All,

Thanks for the help identifying these plants.

Rose of Sharon sounds right on the money for the first plant (the pic of the
seed pod). It doesn't die back to the ground during the winter.

As for the yellow flower, here are a few pics of the leaves.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...=79120329 108
http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...=1117629507883

Timothy suggested this might be a kerria which, after looking at some
pictures on-line, looks like it might fit my plant. It looks like the
kerrias prefer partial shade, which means I shouldn't transplant it into a
brighter area as I was planning on. However, I'm at a loss as to what I can
do to get this plant to grow a little more vigorously...it doesn't seem too
happy where it is.

Thoughts?
Thanks

"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
MPost said:

This is a shrub about 6 feet tall, and quite spindly (perhaps because it's
being crowded out by another bush). The dried flower/seed head is from
last year, and it's just starting to bud out this spring...quite late
compared to
everything else in my yard.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...13258108&photo
id=46594678108

Does this die back to the ground? Or does it regrow on wood above
ground? The seed pod looks to be either a rose mallow (Hibiscus
moscheutos) if it dies back to the ground or rose of sharon (Hibicus
syriacus) in the other case. Either are usually slow to sprout out in
the spring.

rose of sharon (includes photo of seed pods):
http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek040622.html

rose mallow (includes photo of seed pod):
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/6707.html/


This is a perennial that is about 2 feet tall, also not very full. I think
this is because it gets almost no sun. Flowers are nice, but I only get
3-4
on this plant.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...258108&photoid
=76594678108&&refreshkey=1117491036860

This is some member of the Composite family. (It would help to have
a picture of the leaves.) This could be a doubled Rudbeckia ("Golden
glow")
or a double Coreopsis, but I lean toward "Golden Glow." (I discount
Dahlia
as Dahlia's aren't winter hardy in cold-winter areas.)

Golden glow:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/65950/

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)