I did it myself!! Surprise. Guess all you have to do is read and follow directions. Now I have a few pictures to share.

I don't have any pictures posted. I tried, but something isn't set up right, so I couldn't get any to post. Will have to have someone with more computer savvy check it out for me. I'm sure the seeds will sprout and grow yet his season. In fact seeds are continually sprouting in my garden from last year's plants. I'll get the seed in the mail right away tomorrow. Hope you enjoy them. They grow very tall, so plant in back somewhere. Rachel

Hi Donna, Thanks for inviting me to be your friend. I can send you seeds for the Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate if you send me your address. I went to school in New Ulm and have a cousin in Minneapolis. I've travelled the lower parts of Minnesota numerous times. Where is St. Joseph? I grew up on a farm on South Ridge, MN about 13 miles from LaCrosse, through LaCrescent. To send me your address, use the email . Rachel

Hi Donna! How are your gardens growing? It has been so dreary and cool here yesterday and today. We had a beautiful week last week with two days in the 90's and now it's back in the 50's. I guess that's Minnesota weather for you. The plants grew so quickly last week, now they are slowing down again. I have planted some new perennials and am working on cleaning out an area in the front yard now. There is a hill that needs some work and goes down to the river. The deer trample over it when they come looking for something to eat, so I am going to have to be creative about what I choose to plant here! I am thinking of putting in a "moon garden" here, because it will be visible from the deck and the bedrooms on the south side of the house. I am having fun looking at all the photos posted here, getting some good ideas. Happy Gardening to you!

Donna good luck with your hollyhocks, Go to google and you will find all kinds of advice on them. I have learned to let mother nature take its course, I plant seeds in the fall just after they ripen, barely cover them with dirt, keep them moist and be patient. Once established they will self seed where ever. I have found that transplanting them when they are tiny is the best. I tried to move a larger one and its growth was stunted. Though it still did flower. Make sure the seeds don't have holes in them bugs or worms have gotten to them. Good luck! My hollyhocks came from my husbands homestead farm they had been started by his grandmother. It's a connection to the past and the people we loved. Have a wonderful day!

I certainly know your feelings about continuing to grow plants from ancestors' gardens.
In the 1960's I dug some day lilies from a family cabin in northern WI that had been planted there by my grandmother about 1930. She got them from a farm she lived on in St. John WI in the late 1800s. When we moved from Manitowoc, to Watertown, to Waukesha, to Ft. Atkinson (all in WI) I always brought some along.
I'm now in Appleton and have a (different) cabin up north ---- and these day lilies are growing in both locations! AND--- I, too, smile every time I look at them, thinking of their "travels".

Hi Donna, sorry so long for the repsonse. I am new here and did not know to check my comment section. On to HollyHocks, well I have tried for two years to grow hollyhocks from collected seed. No luck here. This year I am going to dig a couple of plants from my neighbors hollyhock bed affter they sprout and transplant them to my flower bed. I think yhis may be the secret. I'll let you know how this works out. -Bob-

Hi Donna, It's nice to hear from a fellow Minnesota gardener! We do have our challenges here, don't we... I thought that daylilies did well in almost any location, but being too sandy may be a problem. Mine are in different locations all over the yard, but we have a lot of leaves from the oaks that naturally decompose over most of the area they're planted in, so they are probably receiving some nutrition from that. Maybe they just need a shot of some liquid fertilizer every now and then. I usually water my plants with a miracle gro attachment to the hose every couple of weeks, in addition to any rainfall they may get. We have about three acres of land here on the river and it is mostly shaded. I have one big sunny spot in the backyard and that is where I place most of my sun loving perennials. I had three varieties of hostas in there, but have to move them this spring because it is too sunny for them and their leaves get scorched. As far as a shade loving climber, I am not sure about that. I only have a clematis and a wisteria vine on my arbor and they both like the sun. I wonder if some of the ivies might work? It looks like a good day to be in the garden working today...I have lots of hostas to dig up and divide this week. Happy gardening to you!