Seriously though, I’m waging the same war here but with less… pink… variety. I’m supposed to wait a year to see what comes up, right? I’m not that patient…. but we have some tulips and daffodils that are emerging on the east side of our house, much to my delight. Now to save them from the deer.

I agree with Nancy, though. Expansion of beds with some judicial splitting of plants and adding purple and blue and yellow could save grandma’s underpants next spring. And unless you have a sheep to rent, you’d not have to mow either.

Sounds to me like you have a perfect excuse for expanding the beds – more flowers, less grass to cut. Some large showy any-color-but-pink dahlias would certainly fill up the space. I’m partial to autumn bronze myself.