| In the mixed border, hardy for zone 4, there are the perennial floribunda rose, the daylily or Hemerocallis, the lysimachia, and the gaillardia. This provides a succession of bloom. The annuals verbena and marigold are added and will bloom continuously all summer if dead headed, the marigold being the most continuos and floriferous with verbena a close second in this planting, but not as good as the marigold. Insect problems are mainly beetles. We use an infusion of scented geranium, hoping it wont hurt the birds. The beetles attack the roses and sometimes the marigolds. Day lilies, when they are in bloom, benefit appearance wise from daily grooming, that is removal of the withered flowers. It also encourages strong root growth and multiplication of the plant. Allowing the seed heads to form can result in seedlings which are of a different color, probably reverting to the common orange of the species eventually. If you have pink roses, be sure to choose yellow day lilies, not as we did. We actually started with the daylilies, which were a wonderful deep copper color, then the following year, added the roses which clearly should have been yellow or white, anything but pink. How did it happen? It was spring. We went shopping. The roses were budded, the pink showing, the plants laden with buds, the foliage healthy and lush. They almost walked into the back of our SUV. In place in the garden, they soon began blooming with the most spectacular display. Just as the bloom began to diminish, out popped the deep copper day lilies. What will we do now? Well, when the coveted yellow day lilies appear (promised from son's garden) we will get busy. We'll update with photographs if it ever happens.
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