Debra, In 1991, I had plain old Coreopsis from a can or packet of wildflower mix. It came back and spread year after year on a sun baking, poor clay soil, embankment. It is wonderful stuff that survives hot summers and comes up smiling.

Hi Dirtdorphins! I love your photograph -- especially the beautiful big rocks, and your garden art!!!

Beautiful planting combinations Dirtdorphins! You have a good eye for balance and beauty. And the yard art adds another dimension. Makes me want to linger there.

Trying out some color combos as I wanted to see what iris as well as other plants I already own will look good with my Brothers Grimm rose, it's tricky.

Sue, I think the Peruvian Lily 'Indian Summer' works really well with it...at least from the photos. I looked through your plant list and if it were me, I would try to work something around the combination of your Brother's Grimm rose and the Iris Toronto. Beach Dance works too, it's just that Toronto brings in 2 extremes of the color range you are working with. Others I might try include Arabian Archer, Bronze Sculpture, or New Day Dawning. It's just my preference, but I don't think the peach and purple colors add anything to your rose color.

So that's my 2 cents worth! Have fun!!

I have a 1 gal. blooming pot of that alstroemeria sitting in front of the rose and yes, it does work, will get planted soon. I will be buying more of that one to scatter around, it's an almost year round bloomer.
Thanks Marilyn for the other color suggestions, I will be getting that new arilbred Arabian Archer in this summer, it looks like it would be a good compliment. That rose is such a strong dominant color, I figured to just try matching up the beards with that rose may work, maybe a bit of of something yellow. I think Toronto may work too.

and the others you mentioned, (Bronze Sculpture is missing it's tag, need to find it), I agree, good contenders!


Here is the iris I have one one side of the rose now, mentioned earlier.

oooh--yes--good contenders--
I like that 'Bronze Sculpture' with the rose and the Peruvian Lily (wish I could grow those!)

I meant to post this this morning, but apparently I never selected 'finished'--whoops and eventually I found the open tab

Thank you all
I could flood you with photos of big beautiful rocks because that is my thing
but mostly I wanted to say, don't give up on Moonbeam try it again Neal


okay--back to legit eye candy and irises

Ohh, nice with the lavender and sedum!
This would go nicely with it.

I have a Santolina that is a lovely light green that would look beautiful with those colors Dirtdorphins! Too bad I didn't get a good picture of it when it was in bloom this year. There's always next year. But anyway it's darker that the sedum in your photo most of the year...except when there is new growth, then it's a mixture of medium green and light yellow green. Here is one that is similar:
http://chip-n-daleslandscaping...

Is it something like this one Marilyn? Looks like DD has it, it's a favorite of mine for bed borders and I plan on getting more this year if our local wholesaler carries it again.

Yes, the one I have looks like the first one when it is in bloom. When the new growth comes in it is closer to the color of the second one then darkens as it matures. I've really come to appreciate this tough little plant. With a little trimming it looks nice all year round.

Santolina always seems to get away from me and look ratty when I forget to cut off the spent flowers. The last one I took out was a nice color that was between the green and grey.

Marilyn, again... Good sleuthing for sue... Some really nice choices.

Sue, I'm really loving that Alstroemeria with the rose!

Dirt, there are some Alstroemeria on the market that are said to be hardy to zone 5. I planted 'Tangerine Tango' and 'Mauve Majesty' last spring- fingers crossed they return well.


And I've been seeing some of the 'Inca' series offered, listed as hardy to zone 6, but some sources say they have reports of survival in zone 5. Lazy SS's and Garden Crossings are where I've seen them offered so far.


Inca 'Pulse' isn't pictured in the data base yet, but has coloring similar to Sue's 'Indian Summer'

http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plan...

This is a most therapeutic activity on this frigid morning- I need to look at flowers right now

I wish I could grow poppies here -- they never germinate. Do they grow for you Neal?

I've never had success at starting perennial poppies from seed, tried wintersowing them and direct surface sowing but never had the first seedling. Plants have done great though, and return bigger and better each year. I'm finally seeing a few self set seedlings form an orange one I've had for a few years. Annual poppies have been easy from seed for me. I just surface sow in late winter (both Shirley poppies and P. somniferum). I think the trick with those is to sow while its still cold, the tiny seedlings get established early before other plants and weeds shade them.

Beautiful, dirt. I have a Green Santolina that does get hints of lime. Thinking of getting a Knight Rider Stonecrop to set next to it. Tracy's Sunshine Iris is close by and I planted some unknowns in that bed, too. See what comes up in Spring.

Knight Rider






Been trying to talk myself out of blowing most of my gift certificate on this onnnnnne peony. I have half a dozen already, including a tree peony. We are too dry in Summer, get too hot too early in Spring, and at not cold enough (usually) in Winter for them to do well for the most part, but this one would be spectacular with chartreuses and oranges, I think?
Armani

That is a gorgeous Peony! Who's selling it? Looks like one Old House Gardens listed last year, that I intend to get this year! There was a fellow in Ft.Worth who grew Peonies, I'm thinking he was in zone 8 or 9, but I believe he relied upon varieties that bloom early, and seems he had the best luck with singles and semi doubles. How long have you had your other Peonies?

That's are lovely combo! I'm really liking that soft yellow of the lavendercotton.

That photograph is from Wayside Gardens. Still pondering choices from there for the gift certificate. Are you talking about Steve? Saw his posts when I was on DG. Dozens of peonies thriving away. Think he was moving up north somewhere about the time I dropped membership. Fort Worth is right on the 7b/8a boundary line. I have had Festiva Maxima eight or nine years. Been moved a few times and last year was the first time for extensive bloom.


Taiyo Tree Peony was planted in 2009, bloomed the first year and not since. I moved it last year to what I hope is a more congenial place for it.


Received a large Peony in 2011 from someone in Arkansas. Was originally in a container, where I left it for a couple of years, then put it in-ground. Hasn't bloomed yet, so I don't know its type or color.

Planted Raspberry Sundae and (two) Celebrity in 2013. Raspberry bloomed in 2014, the other did not, but the second one also gets less sun.


The only caveat on the Santolina is that the blooms turn a nasty brown as they die off and should be sheared it you don't want to look at them.

I agree Debra...the Santolina do need to be trimmed...but it's worth it for me to have the year round rich green foliage. Even noe when almost everything else is dead...it's green and lovely. Maybe I can get a photo tomorrow.

Really nice combo Neal...and Sue..did you notice how nicely Bottle Rocket goes with the Brother's Grimm rose?