Is this what’s called being an enabler?! (I would do an emoticon here but I don’t have the time to hunt for all those little symbols. Picture a winking face with a tongue hanging out, please.)
First, I would scoop up that Geranium, because any serious gardener should scoop up that Geranium. We’ve never seen blooms like this, and they are more than merely distinctive, they’re beautiful. Go ahead, make the other Master Gardeners jealous — and don’t leave them alone with Double Jewel for one second.
I wouldn’t recommend the Rose to everyone, but you are a gardener who can truly appreciate it. Put it on that hummocky area you’ve got at the back of the garden. It will catch the setting sun, and then you’ll thank me!
And to range around your Winged Thorn Rose, I think you must have L. pardalinum. It’s a native, with Turk’s Caps blooms, and let’s face it, beside that Rose, only the exotic and beautiful will do! I know you love a good heavy blooming Lily, and this one attracts your beloved hummingbirds. And I like the idea that between the Rose and the native Lily, you will have a truly low-maintenance garden spot, free of pests.
For a container, I think you should have Betula Filigree Lace. It’s a bit slow-growing for garden use immediately in a garden the size of yours, but you will enjoy it for years in a fancy tub.
Of course you must have one of the new Hydrangeas, but I can’t choose between the Dutch Ladies and the Halo series. Of the Dutch Ladies, Sharona would probably suit you best, with its tricolor pastels, but you would adore the serrated petals of Angel Wings, too. On balance I think you might find the new colors more interesting over time than the new petal form . . . and you will never hear me suggest that you get both!
I wish I could interest you in Arisaema, for our selection is fantastic. But I leave that challenge to better, stronger horts than I!
Cheers,
Tamsin