Indeed. Mine poke up through amsonisa, lady's mantle, roses, lilies, junipers, shrubs, whatever is there. I noticed some websites say 12-18" tall. I think that's more like it. Max Frei is similar but shorter, like 6-12".

The weather has been gorgeous this month, although I would like to see some rain. Bearded iris season is winding down, and roses are becoming stars of the show.

That blank space in the sky garden is filling up quickly. Irises have been arriving from generous ATP garden friends and I'm finding some good clearance sales from time to time, including 4 blueberry bushes. I think blueberries are pretty, and I like the idea of making it a true cottage garden with edibles incorporated. I removed a big clump of ribbon grass from the area, and replaced it with a gold leaved Caryopteris (blue mist shrub) from another part of the garden. It's still a bit wilty, but seems to be bouncing back- thank goodness!

Neal, lovely iris clumps, and the caryopteris looks great in your color scheme. Is that a Catmint towards the top in your 4th photo?

The "sunset" bed is making me really happy right now...

Thanks Jeanie! Yep, that is catmint- Walker's Low I believe.

Beautiful, Neal. Love those poppies, and the Missouri primrose especially. Tried more than once and they just won't make it through the winter here.

Caryopteris are tough, Neal.

Thanks Jeanie, I love those pink evening primroses too. For some reason it took me a few tries to get them going, once I did they took off like wildfire! Some don't care for them for that reason, but I think they make great fillers, and are easy to pull out where I don't want them.

Deb, that's what I always heard about Caryopteris, but just like the pink evening primrose, it took me several tries to get them to survive. Actually, none of the purchased plants ever survived, but the successful ones were all started from cuttings. I got a thick layer of mulch spread around the Caryopteris this morning, looks much better and it should appreciate the moisture retention.

Neal, if you ever decide you want more...see those seedling bazillions? I pot up a couple dozen or more every year.

Wow! And look how many have the gold leaves! I don't recall ever finding a stray seedling- maybe because of colder winters?

The first lily of the season!


And rose time has begun...
The first was just marked Kordes rose, then Folksinger and Gruss an Aachen


Kordes Rose of Hope (Rose der Hoffnug), Molineux, and Sunsprite


An old garden rose that a friend got the start from an old neglected cemetery.

Gorgeous roses, Neal!

Some of them don't color true to the parent (Sunshine Blue), but I have a plentiful supply. Most go to the community garden for their fund raisers, but I always have a few kept here if you decide you want one or more.


Beautiful flowers.

Re the Caryopteris--mine self sows like mad as well and I murder the offspring by the tens of thousands. Last fall I cut the thing back drastically trying to cut down on the seeding and also thinking that if it had to start over from the nubs this spring that it might be closer to the size it was supposed to be (3') rather than the sprawling monster (6') that it has been...and guess what? I still have a bazillion seedlings but now I have a bunch of dead nubs and one spindly 6" branch with a few leaves whoops! I guess I'll leave a few babies to grow this year

I have several around the yard and often cut them back hard, too. Usually come back fine, so I wouldn't give up on it, yet.

My 3 green leaved Caryopteris are growing in a challenging area, dry with competition from tree roots. Maybe that is helping keep them from seeding. Thought it might be winter cold, but if they seed like mad in zone 5 it's not that. The gold leaved one has grown slower, but should be much happier in its new position.

What a job I just completed! I'd picked up 2 half price raspberry plants and 4 blueberries a couple of days ago. Got the blueberries planted yesterday, but have been surveying the yard trying to decide where the raspberries should go. Found a good spot, which happened to be full of Vinca minor and mint. I've been procrastinating clearing it out, but now it is done! And the raspberries are in their new home.

Now THAT was some WORK Neal. Woot!

My Snow Fairy caryopteris has never self seeded, but then it really isn't supposed to grow here at all
Good work, Neal.
I dug out two stands of Joe Pye Gateway and two big clumps of baptisia today. I hurt all over.

Snow Fairy struggled here for three years, then gave up and faded away.

That's too bad, Debra. I'm surprised it works here, but happy because I really like it.

I did too. It was ordered as part of a gift certificate, so the loss was doubly upsetting. But gardening is sometimes a crap shoot, isn't it?