I think you might be right! I checked the garden's plant database and it does show up with the locations where I found these beauties -- Shakespeare & Fragrance Gardens, Perennial Border. Thanks so much!!!

Kimny, thanks for some wonderful suggestions. I have never grown Euphorbia, and I thought I read somewhere that they were invasive, but I'm not sure about that. Anyway, that one is gorgeous, and the height would be just right! I would love to have heucheras there, and I have planted several different types this year. Unfortunately, most of them have fried in the intense, dry heat here, with the exception of 'Creme Brule'. It is not really burgandy, more of a mixture of brown, creme, and green, with dark pink undersides to the leaves. It might look okay there though. I'll definately put that one on the list. I'd love to have 'Peach Flambe' there, but the one I purchased did not love the sun as much as the catalogs advertise. Crocosmia is borderline here. I planted 'Lucifer' in another bed a few weeks ago, and will have to see if it comes back in the spring. It may be too tall for this spot, but maybe a shorter type of Crocosmia would work. I just don't want anything that will hide the mums in the fall, so ideally whatever goes there should be 12" - 15" or less. Using annuals there is always an option, since I will be growing plenty of them from seed, but I'd love to have a more permanent solution. Zephirine, the kniphofia colors definately fit well with my color scheme, and I grew some from seed this spring, but the one I have will get too tall for this spot. I know that there are some shorter varieties though, that might be fine there. I will have to do some research on that one. I'm not sure about 'Moonbeam', but the 'Creme Brule' Coreopsis I have, spread out a lot. They are the right height, and a beautiful color, and blooming machines, but they would be too wide I'm afraid. I've gotten so many good ideas from everyone! Now comes the hard part, doing the research and actually making a decision. Oh well, since we are getting below freezing at night now, I guess I have all winter to come up with a plan. Thanks everyone!

I do not have any mums, but what you described seems typical of what a lot of us are seeing. It will be interesting to see, as long as you keep cutting them back and feeding them, if they will bloom again in their normal Fall bloom slot. In northeastern OK the days certainly have seemed to be more like one would expect to see in the early part of the Fall. I am sure that your area is the same, that is what has so confused your mums. My Tuscarora crapemyrtles are not blooming yet. They froze over Easter and I had to dig them up, cut them back and pot them up. They have put all their efforts into regrowing. I am glad they have done such a good job regenerating. No matter how long it takes for them to begin to bloom this summer, I plan on not pruning off the spent blooms to help the trees porduce more blooms. That way they should have more time to harden off their new growth enough so they can better avoid the winter kill which thin new trunks often encounter with our winters. My double trunked chaste tree which I also had to cut back, but did not dig up and pot, has regrown. I pruned out all but the two best trunks, and they are now only 18 inches tall, but are currently in full bloom. My single trunked Chaste tree, died back half way, so I did not prune it down to the rootball a few months ago. Instead, I cut the main trunk down to about 2 feet tall. Now it is attempting to regrow, but has not begun to bloom as of yet. I am glad that my 'Blue Satin' rose of sharon which I am training into a tree form has only yesterday produced one bloom. Instead of blooming, it has focused its efforts into growing taller, and now has nearly doubled in height. The Biggest benefit this weather has cause for me is to extend the life of my pansies. In drier years with less daily clouds, they would have dried up weeks ago. Now instead, they are still going strong. I have some begonias which I got to replace them, but it seems a shame to give up on the pansies, when they seem to be still doing so well.

i dont really think of mums as houseplants ... and boy that doesnt look like mum foliage ... it should probably be outside ... in full shade to harden it off ... and that would probably take care of molds and mildews ... to some extent ... most likely.. the media is keeping the soil too wet ... and the problem is actually in such.. rather than on the plant ... PM is a late summer problem when nights stay very warm.. and there is excess humidity in the air ... hence the word MILDEW ... i have never head of such indoors .. and outdoors.. never this early in the season ... of course, subject to where you are ... and some plants are just hairy... and look like that.. and that is why i am wondering if it really is a mum ... can we have a pic of the plant in general ... ken