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sandyslopes z6 n. UT

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: What Are You Doing Monday 32524 ........................
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nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis

Paula..I’ve also had spots cut off and spots frozen..so has my husband..we have regular dermatologist appointments..another fun thing in life..🙁
swimming in a pond?..snakes?..alligators?..no thanks!..
oursteelers..sorry that you have deer..I think you’re not alone..I forget who exactly but others here (Laurie?..Beth?) have deer..
old_dirt..beautiful owl photos 💕..sorry about your neighbor..I’ve been there..start planting!..
my garden is waking up!!..I’m deliberately delaying clean up..we’re going to have more cold weather..count on it..
August Moon..


Autumn Frost..I caught a squirrel sitting in this pot!..


Fire Island..


Undulata Albomarginata..

Pineapple Upside Down Cake..

hellebores..

brunnera..

blood root..

Clausa..got to admire it’s strength!..it was ripped out..

I have these throughout the yard..

I’m smiling thinking that summer is coming 😃..

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steve duggins

Good you're getting your skin taken care of. I just had a clean checkup, had another basal cell removed last year.

Beautiful day here. Taking the pots out of the shed and garage for some free watering tonight. I'm eternally optimistic it is the last pot hauling of the season. Only 3 are leafed out, but the rest are pipping. As long as they stay pips, they will stay outside. The conifers should be fine outside now.

Noticed the squirrels were running amok in the pots I left outside to slow down, grrr. Well, that slowed them down all right.

Celebrating 40 years at Boeing today smoking a bit of the leaf - cigar not the wacky kind.

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Ben D (zone 7b)

I see my dermatologist for screening twice a year. She often finds pre-cancerous spots and an occasional basal cell carcinoma. 30 years ago I was diagnosed with melanoma, but fortunately mine was detected early enough that surgery was the only treatment I needed. So keep up your screenings -- early detection is key.


I have hostas in all stages, from fully leafed out (mostly in containers) to no signs of life at all.


My Dream Weaver looks like something might have eaten the crown (or would rot do this?)



Squirrels have been digging my Blue Mouse Ears out of this container on almost a daily basis.



(That's a Rocket City hosta on the left, and at top is the remains of a carex that didn't survive wintering in our shed.)


Since the forks aren't doing any good, I considered placing chicken wire on the surface but that seemed tricky with the plants already leafed out so much. Instead I tried crisscrossing individual wires across the soil (and I replaced the dead carex with a small division from an in-ground plant):



The squirrels just laughed and proceeded to dig up the new carex entirely, partially uprooted Rocket City, and tossed BME all around.


I'm trying hot pepper flakes now.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: Smile today - 3/23/24
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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 2 comments on a discussion: 25 years of gardening from the beginnings to the decline
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roxanna

2002 - 2003: some close-ups:





A tall (36") platycodon, which has long since died after being beautiful for several years. Cannot find this tall variety any longer, which is a huge disappointment, as the short ones available these days just doesn't cut it for me...


Delphinium hates me -- the only time I managed to have them. Love them, but not s good fit, sadly:


I adore true lilies -- and over the years have grown many. Unfortunately, the critters love their bulbs also. I am limited to growing them in pots only....


Larkspur, lilies, monarda and my mom's original daylilies (she had these for over 40 years: I took and divided some of her original clumps -- have had those for 25 years):


High summer:


The amelanchier trees on the right were part of the original plantings done by the designer , 5 or 6 originally.-- all no longer exist, even tho the conditions here were supposed to be prime for them:









Bonus! Robin babies:


Front yard, near road -- DH's favorite shrub -- mountain laurel -- in gorgeous blooom. These are all over this property. The staddle stone is from England -- I adore it!! The yellow flowers are oneonthera (sp?):


Stunning lilies, no longer with me, dammit, and a pretty astilbe




Small bed by the patio -- it sure doesn't look like this now! The tall purple is a malva, I believe:


Relax on a hammock??? Not likely!


My charming "Dancing Girl", a lead statue I could not resist. Wish I could have the matching "Boy with Panpipes" to put opposite her across the pool, to complete the scene:


High summer again:


The pink shrubs are spirea:


And that is it for this batch. Enjoy the fairly kempt vista -- it won't last, lol.

It's gloomy here today, two days past the spring equinox with light freezing rain, everything coated with about 1/4 inch of ice. I adore the look but am not happy that winter is still rearing its head.

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roxanna

{ pics can be clicked to enlarge if needed}

2004 - 2005 - 2006:

The new deck and Tudor trim on the rear of the house -- so much more interesting. It pleases me greatly!



off topic cat photo -- all over the Rainbow Bridge now:












Garden shed when it was new -- the door is French blue now and in need of repainting. The green cart is the best thing I ever spent money on (I have another one now as well) -- the yellow standard wheelbarrow is DH's, and I refuse to use it! This shot will change a great deal over the years, with the addition of a pink/white crabapple tree, a self-sown crab tree that is a very dark pink, and the enormous river birch (to be seen later), all mature now:


Love this hollyhock -- wish I had it still; I prefer the simple singles:




Walkway to front door with daffs, white violets (I did not plant these, they just came with the place) and a little cherub my mother gave me (he has sadly lost his feet over time, so I shall just tuck him next to a hosta or two. I now call him "Dan", after my brother, who endured a leg amputation two years ago, and more recently the amputation of half of his other foot. =( ...)


Very blurry foxgloves:


The new shed with self-sown meadow of daisies on the slope. Unfortunately the passage of time and the maturity of trees in this area has led to the demise of the meadow, altho the cheerful daisies still pop up in other areas:


Early summer -- and yes, that is me in the background, slaving away; I am still a sit-on-the-ground-directly type of gardener, but it is a lot more difficult to get upright nowadays!!


This was an experiment that worked out fairly well -- floating hard styrofoam florist's rings suspending naked-root impatiens in the pool. I have not repeated this but might again this year. Why not? The big green frog is a UV filter for the water. This pool attracts many real frogs, which is so nice, and delighted my young granddaughter. The real frogs would hop onto those floating flowers, sometimes flipping them over:


This gorgeous clematis is struggling now after so many years. My brown thumb begins to develop... grrr.


Front lawn (when it was actually a lawn) looking towards the road. Bright pink is a fairy rose, still wonderful and much larger. The cages are for blueberry bushes planted by the previous owner -- still producing.








Mixing up my seasons here:


Amelanchier trees in bloom along with the allee of daffs. Notice the flooded vernal swamp out beyond the tree line has inundated the pathway in the back, an ongoing seasonal surety. Cannot get out to that part of my gardens due to this, a mud season that can and has lasted from late winter to the beginning of June. BUT that is one reason why I never have to water any of the gardens back here + bonus (and saves my well)!


Pure white azalea by the front porch. And my fabulous Bacchus!!!


This is completely different now; that white tree is the crab we planted and the multi-trunk tree to the right is the young river birch. I love that tree, but it is now probably 70 feet tall, shading so much of the area now, causing some re-designing of the plantings. Got it to suck up the groundwater -- when it was installed, the hole dug for it had huge underground boulders a couple of feet below the ground, and the water around them was a fast-rushing stream, heading out to the "back forty" in the woods.






River birch when new:


White dicentra I planted by the corner of the front of the house, now defunct (I must get another). The tulip on the left is 'Carmine Parrot', now also defunct and sadly no longer available anywhere -- it was the most gorgeous color...


Edge of swamp behind the house -- standing water visible:


Water, water everywhere...








And a special treat, a visitor who climbed all the way up a full flight of stairs to the deck to serenade us with his singing (love, love, love) . And returns over the years...




And sufficient unto this day are these offerings. Hope it has been enjoyable, and fills you with joy that the seasons still turn as they ought and bring pleasure. Mostly. There is always something to grump about for an aging gardener -- but I these photos have made me anxious to get out there and see what I can do this year!

And, whether you like it or not, I still have more than a dozen year's worth of pics to bombard you with (to end this sentence improperly, lol. Properly it ought to read "with which to bombard you". Hah! . I shall try to condense them going forward.... =)

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: Floppy daffodils?
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HU-918119203

Yes, referring to the ones truly flopped. We did have some high winds lately but this spot is protected. Oh well, at least they’re making nice cut flowers.


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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: Pollinators in the Garden
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prairiemoon2 z6b MA

Dave, that is a great photo of your Cornus mas.

I'm trying to develop a hedgerow along one side of my small property. I'd like to keep it neat and attractive and ornamental but provide habitat for birds and beneficial insects and be a good screen. Years ago I tried a number of varieties of Viburnum and didn't have good luck with any of them. I don't have one left on my property. I did have a Viburnum carlesii which I LOVED because of the fragrance, and that lasted quite awhile. I will probably add another one.

I do have a grey dogwood that is carefree and vigorous and healthy with no problems what so ever and it's native. It isn't as ornamental as I'd like, so I'd like to try for at least a few shrubs that are a little bit flashier. I'd also like to have continuous bloom for 3 seasons maybe with berries in the winter and some variegation and different shades of green. So I was thinking of a Cornus mas as one shrub to add. Maybe I'm trying to do too much. lol

Actually, I went looking for a photo of that Gray Dogwood and last year was a banner year for it! This is the best it's ever looked and it does look pretty good. It does spread and the robins strip the white berries pretty quickly. This is across the yard from the area I'm working on.



And my growing conditions are not that great. Good loamy clay, but a lot of neighboring mature tree roots to contend with and only part sun.

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forever_a_newbie_VA8

First butterfly of the year in our garden


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rob333 (zone 7b)


Sleepy bees at the end of the season.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: OY! Gonna be 28 degrees tomorrow night in Baltimore!
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Esther-B, Zone 7a

I was having a new door installed today, the one I've been waiting for almost 2 years for. So I didn't even make it outside today. Those contractors ran into a problem, as the door (not ordered by me or by them, but by the first contractor) was 3" too short, and they had to build up the top of the opening. It took NINE HOURS to install the new fiberglass entry door, the new storm door, and the associated locks. So no, Esther did not have the opportunity to go into the backyard. The pot of hostas by the front door, pipped to about 3" high, looked OK however. And tonight, we have low frosty temps again. Argh!



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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: Hosta coming to you soon.
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undertheoaksgardener7b

Paula, what a great idea! I’m all for it! You know that my crazy garden is already pipping or leafing out. Unruly Child 2 days ago and Camellia Satsuma Kurenai yesterday. The azaleas will bloom soon, too.

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indianagardengirl

Im busy dragging pots in and out of the garage, sigh. Once I spotted them pipping I decided I had to put them in some sun so they didn’t etoliate. Now they are MUCH further along than i wanted. Ah well. These should all go in the ground this year.

The beer can in the pot with Viking Ship is just for size reference 😉 - that sucker is HUGE.

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undertheoaksgardener7b

So far, so good.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 2 comments on a discussion: Above average temperatures
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djacob Z6a SE WI

David, that is a most amazing picture! I never knew a rhododendron could get that humongous!!

debra

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 2 comments on a discussion: Hosta Advice 2023 .............................
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steve duggins

Take lots of pictures and organize them on rainy days - Oh and take more on rainy / cloudy days. . . And post them here so we can enjoy them too . . . even if you think they're ugly (they're not).


If you plant things too close, they will grow like weeds. If you give them the space they need, they will dwindle and die.

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swrite

That chipmunks eat them. And that hummingbirds enjoy the flowers (prior to the plant’s consumption, of course).

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: pollen, buds, blooms OH MY!
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romanszone8

Thank you for your kindness, sandyslopes!

I totally understand what you are referring to with learning from our own experiments— I wish I would have discovered this site when I first got started. Thankfully my mistakes have been gracious toward me and I can move forward with the lessons I have learned 😊

It’s especially fun having a large blank space to work with! The home we purchased had sadly been foreclosed, the previous owners were the first to live in it and had been there 25 years before letting banks take over. However from my gardening journey I see that they too enjoyed the garden. I’ve found hidden tomato plants, blueberry bushes, wild strawberries, and more. The first task was learning the lay of the land/sun/soil…. And of course pests.

My next big project is hopefully installing irrigation whether that be drip lines or soakers…. I suppose I will find opinions here!

It’s so exciting to have a new variety of plants to work with!

Thank you again ☺️

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: Tulips in your garden 2023
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mazerolm_3a

@mxk3 z5b_MI: thanks! They were a Costco mix of Triumph tulips so probably won’t return this year but I got sucked in by the Easter pastel colors


@Jeb: your tulips are just gorgeous!! Can’t wait to see your pics from this year!!!

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socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24

My Tulipa saxatilis are blooming. They spread like crazy, almost a bit too much.


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socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24

Tulipa cretica ’Hilde’ just finished but here they are (foreground) from a few weeks ago. (Lachanelia and Babiana behind them).


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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: Oh no...JoAnn's files for bankruptcy
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Annie Deighnaugh

The article says they aren't closing stores --- not yet anyway.

They list hobby lobby as a less expensive alternative, but I won't shop there for other reasons.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 2 comments on a discussion: Smile today - 3/19/24
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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱


tj

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT updated their profile
sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: Veggie Tales >>> March 2024
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RD Texas






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sandyslopes z6 n. UT commented on a discussion: ID this white 6 petaled star shaped flower?
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sandyslopes z6 n. UT

gg, sometimes people find a topic through a search and don't notice the date on the thread.

I wouldn't discourage any newcomers who want to join in talking about plants and gardening!

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

She might not have noticed the date but if this was a topic of interest - enough to generate her response - then certainly she would have read through the previous comments and figured out the question of identification had already been confirmed years ago?

I don't want to discourage anyone but we can all benefit from using a bit of common sense.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 2 comments on a discussion: My wife knows I'm cheating...
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Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.


In this batch of hostas I brought indoors is a 'Golden Tiara' and it's very confused by the looks of it: a scape before that particular shoot leafs-out...

Pieter

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Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.


A great many of the ones I 'forced' indoors have now been moved outside. We've had great weather, temps into the mid-teens C during the day and while this will somewhat slow down their growth it will harden them off and get ready to be planted in someone-else's garden come April 6th.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: Hosta Mini/Small 2023 .....................................
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romanszone8

my crocus have come and gone now but my hosta babies are arriving!!!

I wish I would have kept my tags. Great advice here and i see so many varieties i want to add to my hosta garden. Starting with curly fries and teaspoon! 😍

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT commented on a discussion: A new addition to the garden?
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sandyslopes z6 n. UT

What an adorable puppy!

I'm sorry about the loss of your other dogs. They all have their own personalities that we miss. But you're lucky to have found a new pup that will be lots of fun, and no doubt will bring his own personality to your family to enjoy!

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oursteelers 8B PNW

He is so cute!

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djacob Z6a SE WI

Losing our beloved fur babies is so, so difficult!! While it is hard to move on, sometimes another fur baby helps us do so. I feel the our lost loved ones (people and pets) would like us to move on and not be so sad forever. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t cry sometimes over all my lost cats going back 20 years…..Charlie is so cute he will be a bundle of joy, I’m sure!! Keep us updated!!

debra

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 2 comments on a discussion: Some of my crazy hostas are pipping, here in March!
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41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)

Today looks like peak for the Camellias.




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romanszone8

And of course we have a freeze warning 🤣

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: THANK YOU PAULA !!!
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hosta_maker

Good job paula

i see fb trying to imitate, but they are not the real deal.

no sense of humor!!

bigger is not better.

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indianagardengirl

My favorite comment among all the posts is this one from Paula:


7. Get dressed in street clothes at least once a week.


Thanks Paula for the entertainment and education!

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ilovetogrow z9 Jax Florida

Good evening! You guys made me blush. Thank you for making this ABC happen. You take the photos and keep the conversation going. Why look Spring starts tomorrow. You know Facebook has nothing on us. They were done way, way in the beginning of January,

As the Master of Ceremonies (I gave myself that name) I think we need to keep the ball rolling. Look for me every other Monday for a 'what have we been up to' kind of a thing. Thank you Thank you all. Even in Florida the winter can be long and look it is over! Yea Spring.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: A Year of Bulbs
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diggerdee zone 6 CT

I still don't have lots of daffodils in bloom yet, but these caught my eye as I was pulling out of my driveway. I have to go back and look at what I bought, but theses were newly planted last fall and I don't think they were supposed to be three inches tall lol. Perhaps it was the temperature swings that made them bloom so small??? You can kind of see a crocus right in front of them and the crocus is taller.


I think they are Tete-a-Tete daffs, which I know are small - I have some already from years ago - but even they are usually at least six inches tall.


Sorry, not great pictures- they were taken through the car window!




:)

Dee

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes 3 comments on a discussion: Hosta 2024 Garden Plans ............................
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ilovetogrow z9 Jax Florida

I thought it was the 3 Budweiser frogs.

My goals or plans are:

1. Not to appear in the front yard dressed in your pajamas and then chase birds down the street (crows).

2. Actually, get the repotting done. I am thinking of awarding prizes.

3. Get a better slingshot. Again crows.

4. Repair reclining lawn furniture as I fell though both this year.

5. Order soon the hosta. I am doing some moving about to make more room for them. The returns from last year are looking good.

6. Do more with zinnias.

7. Get dressed in street clothes at least once a week.

8. Feed the plants more.

9. Take better photos. Not just major masses of green.

and 10. Move the BBq, get the house painted ect ect ect.


I will be back on December 26 and I have already started saving jokes.


Fierce Bald Eagle, juvenile. He/she will be flying from tree to tree soon not just branch to branch.












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Esther-B, Zone 7a

I want to finally use the BBQ I had put together last year and invite some friends to a BBQ on the patio I haven't used yet. I want to move 2 overly aggressive columbines to their own containers so they don't overshade the hostas in the same container they're in. I want to plant a new Royal Tiara hosta, as mine didn't make it through the move to my house from my apartment balcony. I have already applied weed killer to many of the weeds invading the lawn and rose garden, and the kids next door promised to pull out weeds for me, as one of my prescriptions makes me dizzy to bend over and then straighten up.


And, with any luck, the new front door and side door, which I had ordered almost 2 years ago, will finally be installed by a 4th contractor. The first guy hasn't returned calls for 3 weeks, supposedly waiting for his star carpenter to get back to him. The second guy now has 3 hernias and is supposedly retiring, The third guy is not qualified to do advanced framing carpentry. But this 4th guy looks very promising. Wish me luck getting the beautiful new door and storm door installed, after almost 2 years. It's currently leaning against the dining room wall, where it does me a whole lotta good.

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nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis

Paula and Kathy..I should step up with you both and add the wardrobe improvements to my goals 😂..

I went to Walmart again..now I have enough 😂..
my daffodils in front before our temperature drops..😢





Clausa has returned..there’s less than before!..but there’s more work to do..


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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: Germinating wild bergamot
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mxk3 z5b_MI

Update 2024: I never got around to sowing them out in the pasture back in 2022, but I did germinate them under the lights this year after about a month of cold stratification in the fridge. Easy as anything, even with 2-year old seed, and now potted up into large containers. I'll transplant them out into the pasture after DH does the mid-June cut-down.

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sandyslopes z6 n. UT likes a comment on a discussion: Hosta Companion 2023 ......................
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indianagardengirl

Hellebore seedling with a double bloom :-)


More seedlings



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