I also meant to ask those who grow Gaura if you stake them. When I first
planted Gauras I had them in a container and they trailed very nicely over
the sides, but now that I have them in the ground, when the flowering stems
grow they basically flop over onto the ground. How do you all handle that?

Thanks!

Rhonda

They are naturally very fountaining & I don't believe there is any way to
stake or restrain this habit; not much of the clump should really flop
right down on the ground, as it fountains upward then down in direction of
brightest sun. You have to give them enough room, away from a sidewalk, to
let them lean far over without reaching in the way of a path. They
actually look very nice this way, if you overcome any feeling that all
flowers should stand upright like tulips, & if you put them in the right
kind of spot where they won't be reaching onto a path. You can sheer them
back a bit every time there is a "break" in their almost perpetual
spring-through-autumn bloom &amp that may keep them a tad more compact (&
they'll rebloom after sheerings) but nothing will make them upright in
habit.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/