Your tree looked so healthy & green, seems kind of a shame. I didn't recognize it as a mulberry tree though, so I can understand why you would get rid of it. I bet you really had to trim to keep it to that size. The ones I have dealings with I guess are wild ones that birds tend to leave right at the worst places. Like in the middle of my blueberry bush. They grow like mad! Looks like lots more tomatoes for your future! What is your favorite large tomato? I got 3 Big Boy tomato plants this year, got a bunch at one time, but there are not many on the vines right now. I am wondering if there is a tomato that spread its harvest out more. We don't eat lots of tomatoes, but a few every week would be nice. I guess I need to check for early, mid & late season tomatoes. Maybe I should put in a few more plants too :) I miss your beautiful lupines, but lupines only lasted a couple of years for me either. I tried planting some seeds a couple of times, but they didn't come up. I've decided I don't need to try such difficult plants, I'll stick with the ones that work for me.

Wow! Wow! Thanks to all of you for taking the time to post such kind and generous compliments. I couldn't believe it when I just checked this post again! Les, well noted about the step. We had the walkway put in when we did the driveway about 5 years ago. It is stamped concrete and that step is horrible. The guy made it way too narrow and it is too big of a drop from the porch, and he screwed up the stamping. Hopefully, next Spring we will have the walk replaced. I want the man who did our patio to come back and fill in our front yard (we have a lot of areas that need dirt) and do a new walkway. It is almost 12 feet between the pillars. are you thinking a step that wide?? It would be pavers. I haven't even thought that far ahead as to what type, but know I want it done. Squirrel, the iron was on the garage doors. Actually, we are probably going to need a new door one of these days. I had seen a PS you did for someone recently with garage doors. There are so many choices. I bought the bench and then stained it. I hadn't yet thought about something above the bench. Hmmm.

Funny you should ask. It was originally slated for a big iron antique bakers rack but when the island was turned and the footprint made bigger there wasn't enough room for you to walk past it comfortably. So the baker's rack is.a very fancy and pricey addition to my patio and the wall just has a big framed picture/long open shelf for plants these days.

There really is not a good or effective way to try to control the things other than hand picking them off and squishing them to death. They do make a nice popping sound if you do that. I either do that with a gloved hand (too squeamish to do it without a glove) or dispose of the bloom which they are on. The problem is that they dig themselves right in the middle of the blossom so they are hard to observe and they seem to be on every light colored blooms (or just about), so that means that my first and pretty much only flush until the fall, is just gone in less than a day. Since spring was so late this year, I was hoping against hope that I might get a week or two of blooms before they hit. No such luck. I had about 30 seconds to enjoy the bloom before the heat and beetles destroyed pretty much everything. More on Hoplia Beetles. They love to do the nasty on my roses and leave their frass everywhere. The only alternative is to cut off the flower and deposit it in the trash. I will often see two or three on one flower. It is really bad this year. I was hoping the need seed meal and the neem oil spray might help, plus a very heavy layer of mulch, but everyone in this area is complaining that the beetles are rampant this year. I do invite Mr. California Jay to come and eat them as they seem to be his favorite form of sushi, but he can't keep up with the numbers this year. The only other solution is to only plant dark colored roses in my yard. Not really willing to do that. Nor am I willing to spray Sevin or any other pesticide that will kill beneficials as well. Jeri, I know you enjoy squishing bugs, so I also invite you over to help control the population at any time during the next month or so. Plus, I would love to have you as a guest anytime! I learn so much from you with every post. Maybe I should host an annual bug squishing party each year so we can help to reduce the population!