Here is the garden from the front. The neighbors know I am extreme. I am sure they shake their heads in private.

Lava Flow has never looked better and is decently budded.

Charming Charlie looked very intense this morning. Slow grower. In past years, a demon for earwigs. Top branched.
Festive Fall was moved and almost eliminated, but loves its new home. Has never looked so good.
Sinister MinisterScreen Pattern not a large flower, but was sharp this morning after a light rain.
Stargirl is a pot subject now. The picture is more up-close than I like. It isn't that large.
Early Shirley could not be missed (large) in front of smoke bush.
Aerial Applique a few days ago. It is fairly well budded, but I see some bud drop, which may be a more general issue in the garden.
Free Wheelin

Congrats on no earwigs! Everything looks lush and well watered. The tall trumpet lilies are a beautiful herald to the daylily season. Lava Flow looks bright and well-budded.

Debra

Everything is lush and beautiful, Mantis. I am glad to see Sinister Minister. I had that one and lost it, but always liked the colors. Al American Chief is Draamatic and Bright. Gimmee, Gimmee, Gimmee looks really nice...your lilies are lovely.

kay

Stargirl % Aerial Applique are my favorites of these. Love the colors and design. Gimmeee & A M Chief are the next tier. I love the white lilies.

Brad

I know you are happy about no earwigs. Your daylilies are wonderful. I like your white lilies too. Stargirl is nice. Nothing wrong with up close and personal in my book (as you know-lol).......Maryl

Your foliage looks huge. Glad to see Charming Charlie although I would not have recognized it in that intense color. I had not a single bloom on mine (a personal favorite of mine) due to the lopidea insect damage. Love the older presented lilies.

Maryl, while a close-up can give all the nuances of color and texture, it does not give reference for size, height, branching, bud count. I think many growers love mug shots because they can disguise the imperfections of branching, scape height, and bud count. Kate, I remember you like Charming Charlie, but it is just slow to multiply here. Here is Charming Charlie later in the day. The overcast weather makes things intense, as I witnessed in Washington.

Debra, how well put: the trumpets this year are indeed heraldic. In past years, they haven't looked so good. But what plant wouldn't sound the trumpets when so well watered. (Next few days may bring floods.)

Charming Charlie does look very good in your photos. I like Aerial Applique and All American Chief. It took me a while to learn the importance of branching, that having lots of buds just on top is not necessarily a good thing. I usually take close shots unless I have a good clump in bloom that will cooperate. I do like your photos of buds and height

Your comment about the neighbors made me laugh. Bob and I took out a seedling bed this spring. We eliminated all the weeds, tilled it and let it set for a while. We laughed and said our neighbor probably was glad we got rid of that weed patch. Then a couple of weeks later, we put another seedling bed in. Then we said she probably said there they go again with the weed patch. I guess you have to have the addiction to understand it.

I wouldn't shake my head to see your garden. I would be very interested. I like Tomato Clownfish. I debated about getting that one and then waited until Grossmann was sold out. Hooked On You is another that catches my eye. Ours has been so slow to get going. Maybe we need to move it. Gimme Gimme Gimme sure is pretty and I love the eye on Works for Me. Lava Flow is one of our favorites, usually the first to bloom, but this year lost the title to Buddy's Betsy.

Nancy

The clump shots of Works for Me, Gimme Gimme Gimme and All American chief look grand! It's obvious you've gotten plenty of rain this year. Katherine Caldwell looks well-budded.

Debra

Everything looks wonderful this season, so lush. I hadn’t thought about earwigs this season because I haven’t seen any, I agree, a blessing they didn’t show up. Stargirl grabbed my attention today, hope she does well for you.

Sherry

I have been looking forward to seeing your photos again this year. I am extreme also. I am sure my neighbors and everyone that drives up and down my road refer to me as the crazy plant lady. No doubt they think I need to 'get a life', since I'm always adding new plants to an already overcrowded yard. The past few nights the mosquitoes have been horrible so I wear a beekeepers net on my head as I weed my borders. I am sure to have gotten some looks and discussion.

I love the looks of Stargirl and have admired that one for awhile now so I will be following your comments on it as it matures. Everything looks really healthy and robust. Keep the photos coming! I enjoy them so much.

Nancy, Tomato Clownfish was a bonus (my choice since my order had been messed up). I really haven't ordered Mike's intros, as I don't know how they measure up. Giving his intros as bonuses certainly will help get them in circulation. Hooked on You and Stargirl are both fairly well budded for pot subjects. However, I have heard that some of the recent Gossards are not as vigorous as one would expect or hope for. We will see.

This morning I noticed that some of the earwigs were still there, but they were drowning in the rain-filled blossoms. I don't know why I have that problem with the earlies. Could be all the organic matter. I really prefer early rather than late, but others are always eager for lates. One problem with earlies is opening, which hasn't been a problem with humid nights.

I would like to know what our neighbors think too. We created a new bed two years ago at the entrance to our driveway. It should be a show this year - all the rain and lots of buds.