helen, I don't think B & B is supposed to be perennial here, but I have had mine for 4 years and I know Christy has some.

I would suggest putting it in a sheltered spot in full sun and mulching it heavily this winter. I planted mine right by the paved drive. I think the dark pavement absorbs the heat from the sun and keeps the ground several degrees warmer than it normally would be. It will be interesting to see how the two new starts do over winter....I will mulch them heavily.

Sounds like you got some good plants. I went back to the local greenhouse and bought another oakleaf hydrangea, and a red mum and got the Winterthur viburnum to help pollinate my Brandywine vib. so I will get improved berry set.

Black and Blue is absolutely one the the best hummingbird plants available and it blooms a long time too.
But - Since it's so late in the year, you might want to keep it in your garage or someplace like that over winter and then plant it next spring. It's on the edge of it's hardiness zone here. It might make it if you plant it now and mulch it heavily especially if you have a spot on the south side of your house. I've had two or three failures getting Black and Blue through the winter but I'm going to try again. I got a couple pots at the Master Gardener sale in April. I planted them and they grew really well over summer so I'm hoping they will make it this time. I potted up a couple side shoots to put in my garage over winter just in case. Whoever donated it for the sale apparently has no trouble growing it. I have had the species, salvia guaranitica, for seveal years and it's supposed to be a little hardier than Black and Blue which is a guaranitica cultivar. It winters over in the ground for me but just barely. Last year, I had four but only one came back, and sometimes, just one side of the plant comes back but the rest dies. I have never mulched mine so that might be most of my problem. This year I'm going to. I promise not to forget. : )

christie, I wonder if you could find some large flat rocks to mulch with....they would absorb the sunshine like the pavement does. You might try one plant using this technique.

seems like a lot of impulse buying going on! does this happen before the winter?

william

This happens all the time except when we have a drought then I buy these: Click to enlarge

Mine really is part of a large, well thought out master plan!

Honest.

Actually it is a loose plan of sorts. I am adding a mixed shrub border between the house and road. We were told the old trees out front were all hollow and could go at any time so I want to get some screening replacements going now. It makes it difficult because of the existing trees with their shade and roots.

I am modeling it loosely after some of the borders at Close Memorial Park in Springfield.

Helen - Those DO look very drought resistant. : )
I meant to tell you, I had 'Baby Joe' which is similar to Little Joe, and it went dormant very early (looked dead) last summer but returned just fine this spring.

Gld - Where are the shrubs that you liked at Close Park? Just curious what you thought looked good. Do they have lower plants in front of them? I need to dress up my shrub border. This year I planted lots of annuals on each side of it but they were mixed colors and that doesn't look very good from the road. Patches of single colors would've shown up better. I'll do something different next year but I'm not sure what.

christie, I meant very loosely; in that they had small trees and shrubs and grasses and perennials all mixed. I may try to get DH to stop by this morning. I will be visiting my sis in the Nursing Home and we will already be in town...he may have to stay in the truck. This is exercise day and he is usually tired when he finishes...maybe I can find him a bench.....

I will take the camera.

I have a pink knockout. I didn't think I would like the single bloom roses, but I like this one. It has semi-double bloooms and is always in bloom. Plus it can handle the partly shaded areea I have it planted in. The rose also has had no disease problems. It was about 4 inches high when I got it in the spring and now it's almost 3 feet tall and wide. They grow very fast. Have fun planting!