I think there's a fine line between "lush" and "overgrown." Every year about this time, my garden gets overgrown! I swear (every year) to pull out all the gooseneck that's taking over anything within 5' of it. Joe Pye has popped up all over. Black eyed susans have covered the perennial geraniums. The asters that I should have pinched back are falling over. The leaves of the ditch lilies are covering the smaller daylilies in front of them. Not to mention...the japanese beetles have invaded the roses, there's powdery mildew on the honeysuckle and bee balm, and the smoke bush has some weird fungus.

Otoh, that's what makes gardening such a challenge and so much fun!

I am experiencing the opposite. I am just now looking at everything and admiring how lush it all is. Feels like I have been waiting forever for this look to occur.

The Japanese Beetles have shown up here, but oddly the cucumber beetles have not yet (knock on wood). This year I have a new means of controlling the Japanese beetles that I really enjoy as do my kids. I grab them and slightly crush them, but try to leave them alive, just not able to escape. I then go toss them on a large ant mound that has been building up for years. Within seconds the beetles are swarmed and dragged away. I loves it. ;)

Eeeeewww. Definitely a guy thing. My kids would love it, too!

I've had the dullness problem in my garden too. I have been adding daylilies, which keeps the garden looking bright. The coneflowers are having a great year, the balloon flowers just started to open, and the coreopsis got a second wind. A few of the clematis are still blooming, but I need to plant some later blooming varieties of both clematis and daylilies.

I got rid of all the thugs in my garden except for an aggressive daylily which is planted where the shed will be eventually. Getting rid of the thugs makes room for the better plants :)

Well Just, you have to tell me the secret of your success.
(I dont need to hear about the JBs...EEugh) Have your filled in with annuals, or relied on your perennials?

Janet, I have some lovely clematis too. and My purple coneflowers are outstanding. However, they dont even begin
to carry my front or back gardens to 'looking lovely'.

to Mad.Kathy, have you ever tried using cheapo annuals to
provide summer to fall color? If so, what?

I plan to go to Steins Garden Ctr. later today. Just want to see what looks good.
So far, I've always depended on leaf color, which does a good job, but now I want some punch. any success will be
appreciated. My local nursery is out of everything!
Why? Most of us Wisconsites garden well into Oct.

Well, let me know what works for you-all. Pondy

It seemed like such a long, cool spring that some plants are only now starting to hit their stride so, I too, am saying "Finally!" Some are still lagging a bit like my melampodium and some petunias, but most are doing well. Justaguy2- I like the JB treatment you use. Educational and entertaining, although I prefer spider webs to ant hills.

tj

Our gardens have been hit-or-miss. Our hydrangea and a few annuals got hit by a late spring freeze. The cooler temperatures haven't helped our hybiscus much. Everything else is pretty much where it usually is.

Two things that have done outstanding this year have been our delphinium crop. Just beautiful and starting to flower again. Our grass has also never been better. Perfect summer for the old KBG. A lot of barefoot walking-around here.

Have your filled in with annuals, or relied on your perennials?

I always fill in with annuals. I am a seed starter so it's pretty easy and inexpensive for me to do. Some beds, like the hosta bed have such established, large hostas there isn't much room for any annuals, but others the plants take soooo long to get up to size annuals are a must have for me. I don't mind if they end up getting 'eaten' as the perennials reach their stride.

""Janet, I have some lovely clematis too. and My purple coneflowers are outstanding. However, they dont even begin to carry my front or back gardens to 'looking lovely'.""

Pondy, that is why I've been filling in with daylilies. There is a great daylily farm in Reedsville Wisconsin, which doesn't open for the season until the daylilies begin blooming. They have prices listed on the website and photos of most of the daylilies they sell, so you can narrow down your search before going if you are so inclined.

I'm not trying to pressure you into going there, but most garden centers and nurseries have a limited selection. There is such a wide range of colors that you can make any bland spot come alive with just one plant. Daylilies are saving my garden from the mid-season doldrums.

Solaris also has liliums, which also offers a wide selection of color, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Solaris Farms

Well, I did visit Steins, and (doh!) came home with more
perennials! Three burgundy sedum and one blue/white iris.

I plan to back today and get some re-blooming daylily,
and whatever leftover annuals they have left. Next year, I
will do like JT and start some easy annuals from seed.
My daughter planted nasturtiums seeds about 4 weeks ago, and they are already blooming a firey red.

I love cosmos and nicotianna, zinneas, nierembergia, and some of the beautiful cabbages but havent grown them in years.
Anyway, thanks for the responses. Pondy

I look out and see the holes winter and "other things" have left me, but others only see the lushness. As an artist I realize that visual chaos needs control and vice versa. I give the "wild" looking areas a little goemetry with a pot, a birdbath, brick work or a sperical evergreen such as a mini globe arborvitae. This seems to balance things out for me visually. I also take serenity in knowing that it is all right, I am not the one in control after all...

A few perrenials that do well in crappy soils for me...I typicaly don't amend...yet these seem to be vigorous.

Purplicious Speedwell, Coreposis Zagreb, Kim's Knee High Coneflower (really any coneflower, but I don't like the 4 footers), any daylily.

Shrubs that did very well for me...

Quickfire Hydrangea, Mohican Viburnum and my Hibiscus' are about to explod with blooms.

Pondy,
Not trying to steal your thread but I do have color and perhaps some extra lush stuff going on in my designs! Maybe more than you care for. No, I don't have deer foraging in my yard but they are all around us in the corn fields. I am in zone 5 also so perhaps my July album can show you some things that you like. FWIW here's the july album. I named things and put them in the order they bloomed. The Aug album is almost done too.

Here is a link that might be useful: the blooms of july- arrow caption to read captions in full

Beautiful gardens, Cheer... thanks for sharing.