Hi Mike,

Are you coming to the Rock Garden Society garden tour this Sunday? I know you'll see somethings you like. It ends at my house and feel free to stick around and we can talk in depth...about a lot of things. Also we are stopping at Venero Gardens Nursery in Shorewood. From their catalog I saw a few that fit your bill. I have 25 10% off coupons to pass out too.

Just thinking now, I came up with these that you might like:
Aruncus aethusifolius
Iris pumila (I even have one that grows 4-6")
Iris tectorum
Iris setosa
Platycodon Sentimental Blue, Komachi, Apoyama (I'm starting Komachi and Apoyama from seed this year)
Filipendula 'Kokome'
Species fritillaria and tulips
Spirea 'Golden Elf'
Mini Daylilies-there's even a mini Stella
Aquilegia flabellata
Thalictrum kusianum

If you are coming on the tour and you think it's ready, bring a rooted Thuja occidentalis 'Filiformis' and we'll do some trading.

Rick

Hi Rick,

Sounds good.

Yes, I had planned on going on the tour, but forgot that it was this Sunday already. I do have some rooted T. o. 'Filiformis' that I rooted last year, but they are still quite small. I will bring one for you. I just potted up the plants that I started this year.

Thanks for the list. I will look the plants up in my books and on the internet to see what catches my eye.

If we are going to a nursery next Sunday, I can't miss that. As Darth Vader once said: "The urge to purchase plants ("the force") is strong in this one". OK, so I might not have that quote exactly right, but it's true.

I'll see ya on Sunday.
Thanks again,
Mike

Dianthus deltoides 'arctic fire' might fit the bill. It is a low growing matt forming plant that blooms (for me) from June to late September.

I like dianthus, heuchera, low growing sedums, threadleaf coreopsis, low growing achillea, spring bulbs of all sorts (crocus, chionodoxa, small daffodils), alchemilla mollis, fragrant violets, low growing veronica.