My bee balm reached 5.5 - 6 FEET tall - they were incredible! It made a lot of insects happy, including some hummingbird moths.

The red salvias I planted on the deck are doing great and attracting lots of hummingbirds this month.

My red glads are glorious - I just cut two bunches and brought in the house.

I only have one sweet potatoe vine up on the deck...thanks to the chipmunks and squirrels...who dig them up and eat them like apples. They do (the varmints) provide entertainment for my hubby and kitties, though.

Char

Janice, my Dad plants those chartruese potato vines in a big pot in his driveway every spring. It's become a standing joke with us that the vine will engulf the drive before frost. The neighbor reported her dog went near there a week ago and hasn't been seen since. (She was joking of course)

We have a community beautification program that plants huge baskets of those vines with vivid wine colored petunias and hangs them from antique-like lamp posts along city streets. Stunning. The vines are at about 10-feet now. Next year they are on my must try list.

Earlier in the year, my Endless Summer Hydranga was really colorful with BIG pink, violet and blue blooms. I was very happy since I didnt really go out of my way to protect it last winter (zone 5).

{{gwi:893241}}

Sigh!!! I've never been successful in growing Hydrangea--tried many times! My mother had two, one on either side
of the steps leading down to the bridge that crossed a creek--they were over my head and twice as wide!!! That
was in N.C. and they were in full sun a good part of the day!!! I still have some dried blooms from them--and they
were from 13 years ago, now! Love em!

Janice, try hydrangea 'Annabelle' , 'Limelight' or 'Pink Diamond' buy gallon-or larger- plants in bloom to be sure you are getting the correct ones. They will thrive for you, promise!
;-))

Oh--thank you, Rox! I have made a note of what you suggested! I can't wait to try them!!

LOL--bean counter--loved the sweet potatoe vines and dog story! I think I'll keep an eye on
our black lab around ours now!!! I believe it COULD happen, for sure!

Elephant Ears are my best growing plants. They are 7 foot tall and one has 7 leaves. I guess that is why I like BIG Hosta.
phil

Does crabgrass count? Here in central Maryland we have been having a terrible drought and Jul/Aug temps of 90-115. Even so, my tall phlox and blue fortune agastache did very well.

Jen

I have a wild phlox that I got during one of my visits to my uncles up in the mountains. I moved it from my fathers earlier this year and put it in a spot of only partial sun mainly because of time and space constraints. I swear that thing has been in bloom for 2 months! I have another in a sunnier place that didn't bloom for half that. I am very impressed and can't wait to see what it does next year. I also have a variagated polemonium that Curtis (M2M) sent me earlier this year that has done great. I never thought they would do well here with the heat and humidity but have been very surprised with it.
Art