I really go for the "Double Knock-out" roses in red and pink. They are bush variety and are covered with roses, big full roses, all summer long-reblooming.
I'm buying more this yr.
Also I find 'carpet roses' grow well in my zone 5.
BUT yes roses are a lot of trouble at times.
My beebalm spread like crazy this year also. However, I am very happy it did. I put it on the edge of a wooded area with hopes it'd spread as it's known to do.
I say- dig them carefully and sale them on Craig'slist. People pay for them, sometime alot.
OR-just give to friends/family
OR-even...
I bought 'grow bags' from Canada online one year, because they were so cool-I wanted to try them out.
The ones I bought look to be made from the same black plastic type stuff, that will break down. But mine were square like paper grocery sacks sort of and had no handles. Obviously for different...
Here in central Indiana we also call it a 'median' and in my town they are planted full with shrubs(mostly flowering) and perennials.
Wish I had some pictures for you. Never have thought much about them because here the locals plant them FULL!! adopt-a-spots!
One such spot is full of daisies and...
When I was a child in KY, we picked young tender poke, and just washed it, maybe pulled some of the strings off sometimes it not tender enough, and cut the stalk into 1/2 inch pieces, battered with egg/milk dipped in cornmeal and FRY it like okra.
YUMMY!
No boiling though.
Ditto the easywildflowers.com
I purchased plants from him last 2 years-he's wonderful, packing is marvelous, and the plant were very surprisingly nice sized. I have been very please with quality / quantity/ and customer service.
As a child, my brother and I were made to pick dandelions around the neighborhood so mom and dad could make WINE!
I remember it being dark and strong-yuck! But then again kids usually don't like they're first taste of that type of thing-so it might just be good, but it takes a butt load of flowers!!
vfem-I believe pine bedding is very bad for your chickens. That's what they say-chicken people.
Perhaps I misunderstood you or them-lol
But I always steer clear of pine bedding for my birds just in case.
I bet it's not exactly a holly, lots of times people confuse Mahonia with holly
check out this website about Mahonia.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/mahonia_aquifolium.html
weird-my chickens don't bother my irises at all-I did however plant some Bishops weed too close and 3yrs later am regretting it big time-it's killed some of my iris.
I've bought a bunch of new iris from Brecks Holland last fall-they're coming up-I'd hate to lose them...