I've been thinking on the advice in this thread all day and considering what more bones would be like in my designs. (we were working in a garden I did last fall) and I kept chewing over the colored hay remark. Looking at this one today, I can see that it could be much more substantial than it is. At the moment, the focal point it a weeping Beech, evergreens are Black dragon Cryptomerias and a large sweeping arc of Vardar valley Box, deciduous plants are several Viburnums, Oakleaf and Annabelle Hydrangeas, syringas, rugosas, cotoneasters, a varigated salix, Berberis concordes, shrub roses abound, Potentillas and Spirea mellow yellow. But it is still very herbaceous, it's a very large garden. I'm seeing all your points on substance, but where I look I tend to crave grasses for that purpose. Some tying plant to thicken the effect...??? Anyway... I do see what you all are pointing out, I think it's all a matter of degree. At what point does a grass garden become a dwarf evergreen garden? - The amounts of each... I can appreciate and have copied Adrian Bloom at times turning a rose garden into a conifer garden with roses as accents, yes it's very appealing. But is it the rule to live by? I'm not sure. some 25 years ago, in another life I can remember a prof going over K.I.S.S. and then many moons later I bristled as the estate owner requested a garden that provided constant change from spring to fall and I told him of Gertrude Jekyl's thoughts on the high drama of massing and not all spaces need to be all things especially if it weren't not constantly in view. "the delphineum bed is astounding in bloom but by all means place it down a path that you don't have to travel when they are not..." or something along those lines, hey? So where did I leave that direction and land here? Is it simply a matter of becoming a plant fanatic, maybe so. But gone are the days of staked campanulas and barren mulch awaiting spring's arrival. The introduction of IPM in pest control may have led me to develop tolerance levels in my maintenance habits also, as I write this, Mis gracillimus, Eupatorium Gateway and Physocarpus Diablo are wrestling each other for space in my front border, do I need to referee the fight or wait to see the outcome, winner takes all.

hi Jim, I am coming to your Green Elephant swap this year and I'm so excited to do so! I missed it last year, much to my distress. I am very interested in your angelica. I have some hardy bog plants (Pitcher plants of different types)that I can trade. I also am getting ready to divide some Pinguicula in the greenhouse if you are interested in something a little less hardy. I also have some flowering plum trees, the purple leaf/pink flower variety, that are a few years old but still small enough to pot and bring. I probably have some hostas too, and maybe some other trees. What are you looking for in the tree and hosta departments? I have many, many hostas. (a bit of a hostaholic,I'm afraid) Are you looking for small or tall? Also, what type of prairie plants are you looking for? I've got a number of different plants that could fall into that category - heleniums, echinaceas, penstemons, agastaches, some grasses. You can dmail me through Daves Garden or reply here. I'll check in on this thread. I'm interested in a couple of the angelica if they are not spoken for. Let me know if I have anything here that is of interest to you. Melissa

If the color on Plant it Back (really?) is wine, it has a lot of potential. It doesn't look like a muddy color. Polys are definitely "in." I like the white pineapple lily. The container really shows the little variegated plant better on larger size, and that plant (polka dot?) is great with the dark colors.

"Watering really annoys praying mantises." (if someone could give me the tip on how to italicize, I would appreciate it) They apparently do not like to be relocated on newly purchased shrubs either. We were driving home last summer with 6 large spirea in the back of the car. After about 10 min, a huge praying mantis crawled out from behind the sun visor. He was right on the inside of the windshield staring at my husband. Scared the crap out of him! OK, he freaked me out too! Screeching halt!!! We got him safely out of the car. Phew! About 5 minutes later, a second one climbed out from the exact spot! We took the long way home so we wouldn't have to go on the highway in the case of any need to lock up the brakes! I scanned the car the entire way home hoping there weren't any more, and half expecting to see one perched on my son's head! They are beautiful in the garden, but I have to say they were a little scary in an alien sort of way when out of their element!