I was lucky. I didn't lose anything to the drought. I lost my Lupines to a combination of aphids and not enough sun. I'm sorry you had so many losses. Native shrubs, too. We're they newly planted? Maybe you can wintersow some replacement seeds this winter and recoup some of your losses. Good luck.

Martha

I had several losses of daylilies kept over the winter in pots, likely my own fault. I think the mixed potting soil they were in retained the water too much. I don't usually have a problem overwintering daylilies, as they are so tough. They were ordered online in a fall sale, and arrived in good health, so not the nursery's fault at all. At least I didn't pay too much for them because of the sale prices.

I only lost plants that were purchased last year. All my established plants were good. I had the hose hooked to my hip and I still lost the new planted Heucheras, one Azalea Bush, Bloomerange Lilac bush, and a few I forget the names of many, many more....but the vision of what each was going to look like if they had survive is vivid in my mind.

I have purchased very few perennials this Spring. I will wait until late August this year to do any bedding planting. Our Summers are getting to hot and dry to establish plants successfully. I am going to take my chance with our winters instead of our desert summers.

Any perennial that I planted last fall just didn't make it. I also lost a 3 ft wide clump of crocosmia 'Distant Planet, 3 clumps of carex 'Bowles Gold'. a big kniphofia, an Oakleaf hydrangea, and all of my variegated sweet flag,

I take lots of photos of my garden. It helps me avoid pulling out what I think are weeds but are really plants. I lost a decent-sized pineapple upside down cake hosta. Planted in spring 2012. No signs of it anywhere. Just recently realized it was gone after looking at photos from last year. Also missing is an agastache sprite (I think) No signs of it. I remember being happy to see it a second year. I had moved it from a container to a flower bed.This would have been it's third year.

I lost two roses, one that I planted last year. It was just dead. It could have been my fault (planted too deep). I have a hard time too remembering what I planted, where, especially when they die back in the winter, then they get covered up with mulch and I go hunting for them in the spring and I sometimes forget something is just covered and it doesn't come up. I take pictures too, then go back to find stuff. :)

I lost all my Caryopteris except for one and that one is tiny this year. Some of these had been in my garden since 1997 when I first discovered them, so they were huge. Bummed beyond words.

Kevin

No loses to drought. Lost 3 perovskia to winter wet. Biggest loses to bug eyed click beetle larvae (wireworms). There's been an explosion of those beetles here.

Lost a penstemon, Sweet Joanne, most of a mature clump of hosta Patriot, another 3 year old hosta, can't remember the variety right now, an entire clump of Invasion Orienpet lily, and another Orienpet, single bulb which I also can't remember right now. Don't believe any of them were due to drought as all received supplemental water. I think some were due to winter rains (uncommon here) and I'm inclined to think the lilies were due to some very cold weather before snow cover arrived.

I think my losses can be attributed more to this year than last year b/c we had the wettest Spring I can ever remember, torrential rains every other day, it seemed like. Any bulbs that I planted died except for the ones close to the french drain, so lost several ornamental lilies, polianthes, anemones and pretty sure a golden hurricane lily and maybe an Oxblood lily, as well. Might be too soon to tell on that one. Amended clay soil, but clay soil still and it does not like that much rain. Also drowned a Bill Wallis Geranium and an Echium Red Feathers b/c they were just too small to make it in all that rain. Everything else did swimmingly, pardon the pun! I guess I can't complain, but hate to lose things.

Definitely feel last year was responsible for this year's losses. The garden struggled as the drought went on and on last summer. Followed by no snow cover for half of the winter. And these are plants that I lost...

Japanese Jack in the Pulpit
2 Pulmonaria âÂÂBertram AndersonâÂÂ
A few crocus but not sure why
Euphorbia
Agastache âÂÂAvaâÂÂ
Penstemon âÂÂPikeâÂÂs Peak PurpleâÂÂ
Aquilegia âÂÂDragonflyâÂÂ
All but a few reseeded Verbena bonariensis

Most of those plants are iffy in my zone anyway, except the aquilegia, crocus, and pulmonaria. But I've had them for at least 5+ years without losing them.

But, right now my garden is rebounding from all the rain I've gotten. Due to large mature trees surrounding my property in neighbor's yards, my garden can handle a lot of rain, better than it can drought.

I soon noticed several empty spots in my oh-so-carefully designed & planted beds this year altho' there are plenty of things who's survival I celebrate. A few are surprises whereas others not so much. I lost a butterfly bush which, given its location, might be attributed to grubs rather than weather. Catananche/Cupid's dart disappeared from one bed and although Chelone/turtlehead survived, it definitely isn't increasing in size this year.

Gaura lindheimeri hasn't shown its face but I've heard it's short-lived so that may explain its disappearance.

pam_whitbyon - condolences on the loss of your hosta 'Stiletto.' I really depend on my hostas given the amount of shade in my little green acre and would sorely miss any that I lost.

I lost the first Echinacea I have ever lost - Pink Double Delight. And, would you believe I lost a 6 year old Asclepias Tuberosa? It has just disappeared. My next door neighbor gave me a replacement piece and it's doing fine, even in the heat. But to lose a 6 year old Butterfly weed???? I can't figure that one out -or the echinacea for that matter.

Linda

The strangest losses I've ever had was Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' and 'Fireball' plus one of two Persicaria Polymorpha due to large snow cover. Go figure.

I only whimper occasionally on pulling all the Echinaciea last summer infected by diseased plants from garden centers.

I lost more plants than I care to consider to the voles, including several hosta and clematis and a 5 year old Baptisia. Happily the Baptisia had a few seedlings and I am now planting in wire cages and watering in with a mix that includes castor oil. I'm also planning to start setting traps to reduce the number of voles.