All winter long we pine for warmer weather, but sadly when it arrives it all too often quickly turns unbearably hot and humid. The growing window in our zone 5 garden is far too short for my liking, but I am always amazed at how rapidly perennials shoot from the ground and send forth their beautiful blooms. 

When I first began planting my garden more than a decade ago, I was drawn to plants that for me evoked memories of my childhood home and my family garden in Cheshire, England. Some plants thrived, despite the searing summer heat and frigid winter temperatures. Sadly, there have been many casualties along the way that just couldn't take it. Maybe it was the weather, but it could also have been the deer, the bunnies, the bog monster that cover a great deal of the garden at least twice a year, or even a spot of over aggressive weeding in the spring. Whatever the cause certain things steadfastly refuse the grow, despite repeated attempts on my part. These days, I have learned to try twice and then to give up, move on and plant something new.