swap candidate to me.), -hydrangea ES, -spireas. If not roses and annuals, sun part of the garden would look just plain boring, though my shade borders still interesting as they rely more on texture than on a flowers.

Here I am! I am obsessive and just obsessing over other hobbies this time of year. We had a week of *100+ weather here in the big valley. I have everything on drip or I would have no flowers at all. I hear the water groan on but don't do much out there. Visitors compliment the garden but I am waiting for cooler weather. A flower in this sun with wet roots is not all that happy. We went to an investment seminar in the Bay Area and I had a chance to go by Half Moon Bay Nursery and buy some more annuals. Maybe they need to live inside with me, better check them. I am obsessing about stocks now. Low volume in the wrong time of year but I have been buying anyway. We joined a Meet Up investment club. Meet Up is all over on all sorts of interests and I hope to find a gardening one. I have been having an argument with a 'French Pekinese' (Peppy La Pew). He is so beautiful but digs under the fence and gets into my compost pile. I thought we were just on his route home but it turns out we are his destination. We are an urban habitat to many birds also. I dug into the compose pile and he is eating meal grubs. We had a close call and he doesn't much care for me. His tail went straight up and I froze. We always have a dog so there will be an incident sooner or later. I was trying to fill the tunnels under the fence with concrete but I have been out skunked. Now realizing he is just a 'French Pekinese' I have moved the compost pile to the front yard behind a big planter. I don't pull on Superman's cape, spit into the wind or expect to change a Pekinese. You would not believe the number of people that think I should nark him out to animal control! My other recent obsession is purses. I always had a practical purse. I bought two yesterday, a purple one and a bright yellow one. Second childhoods are more fun than the first.

Hi Iso! I feel for you about the cool weather you have down there. Hubby and I do drive down that way a lot, and every time we drove down on the 5, it turned overcast once we've pass SJC. But once we went inland from Oceanside, it turned sunny again! You would just have to find the most exposed spot in your yard for your plumies (some spot against a wall, facing west, with no trees in the way). I don't have Red Sparkle but I've seen it posted here and remember the picture being beautiful. I believe Red sparkle is not a JJ variety. I'm not sure if Calif sunset and Heart's Desire are related (I've heard that a lot of JJ's plants are seedlings of Penang Peach). Both have the thick petals (with that notch like you said), but I can say that H.D. is not at all a prolific bloomer like Calif. Sunset. Are you going to the plant sale in San diego Labor day weekend? I might be there on the saturday. It would be neat if we can meet!

Thank you so much! I have considered liatris and echinacea, because they might be blooming in our prairie, or our neighbors prairies, I have 3 prairies to choose from. My one neighbor has a huge patch of echinacea and said I could pick some from there too. But I don't want to ruin his patch. I like the idea of filling in with items from the local florist and supermarkets. African violet plans are a great idea too. I also plan to get out to the prairies periodically and pick interesting things throughout the summer and press the items and use as a flat layer on the table under the more vertical layer of vases/candle containers. I can use candles but they need to be in a container. I thought there could be some interesting leaf shapes and grasses. The horticulturalist at the arboretum gave me some seed packets of bachelor buttons, prairie mix that includes liatris and echinacea, several different native asters, and something else I cant think of off hand, but not native. I thought about making moss features too. I'm told by the horticulturalist that I can find some moss hiding around on our farm and at the base of white oaks. He said I can just go out and get it (have to remove a little snow) and prep it as directed and get it going. He said to use distilled or well water to mist it, because the chlorine and chlorine extenders that are in municipal water supplies will kill it. Again thanks Old Dutch for you excellent suggestions.